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Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D, RI) denied Communion.

By: Moe Lane (Diary)  |  November 22nd, 2009 at 03:28 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

At least, he’s claiming that he’s been forbidden it by Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Providence Diocese, and Bishop Tobin hasn’t denied it – and Tobin has denied that he’s ordered priest under his authority to actually deny Kennedy the Sacrament. Bishop Tobin’s office has also released a letter indicating that the bishop has chastised the Congressman on the subject of abortion since at least 2007; which will call into question the accuracy of Kennedy’s accusation that this is all about the Church’s firm line on abortion funding. It’s probably a factor, and it’s certainly true that Rep. Kennedy has been obdurate in his heresy* for some time, so this is merely the latest salvo.

Still, it’d be nice if we didn’t have to deal with this particular legacy Congressman. There’s actually a serious candidate this go-round: John Loughlin. State legislator, business owner, former military; not to be unkind, but Kennedy really hasn’t worked a day in his [expletive deleted] life, and it shows. Like, for example, in Kennedy’s ability to get himself sufficiently in trouble with the Church on this issue so as to actually be denied the Sacrament.

That takes skill.

Moe Lane

*The fact that the Church has neither the ability nor the particular desire to punish Rep. Kennedy (or other avowedly pro-abortion Catholics) for their shared heresy does not make it any less of one.

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

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COMMENTS

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  • DavidSage

    I’m glad the Catholic Church is taking a strong stance regarding abortion, but I think denying politicians communion based on their policy stances can be a dangerous precedent for both sides of the aisle.

    I can see situations where a liberal church decides to deny communion to say Governors that carry through with capital punishment, or Senators that vote for wars the Church feels are unjust (like the Vatican’s position that the War in Iraq was unjust)

    There are certain positions that the Catholic Church has that are quite liberal, imo. I’m not sure it’s all upside for Conservatives when the Catholic Church gets political.

  • USNJIMRET

    The Catholic Church has always been political!
    What is, to me anyway, kind of disgusting is that NOW the Church is going to actually deny some abortion backing liberal the ‘benefits’ of their Catholic faith?
    Seems that the Church has always been against abortion.
    War, on the other hand, is something that the Church has been a little more hands on about in times past.
    But it is certainly a fact that Politicians who are Catholic have used their faith to get votes, no?

  • jeffreywturner

    I would like to see it taken a step further actually, but more things like this would certainly increase my respect for the Roman church.

    Ultimately, I would like to see a much more pro-active approach, and see it come from the Pope himself. It’s not that I support the idea of dictatorship that exists by which one man has so much power within that church, but given the facts as they are, real action on this issue within the Roman church needs to come from the Pope.

    First, he needs to make it clear that abortion trumps all other issues in politics, because it deals with life itself.

    Second, ALL politicians who support on-demand abortion should be offered the chance to repent and recant, and upon refusal, should not only be denied communion, but should be excommunicated.

    Finally, it needs to be clearly communicated to all faithful Catholics, that voting for candidates who support on-demand abortion (when there is an alternative candidate who does not) is a heinous sin, in and of itself.

    The reason these steps are necessary if the church wants to have real impact is that first, most pro-abortion politicians could care less if they are denied communion, the only thing that will get their attention is a loss of votes. Second, so many Catholic voters rationalize voting for pro-abortion candidates based on the idea that “no candidate is perfect on all issues of faith”, so you can base your vote on faith, given that the pro-life candidate may be pro-capital punishment too, or something of that nature.

    Basically, the Vatican needs to clear up ambiguity on this issue and have a take-no-prisoners attitude if it really wants to save the lives of the millions of precious little babies who are slaughtered under this disgrace of a “medical” procedure every year.

  • WarEagle01

    You accept the authority of the Church. Period. It’s an authoritarian church, no doubt, but one is free to leave. That’s something too many nominal Catholics don’t seem to understand. As a Catholic, I accept the Church’s authority over me. Sure, there are some issues I can argue with my priest about, but support for abortion isn’t one of them. The Second Vatican council speaks of the “religious submission of will and of mind” to the Church. If the various other “Catholics” populating the Democrat party aren’t willing to make this commitment then I suggest they go somewhere else. Apparently, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) holds that there is no absolute right to be born. Kennedy et al would fit right in.

  • DavidSage

    The Catholic church usually doesn’t get as specific condemning politicians by saying they’re unacceptable to Catholics. They usually leave it as “Catholics should support the defense of innocent life”, etc.

    I know I would be outraged if some liberal bishop started denying communion to Republican officeholders because they voted against universal health care (social justice?), or because they support the death penalty, etc.

    I just think it’s a net loss for everyone if certain factions of the Catholic Church started doing this to score points in order to advance their agenda.

    I’m not defending Patrick Kennedy, and I do think he should get flack from the Church for calling himself a member of the Catholic faith, yet is stridently pro-abortion,

    What I’m saying is, it can get out of hand in a hurry.

  • mbecker908

    There is no comparison between “abortion” and capital punishment or whether or not a particular war might be just or unjust.

    In addition, there is no “when”. The US Conference of Bishops is one of the more political organizations in the country.

  • mbecker908

    Yours is the fourth diary on this topic today and they all bring something a tad different to the subject.

    First there was Kenny Solomon.

    Then came mine.

    And finally – and my personal favorite – by Crowe.

  • mbecker908

    “universal health care” a matter of the faith.

    Personally, if they chose to make it a matter of faith and I would be disappointed if they did not withhold communion from Republican officeholders. Same for the death penalty. The point is, that won’t happen. These things are “political” issues. Abortion is not.

  • jeffreywturner

    Did you come up with that yourself?

    Matthews will never live that down.

  • Sundayjack

    n/m

  • charleskirtley

    As if a Kennedy had a chance in hell of getting into heaven anyway.

  • bk

    when the topic is “social justice”, open borders/amnesty, endless aid for the poor across the globe, death penalty, opposition to war, etc., but hoo boy as soon as the Pope or the Bishops mention abortion or gay marriage you have these lefties going out of their minds saying Obama needs to sic the IRS on them.

  • reverendred

    Patrick Kennedy has violated the very clear law of the Roman Catholic Church concerning abortion (See Code of Canon Law, #1398, and the related canon 1329). Because it deals with two extremely serious things, namely playing an important role in allowing and even promoting the unjust taking of innocent human life (= murder) and the reception of communion, which Catholics hold to be the reception of not just a symbol, but a sacramental reception of Jesus Christ Himself (See the gospel of John, chapter 6), there are grave penalities attached. Once should not protect and promote millions of murders, and then receive Jesus Christ, the author of life. Bishop Tobin sees this clearly, unfortunately other bishops do not think the strong stance is the best way to proceed.

    I can certainly appreciate the fear in some that this sort of use of power over the distribution of sacraments could spread into other areas and become abused, but Canon Law, which is rarely altered (the most recent version came out in 1983, before that it was revised in 1917) is not nearly so changeable in its interpretation and application. The strength of Canon Law on this point and a few others (like attacking the Pope or desecrating the Eucharist) is a reflection of the gravity of the situation. Health care and other issues, as serious as they are, come nowhere close to qualifying for such special attention.

    It is only fair to add that in spite of the softness of many U.S. bishops on topics like immigration and health care, the Catholic Church is a most fierce opponent of three related political schools: Nihilism, Socialism, and Communism. Think back to the much rumored ( and true) stories of the cooperation between President Reagan and Pope John Paul II in the overthrow of Communism in Poland, and look back at the writings of the Popes on Socialism and Communism. There is tremendous intellectual firepower in those works for those of you looking for resources.

    Reverend Red

  • Mario

    We have plenty of other pro-abortion Catholics in RI, most notably Senator Reed. The difference is that Reed always tempers his votes by expressing how he “personally doesn’t support abortion” or things to that effect. Now Kennedy isn’t a smart guy, by any standard, but you’d think that he’d be able to figure that out. Kennedy wasn’t asked to stop taking communion because of his policy stance but because he publicly announced that he could both support abortion and be a good Catholic; very few people, even abortion supporters, would make that claim.

    I get the feeling that Bishop Tobin has a very high threshold here; if Kennedy had made any statement, in public or in private, that showed that he understood how his stance on abortion was hurting his overall communion with the Church, I doubt anything would have been done. As it is, he really doesn’t seem to get that point. Rather than punishment, this is an act of mercy, Catholically speaking, because it will hopefully force Kennedy to reevaluate his faith.

  • Uma Richie

    The corporal works of mercy (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, etc) generally bring approbation on those who perform them. Warning the sinner and instructing the ignorant (two of the spiritual works of mercy) are much more likely to bring forth derision, defensiveness, or charges of hypocrisy. Ironically, the corporal works of mercy will only ease the pains of this world; the spiritual works of mercy can help make someone more comfortable in the next world, which is an infinitely longer lasting effect.

  • DavidSage

    I could see some elements of the Catholic Church making the connection between our duty as Christians to tend to the poor and supporting universal health care. I don’t buy into that, but I could see it happening.

    The same with the death penalty. We can say it’s a political issue, but from what I understand the Catholic Church’s official position is the taking of any life is considered immoral, that only God should decide when someone dies. I personally don’t ascribe to that belief, but again, if they can withhold communion for politicians supporting abortion, it seems logical they could also withhold for a politician supporting the death penalty.

  • mbecker908

  • mom2oneson

    I’m not good at understanding these things nevermind explaining what I don’t know, maybe Lammo or Mailoux will chime in but there is more to this the current situation. Fiirst this isn’t new. It’s been directed from the Vatican for years by the current Pope when he wasn’t a pope yet to deny pro-abortion politicians communion. Second it has to do with grave sin, you aren’t supposed to take communion if you are in a state or mortal sin.Third there is another element of what they call scandal since the politican is doing what he is publically.

  • mom2oneson

    they do emphasize those things a lot and they are all presented together in regards to the sanctity of human life so I can understand why any Catholic would think they are the same. Abortion is never permitted ever, you are right that it’s different.
    The policy is not taking any life is immoral, it is ok for self defense and to keep society safe from a criminal. They argument against capitals punishment is that that modern day prison systems do a good job of that so it’s usually unecessary but it is still the states right to do so. I know both JP II and Mother Theresa have spoken at (hearings?) whatever the meetings are called where they ask for a prisoner not to be executed. The pro-life groups the same people that pray at abortion clinics and buy diapers for teenager mothers also will protest executions.

  • mom2oneson
  • ciscoguy

    Set aside the fact it’s politically untenable to speak highly of abortions if not the right to obtain one, how does this argument logically stand up? If it’s ethical enough to be legal, why not be loud and proud about the merits of actually exercising one’s right to have a legal abortion?

    Also, what conservative hides the death penalty behind such euphemisms as “choice”? When have you heard someone say, “I support the death penalty but oppose anyone who carries it out”? Furthermore, what “choice” does the pre-born human have that the convicted murder has or had that could have caused them to avoid his or her fate? We know a murder could have chosen not to kill. Could a baby “choose” to be conceived in another’s womb? Could the abortive mother “chosen” to use a condom or abstain?

  • shadowtax

    I’d like to add a little more context. Abortion is not so much a matter of policy as morality.

    Catholics are not supposed to receive the Blessed Sacrament if they are in a state of mortal sin. Many mortal sins can be seemingly minor things such as skipping Mass on Sunday for a reason other than illness or emergency. Of course, to commit mortal sin, a person needs to know an act is wrong. In Rep. Kennedy’s case he has been repeatedly instructed directly by the bishop.

    Normally, a priest has no way of knowing whether somebody who approaches for communion is in a state of mortal sin. The public scandal caused by Rep. Kennedy makes it necessary to deny communion to him. To allow communion after such a public scandal may lead other Catholics to believe that abortion is not a matter of grave concern.

    Sadly, just as so many citizens are ignorant of the Constitution, so many Catholics are ignorant of their Catechisms. It has been available in English since 1994. If anyone wants to read it, it’s available online.

  • Crowe
  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    HyperlinKING approved ;-) lol

    very true, coming at things from different perspectives and angles is never a bad thing!

  • http://random-jumbled-thoughts.blogspot.com tenebrous

    Support of government healthcare, or government programs to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, whatever, is an ABROGATION of the individual’s call to do these things.

  • joayn

    here’s a link to the letter.

    http://thericatholic.com/news/detail.html?sub_id=2632

    Mario: “Kennedy wasn?t asked to stop taking communion because of his policy stance but because he publicly announced that he could both support abortion and be a good Catholic; very few people, even abortion supporters, would make that claim.”

    If you recall, Nancy Pelosi’s public statement perverting the Catholic church’s stance on abortion also got her in big trouble. She was summoned by the bishop in San Francisco for a private meeting in which she was repremanded for her statement to say the least.

    As a Catholic, I think the church has been too lenient on politicians who support abortion as well as priests in political activist roles. Also, since the beginning of the entire health care debate, I’ve only read of one bishop who was questioning the entire idea of taxpayers being forced to pay for a mandated health care program. His name is Bishop Nickless of Colorado and he is fantastic.

  • joayn

    Unfortunately, the church has for far too long allowed and encouraged priests to get involved in activist politics favoring government intervention instead of tending to their congregation’s spiritual needs.

  • mbecker908

    it is my personal favorite on this topic.

  • Read Chesterton in New Improved Jersey

    And then there is 1 Corinthians 11 to contend with.

  • reverendred

    I see that I should have made that clear. A distributor of communion is not passing judgment on the person’s spiritual condition. However, if someone has the reputation of being a grave sinner then communion should not be given until the person has repented publicly. That would then take away the public scandal and replace it with public edification. If Rep. Kennedy would renounce his support of abortion publicly the bishop would be delighted to welcome him back to communion.

    Reverend Red