Washington (CNN) -- Rhode Island's top Roman Catholic leader has asked Rep. Patrick Kennedy to stop taking Communion over his support for abortion rights, the diocese said Sunday.In a statement issued Sunday, Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin said he told Kennedy in February 2007 that it would be "inappropriate" for him to continue receiving the fundamental Catholic sacrament, "and I now ask respectfully that you refrain from doing so."
What's interesting is that groups are comparing this to the Taliban and other theocracies, insofar as denying a willing participant a sacrament in light of their constant insistence on breaking with Church doctrine is exactly the same as stoning homosexuals to death. Let's have a little perspective, folks. Kennedy's been towing the strict progressive line his entire career, trying to walk in Uncle Teddy's shadow of sticking his finger in the eye of the Church he leans on to prop up his many failings.
What's really interesting is that Teddy had to die before the Catholic Church would dare attempt this.
That is all.
8 comments:
The article I read on FoxNews.com contained this quote: "If they believe they're a true Catholic, who's to say that they're not?"
Granted, I'm Protestant, so perhaps my understanding isn't the most complete, but when last I checked that question does have an answer: the Catholic Church.
Correct me if my understanding is wrong, but when he is acting in direct opposition to Church doctrine, isn't he supposed to not receive Communion all on his own? I'm glad to be a part of a church that practices open table, but here's the thing: Rep. Kennedy could be, too. Distasteful as I'd personally find it, the ECUSA would welcome him with open arms.
Sabra, you're exactly correct. It's decidedly unusual for a Bishop to come out and make a suggestion on the matter, but it's within his right to do so. While dissent is allowed, so too our leadership is allowed to draw a line in the sand. While no man can excommunicate another in our church, our actions can cause us to excommunicate ourselves, and while the bishop can't talk about that publicly, or make judgments on the matter privately, undoubtedly he suggested to Kennedy that he not receive communion until he gets his affairs in order.
It's worth noting that the good bishop did not actually deny communion Mr. Kennedy. He merely suggested in a private letter that it would be inappropriate. Patrick Kennedy is a hypocrite and a prevaricator; who'd have thunk it.
Look, there's a lot of wiggle room in any religion. For most political issues, the Church doesn't really care, nor tell its members what they should think or do. However, abortion is one line in the sand that it has chosen to draw and hold firm on. It is a matter of church doctrine, and if a Catholic politician is flagrantly opposed to that doctrine, then I see no issue with barring the wayward individual from any sacrament, up to and including communion and burial. If you choose to endorse a practice which is abhorrant to your religion, then you don't truly follow that religion.
Since it is between him and his church, why is everyone in an uproar? I'm not sure why it is anyone else's business.
If it doesn't bother you guys that a U.S. congressman is being essentially blackmailed if he doesn't follow orders from a foreign government (Vatican) I don't know what to say.
I don't want ANY religious leader telling a congressman how to vote under threat of sanction from the church. They can urge, they can minister and that's fine. But a great big red line gets crossed when they tell congressmen how to vote -or else.
JFK could never be believed today if he made his Catholicism speech. That's not progress, it's a giant step backwards in the cause of religious tolerance. This stuff has consequences. One of them is people start asking themselves if it's a congressman or his Bishop they are voting for. And that's a very very bad thing the country and the Church.
Personally I fail to see how someone who was pro-choice and pro birth-control could remain a Catholic with any degree of self-honesty, but I know several deeply religious people who simply can't bring themselves to leave and think the church simply needs to reform these views rather than it being a matter of doctrine.
You can be a cafeteria protestant I suppose, but the same doesn't follow with Catholicism. -Personally I just don't get it.
I don't want ANY religious leader telling a congressman how to vote under threat of sanction from the church.
He is not being told how to vote. He is being told that he is not in line with church doctrine, and so should not be partaking of one of the Sacraments. It's the case for any Catholic. My brother-in-law hasn't taken Communion for years because he's out of line with their teachings. He has enough respect for his Church to recuse himself.
I respect the desire to change a church from the inside. But I do not respect acting in a manner that shows a blatant disregard for Church teachings.
Bill,
Excommunication IS NOT a matter of the Church blackmailing someone.
It is simply official recognition of a situation that ALREADY exists:
By openly breaking with the Church on a key, dogmatic, issue, he is choosing to identify himself as NOT A CATHOLIC.
The official statement is simply the Church recognizing HIS choice to not be a participating member of the Catholic Church.
The Roman Catholic Church doesn't practice open Communion with every Christian -- including supposed Catholics who publically profess heretical beliefs. Obstinately opposing a dogmatic issue (which abortion IS) and supporting it is heresy. No different, canonically, than if he dressed up in fancy robes and started sacrificing goats to Cthulu and claiming it was the "true Catholic Church".
Don't like the dogmatic rules of Catholicism?
Try the Anglican Churches, where many of them don't HAVE as much of an issue with dogmatic coherence.
When I married a divorcee, I stopped receiving Communion in the Catholic Church, in accordance with the rules. I later converted to Anglican, where marrying a divorcee isn't so much of a bad thing. I now receive Communion whenever I wish to attend Eucharist. (My marriage wasn't the only reason I left the Catholic Church -- Bishops who would ignore canon law and dogmatic errors in order to pursue leftist politics that ARE NOT dogma or canon had a LOT to do with it as well.)
The Kennedys have FOR DECADES, decided they didn't have to actually BELIEVE in Catholic doctrine, dogma, or canon, much less follow it -- but they insisted on being TREATED as Catholics in good standing.
Post a Comment