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"...a picture of Kerry going up to the Communion rail and being denied, and you've got a story that'll last for weeks," Father Thomas Reese, editor of the Jesuit magazine America, told Time."

From his mouth to God's ears!

Am I the only person to notice that Kerry is holier than thou when it comes to his idea of how we are to show our compassion toward the poor (through more government programs), quoting the Bible, right inside a church, and in the context of attcking his political opponents; but, when it comes to the official teachings on human life issues of the denomination to which he belongs, he says to church officials, butt out?

I should also point out that the Catholic Church, to which Kerry "happens to be" a member, does not teach his (Kerry's) doctrine of how we are to show our compassion toward the poor. The Catholic Church is totally o.k. with our American system and a variety of other systems, involving various mixes of public and private support for the poor. What is important is that we DO care for the poor. But, how we care for the poor, and how we distinguish between those deserving of our support and those who should support themselves, these are matters that we, each of us individually and as members of society, have to figure out.

Sometimes I think that the only thing bigger than Kerry's arrogance is his chin, and sometimes I think the opposite!

"...a picture of Kerry going up to the Communion rail and being denied, and you've got a story that'll last for weeks," Father Thomas Reese, editor of the Jesuit magazine America, told Time."

The priest should not give him communion, but offer him a blessing. That is what is done for non-Catholics; they approach the priest at communion in a different posture (arms crossed) to receive a blessing instead. Then the church can issue a statement that he is not to receive communion, not in good standing, but that the church is praying he will repent. That approach would avoid the image of him being "turned away." Of course, Kerry will probably try to turn the "blessing" into an endorsement by the Catholic church.