Posted on 05/24/2004 6:36:19 AM PDT by madprof98
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The wife of prominent US Senator Ted Kennedy decried as "dangerous" recent statements by Catholic clergy saying they would deny communion to Catholics who support abortion rights.
"As a Catholic, I am deeply saddened and concerned by the threatened denial of communion to pro-choice Catholic politicians. This course of action takes both the church and political discourse in this country to a new and dangerous place, and I urge that it be rejected," wrote Victoria Reggie Kennedy in an opinion piece in Sunday's Washington Post.
The issue has become one of the most heated talking points in the presidential election campaign, after a Vatican (news - web sites) official called on priests to stop granting communion to politicians who vote for abortion rights, including Massachusetts Senator John Kerry (news - web sites), the Democratic presidential nominee.
Kennedy wrote that there is latitude in church teachings for Catholics to follow their conscience on the abortion issue, saying that "freedom-of-conscience provisions ... are integral to the practice of our Catholic faith."
"The pro-choice position recognizes that the United States is a diverse, pluralistic society where a woman has the constitutional right to make a decision based upon her own conscience, religious beliefs and medical needs," wrote Kennedy, whose husband is the senior US senator from Massachusetts and one of Kerry's chief backers for the US presidency.
She decried what she said was a double standard in church hierarchy views on abortion and the death penalty.
"There has been no talk of withholding communion from pro-death-penalty Catholics," wrote Kennedy, an attorney who works on social justice issues.
"Where is the logic or moral justice in punishing those who allow a person to make a private moral decision, while remaining silent about those who authorize the government to take a life and thereby deprive a human being of his God-given right of salvation?"
But wait...wasn't there supposed to be a separation between church and state? How did that go again?
Buy your own crackers and wine.
I think the Kennedy's have enough money for that.
Wow. Didn't know that the swimmer's wife was a theologian. Must be one of those "nuance" things I don't understand.
So, the Kennedys now say the Pope is dangerous??????????
You can't have it both ways.
I think Ms. Kennedy has a point. Lets bar one politician for supporting abortion for every aborted baby and one politician supporting the death penalty for every executed criminal.
What she should be saying ""As a Catholic, I am deeply saddened and concerned by the threatened denial that were are murdering 2 million babies a year and politicians won't do anything about it..."
I guess it was this provision which allowed her husband to murder Mary Jo Kopechne?
"Kennedy wrote that there is latitude in church teachings for Catholics to follow their conscience on the abortion issue."
No there isn't.
As a bona-fide bagel-eating, born and bar mitzvahed in Brooklyn Jew, I have a question: Isn't demanding the Catholic rites while endorsing abortion akin to claiming one is an orthodox Jew while eating a ham and cheese sandwich?
So the catholic church with its 2000+ years of history will allow commies in america to dictate their doctrinal position on one of the most basic and dearest held issues. That of the right to life? Commies will tell the pope that he has no right to tell them it is wrong to murder babies?
If the church bows down to godless commies then I hope the church withers on the vine and dies.
LOL. Yes, pretty much.
I think the Kennedy's have enough money for that.
Heck, they may as well declare their schism right now. I'll bet Ter-RAY-zuh would make an absolutely fab pope-ess.
I thought she'd died years ago. Guess that shows how much whatever she says will influence me.
not when it comes to LIFE! Religion isn't supposed to change like the wind....
Ham and American cheese with Miracle Whip on Wonder bread, pretty much.
Looks like Ted shares his Rum with the Mrs.
Well, d'uh, that's because the Church recognizes that the death penalty is a legitimate power of the state where properly exercised, even if the current Pope would like it applied less often.
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