Posted on 04/03/2004 3:46:04 PM PST by UnklGene
Catholic Church 'will refuse Kerry Communion' -
(Filed: 04/04/2004)
Senior traditionalists in the Catholic Church are backing a campaign over the Democrat's stance on abortion. Julian Coman reports.
A battle in John Kerry's presidential election campaign may soon be fought at the altar rail, if senior traditionalists in the Catholic Church get their way.
Priests and bishops across America are being urged by members to refuse Communion to the first Catholic to run for the presidency since John F. Kennedy. The sanction would be imposed until Mr Kerry abandoned his permissive views on abortion and other issues such as gay marriages.
The campaign - which has the explicit blessing of the Vatican - is gathering force and, with Holy Week drawing near, Mr Kerry's aides have been forced to visit churches before allowing him to attend Mass. Rome has become increasingly concerned about the possibility of an avowedly Catholic president who is both pro-choice and approves of gay civil unions.
In a surprisingly frank statement, a Vatican official told Time magazine: "People in Rome are becoming more and more aware that there's a problem with John Kerry and a potential scandal with his apparent profession of his Catholic faith and some of his stances, particularly abortion."
A team of advisers has been installed at Mr Kerry's campaign headquarters to formulate a "Catholic response" to the Vatican's concerns. In a country of 64 million Catholics, most of whom have traditionally voted Democrat, images of Mr Kerry, who regularly takes Communion, being turned away by a priest would have an explosive impact.
Father Thomas Reese, the editor of America, a national Catholic magazine, said: "All you need is a picture of Kerry going up to the Communion rail and being denied, and you've got a story that will run for weeks and weeks."
Last Sunday, while campaigning in Missouri, Mr Kerry preferred to miss a Catholic service rather than risk a confrontation with the formidable Archbishop Raymond Burke of St Louis. Archbishop Burke had publicly warned the Massachusetts senator "not to present himself for Communion" in the state of Missouri unless he dropped his support of existing abortion laws.
Catholics make up 27 per cent of the American electorate, many living in states with large blocs of electoral votes such as California, Texas, New York, Ohio, Illinois and Florida.
Since 1980, no presidential candidate has won the Catholic vote but lost the White House, with the exception of Al Gore who narrowly lost in 2000.
Mr Kerry has described himself as a "believing and practising Catholic" who is "personally" against abortion, but believes in a strong separation of Church and State. In Congress, he has voted in favour of the controversial late-term partial abortion method - - in which fully-formed babies are partly delivered before being killed by surgical means.
Last month, he enraged Catholic conservatives by voting against a bill that would have made the injuring of a foetus a separate offence in crimes against pregnant women. Aides are gambling that Mr Kerry's pro-choice stance is quietly supported by many lay Catholics.
Last week, a defiant note sounded from Kerry's campaign headquarters: "Rome may not be thrilled with the Senator's position on some social issues," said an adviser, "but the Pope doesn't have a vote in this election."
Archbishop Burke justified his stance on Mr Kerry by citing a "doctrinal note" published by the Vatican last year. It states that politicians have "a grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to" vote for such laws.
Instead of attending Mass in St Louis, Mr Kerry opted for the city's new Northside Baptist Church, where he delivered a coruscating denunciation of President George W. Bush's failure to put his own faith into practice.
Quoting James 2:14, Mr Kerry told the congregation: "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says that he has faith without works? When we look at what's happening in America today, where are the works of compassion?" The Kerry campaign has not yet disclosed its candidate's plans for Holy Week, but he may be well advised not to return to Massachusetts. Mr Kerry's local bishop in Boston, Sean O'Malley, is no more sympathetic to his views than Archbishop Burke. Without identifying his most famous parishioner by name, Bishop O'Malley has said that a Catholic politician who did not vote in Congress according to Church doctrine "should not dare to come to Communion". Ten other bishops have expressed similar opinions.
Within the Kerry campaign there are rumours that Mr Kerry may yet decide to confront his challengers head-on. One aide was reported last week to be searching for a Church with a hostile priest.
According to rumour, Mr Kerry would attend Mass knowing that he would be refused Communion in the full glare of the media. Sympathetic Catholics would then be expected to rally to his cause.
However, a senior Democrat official not affiliated to the Kerry campaign discounted the "martyr option". "Frankly, going out and picking a fight with the Holy See in election year would be one of the silliest things any presidential candidate could do," he said
I have long been embarrassed to see Kennedy, Kerry, Durbin, et al., running as pro abortion Catholics.
Since 1980, no presidential candidate has won the Catholic vote but lost the White House, with the exception of Al Gore who narrowly lost in 2000.
I never heard Gore got the Catholic vote in '00.
Within the Kerry campaign there are rumours that Mr Kerry may yet decide to confront his challengers head-on. One aide was reported last week to be searching for a Church with a hostile priest.
According to rumour, Mr Kerry would attend Mass knowing that he would be refused Communion in the full glare of the media. Sympathetic Catholics would then be expected to rally to his cause.
Sounds like blather.
Daschle's already been excommunicated. He was barred from Communion after he remarried without an annulment, and he was ordered to remove any and all documentation referring to him as a Catholic after he voted no on the partial-birth abortion ban.
It was something like 49 to 47 percent. But that's including CINOs.
CINOs.
Yes, but O'Malley is new:
Mr Kerry's local bishop in Boston, Sean O'Malley, is no more sympathetic to his views than Archbishop Burke. Without identifying his most famous parishioner by name, Bishop O'Malley has said that a Catholic politician who did not vote in Congress according to Church doctrine "should not dare to come to Communion".
Hah, tell that to some of my Catholic relatives, who will vote for him because he's "Catholic", just as many of them will vote for an abortionist if the AARP tells them to. Needless to say, I'm not on very good terms with many of my relatives. After all "who am I to judge?"
No kidding; did you ever expect to read something like this in the press:
rather than risk a confrontation with the formidable Archbishop Raymond Burke of St Louis
More idiocy from the microcephs of the Kerry cabal.
Catholics will go beserk when they realize the Church considers horseface an apostate.
Kerry will be lucky if he isn't crucified.
But Kerry will pick that fight because not only is he silly, he is egotistical and can't stand being criticized.
Good one....Welcome to Free Republic.
He did 50-48 or something like that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.