Church where Kerry received Communion known for liberal stances [PRO-GAY]

BOSTON - The sanctuary where Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) regularly receives Communion attracts Catholics uncomfortable with some of the Vatican (news - web sites)'s orthodox teachings or who otherwise feel alienated from the Roman Catholic Church.

The Paulist Center's congregation includes gay couples, whose adopted children are baptized there, unlike in some other Boston parishes. In November, its leaders refused to read aloud during Mass from a letter opposing gay marriage, as requested by the Massachusetts bishops.

The congregation is not geographical, but ideological, drawing people from as far as away as New Hampshire, said Drew Deskur, the center's music director and a parishioner for 25 years.

"It's not St. Around-the-Corner," Deskur said. "It's an intentional community that draws people from all over Boston. It tries to make sure that everyone feels welcome and that everyone participates in the liturgy."

Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and a lifelong Catholic, planned to attend Mass on Saturday at the Paulist Center, which is close to his home in Beacon Hill. He and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, regularly attend services there, according to campaign spokesman David Wade.

The candidate's faith has been in the spotlight in recent days, following a top Vatican cardinal's pronouncement that priests should deny Communion to Catholic politicians who, like Kerry, support abortion rights.

The Archdiocese of Boston "does not hold to the practice of publicly refusing Communion to anyone," said archdiocese spokesman Rev. Christopher Coyne. He said it was up to the individual to decide whether to receive Communion.

In the days before Kerry attended Easter Mass at the Paulist Center, staff members received threatening phone calls and e-mails from Catholics who believed the senator should be denied Communion.

Coyne said he also received many letters and angry calls from concerned Catholics about Kerry's ability to take Communion. He said he contacted the Paulist Center ahead of time to ensure there would be no problem when the senator received the Eucharist.

Founded in 1970, the church is located within the Archdiocese of Boston and operates with the permission of the bishop. The center, however, is financially independent and has a history of reaching out to marginalized Catholics.

The Paulist Center began a support group for divorced Catholics that has since been replicated in churches across the country. The center also hosts a group for bisexual, gay and lesbian Catholics, as well as a program for lapsed Catholics who are considering a return to the flock.

The center helped launch the Walk for Hunger, a now annual fund-raiser for soup kitchens across the region, and has held funeral Masses for homeless people who die without family or loved ones.

Yeah, I always got a funny feeling when I went there. Like the whole thing was supposed to make you feel good about yourself and rather PC like. I occasionally got dragged there by some college student friends. About half the People didn't dress up for Easter and walked in like they had just been rock climbing. Guys should not wear bandanas to Easter mass.. The priest gives me the creeps. All the music is multicultural in African languages and such and one of the male choir members wears so much makeup I can see it from the back.

Kerry has opened himself up to criticism, since he chose in his manifesto, "A Call To Service," to delve into his Catholic "faith." So what's it gonna be Brahmin-boy, are you, or are you not a believing and practicing Catholic?

" Anticipating my candidacy, the Boston Globe looked into my family history… the paper discovered that one hundred years ago, my paternal grandfather was an Austrian Jew named Fritz Kohn, who changed his name to Kerry and converted to Catholicism shortly before immigrating to Massachusetts. I didn't know this because my grandfather died when my father was just five years old... One thing that hasn't changed for me as a result of this revelation is my Catholic heritage.I am a believing and practicing Catholic, married to another believing and practicing Catholic. And being an American Catholic at this particular moment in history has three particular implications for my own point of view as a candidate for presidency.

The first two follow directly from the two great commandments set forth in the Scriptures: our obligations to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The first commandment means we must believe that there are absolute standards of right and wrong. They may not always be that clear, but they exist, and it is our duty to honor them as best we can.

The second commandment means that our commitment to equal rights and social justice, here and around the world, is not simply a matter of political fashion or economic and social theory but a direct command from God…Christian bigotry and intolerance are nothing less than a direct affront to God's law and a rejection of God's love.

There is a third facet of being an American Catholic. To a larger extent than Catholics elsewhere, we have supported and relied upon the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state to guarantee our right to worship and our liberty of conscience. That tradition, strongly advanced by John F. Kennedy in his quest to become our first Catholic president, helped make religious affiliation a nonissue in American politics. It should stay that way." John Kerry, A Call to Service, pp. 23-4."

"The Archdiocese of Boston "does not hold to the practice of publicly refusing Communion to anyone," said archdiocese spokesman Rev. Christopher Coyne. He said it was up to the individual to decide whether to receive Communion. "

Let me see if I understand this. Bishop (or is it Cardinal?) O'Malley of Boston says, "Don't dare come to Communion if you are pro-choice." But the Archdiocese of Boston says, "We will give Communion to anyone who comes to the altar." So I guess this means "If you are pro-choice and you dare come to Communion, you will get it because we don't refuse it to anyone."

What a joke. To hell with it.

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