Bishops' Giving Communion To Politicians Supporting Abortion Rights Undermines Pope's Message, Opinion Piece Says

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 29 Apr 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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The decision by some Roman Catholic bishops to give Holy Communion to politicians who support abortion rights during recent Masses celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in Washington, D.C., and New York City last week makes "professions" against abortion by the pope "ring hollow," syndicated columnist Robert Novak writes in a Washington Post opinion piece. According to Novak, district Archbishop Donald Wuerl and New York Cardinal Edward Egan invited several Catholic politicians who support abortion rights -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), and Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) -- to the Masses.

Although "Vatican sources say the pope has not retreated from his long-held position that pro-choice politicians should be deprived of Communion," the lawmakers were invited to the Masses because the decision was not made by Benedict, Novak writes. Novak contrasted the events earlier this month with the 2004 opinion of Benedict -- who was then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- that Kerry should not be allowed to take Communion. Novak also noted that last year in Brazil the pope said, "The killing of an innocent human child is incompatible with going into Communion in the body of Christ."

Wuerl and Egan's decision "reflected disobedience" to the pope, Novak writes, adding that the "effect" of the decision was "to dull the pope's messages of faith, obligation and compassion" (Novak, Washington Post, 4/28).

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