Majority Disagree With Denying Catholic Pols Communion Over Abortion

LifeNews.com ^ | May 25, 2007 | Steven Ertelt

[monomaniac]

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new national poll of adults shows that a majority of people disagree that Catholic politicians who support abortion should be denied communion at church. The poll comes after comments from Pope Benedict XVI saying they should and that pro-abortion politicians automatically excommunicated themselves.

Reacting to those comments, Rasmussen Reports conducted a telephone poll with 1,000 American adults on May 16 and 17.

They asked respondents, "The Pope believes that Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be denied communion. Do you agree or disagree?"

According to the survey, 53 percent said they disagreed, 23 percent agreed and 24 percent said they were unsure or refused to answer the question.

Earlier this month, the Catholic Church leader visited Brazil for a series of speeches and meetings. On his way there, reporters asked him about the vote in Mexico City to legalize abortion there.

He said the politicians in the overwhelmingly Catholic nation removed themselves from the church and receiving communion.

"Yes, this excommunication was not an arbitrary one but is allowed by canon (church) law which says that the killing of an innocent child is incompatible with receiving communion, which is receiving the body of Christ," he said.

Later, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi explained that "Since excommunication hasn’t been declared by the Mexican bishops, the Pope has no intention himself of declaring it."

"Legislative action in favor of abortion is incompatible with participation in the Eucharist. Politicians exclude themselves from communion," he said.

This month, a group of 18 pro-abrotion members of Congress responded to the Pope with a letter they wrote saying that being personally opposed to abortion is good enough even if they vote for abortion in a public policy setting.

http://www.lifenews.com/int278.html

http://www.lifenews.com/nat3122.html

[Slip18]

"Catholics for the most part vote democrat."

Where did you get that poll? I've been Catholic -- some say catholic -- all my life. I have never voted a democratic -- or is it a Democratic -- ticket.

Thanks, Cook, for the ping!

[gondramB]

>>The Roman Catholic Church is NOT a democracy, especially not a democracy of non-Catholics.

What an absolutely absurd poll question!<<

Yep, that’s internal religion matter protected by freedom of religion.

At the same time, people have a right to have polls about it.

The only place I have a problem is if the churches act as political organizations. If they want to do that they need to set up a separate incorporated body and live by the political rules.

Hopefully we all agree that abortion is wrong and is not protected by the right to privacy since it effects more than just the mother.

But there is a limit to how far I want churches to go in enforcing their doctrine on government officials.

For example 5 of the 9 supreme court justices are Catholic and the Catholic church has many liberal positions. What if the communion rules are expanded to put pressure on the supreme court?

[Twink]

I didn’t get the poll from anywhere other than every Catholic I’ve known over the years. Most everyone I know who is Catholic, usually votes democrat, so they say. It’s usually because they’re Union, blue collar, etc. I grew up in a primarily blue collar, ethnic, catholic area and my family was a minority when it came to politics - my parents were Republican, blue collar, pro-union. The pro union thing eventually faded for most of them. My paternal grandfather and many from that side of the family were/are prominent in politics - republican politics. The other side is mostly dems. As for friends, past and present, they’re all predominantly dem and vote that way.

I’m a republican, catholic, or Catholic, conservative. There’s not many around here.

[TASMANIANRED]

Just what makes the majority of Americans think their voices count.

This is a religious issue.

[Slip18]

My dad was an engineer and a Republican. My mom was a housekeeper, but really never voted. I just found out she only voted for one president, Ronald Reagan. I have nine living brothers and sisters from my parents' marriage. All but two are Republicans.

I figured your poll was off just because of my family, Catholic.