Archbishop Harry Flynn,   The Catholic Spirit, September 9, 2004

    It is my strong belief that the Eucharist is a source of healing and unity and that it should not be an occasion for political scrutinizing and judgments. As a bishop, I am committed to engaging the laity in transforming the world. It is my hope that the teachings of the church will assist Catholics to examine the positions of candidates and make choices based on Catholic moral and social teaching. But I do not believe that it is my responsibility or anyone else’s responsibility to pass judgment on Catholics as they proceed to the Communion table.
    The responsibility for this examination of conscience belongs to the persons (politicians) who ready themselves to eat and drink of the body and blood of our Lord. “Gaudium et Spes,” a document from the Vatican Council, describes conscience as “people’s most secret core and their sanctuary. There they are alone with God whose voice echoes in their depths.” Both alone with God and in the midst of the community, the Eucharist challenges us to discover the profound meaning of our actions in the world, as politicians, as citizens, as people of God.

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