Report: Patrick Kennedy barred from communion by bishop

The Boston Herald ^ | 10/22//2009

[Andy'smom]

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rep. Patrick Kennedy says Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has barred him from receiving communion because of his support of abortion rights.

The Providence Journal reports on its Web site Sunday that Kennedy said in an interview that Tobin issued the order during discussions with the Democratic lawmaker, further escalating a simmering ideological dispute between the two men.

Under church rules, Tobin can prevent Kennedy from receiving communion within his diocese, which covers Rhode Island. It’s unclear whether bishops outside Rhode Island will take the same path.

[jws3sticks]

Finally a Catholic Bishop with something of guts there.

[Dudoight]

Okay....its reasonable for the Bishop to do this according to the tenets of the faith. But it seems a bit hypocritical as Patrick’s father, Ted, held these positions in congress:

* Voted NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP. (Mar 2008)
* Voted NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion. (Mar 2008)
* Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)
* Voted NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)
* Voted YES on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)
* Voted NO on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)
* Voted NO on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)
* Voted NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)
* Voted NO on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
* Voted NO on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)
* Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record. (Dec 2003)
* Expand embryonic stem cell research. (Jun 2004)
* Sponsored bill for emergency contraception for rape victims. (Sep 2006)
* Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance. (Dec 2006)
* Ensure access to and funding for contraception. (Feb 2007)
* Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception. (Jan 2009)

Not only the Church presided over a Whopping Funeral Mass to send this reprobate to heaven.

[martin_fierro]

[ADSUM]

Thank you Bishop Tobin.

[freeangel]

That’s nice, but there is little that can be done when he goes to a liberal heretic who calls himself a catholic and feels like giving this jerk communion because the catholic church is loathe to discipline its own officials.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Bishop Tobin is not the Archbishop of Boston.

[ADSUM]

Ted Kennedy and Kerry from Massachuetts would be subject to the authority of the Boston Archbishop and not Bishop Tobin from Rhode Island.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has barred him from receiving communion because of his support of abortion rights.

"I could actually feel the Host twisting and struggling in my hand, every time I got close to him," Bishop Tobin later explained. "And, this one time, I think I maybe actually heard it trying to scream..." ;)

[conservativehistorian]

You are correct regarding the perception of scandal over Ted Kennedy's Church funeral. However, we cannot judge the degree of repentance and forgiveness that occurred during the senator's last year of life,

On the other hand, Patrick Kennedy is being called to account for his present rejection of, and public activity against, church doctrine.

Thank you Bishop Tobin.

[oldmomster]

Hopefully the pope will finally see that his silence on the nonsense going on here in the US, and the church’s support of healthcare, will be responsible for the millions of abortions in the future, not only in the US but around the world since O got into office.

Wonder if the administration in the vatican will hear the screaming of all those aborted dead babies lying at their feet. Wonder what the penance is for causing that kind of genocide? And all those babies without the benefit of last rights.....hope it keeps them up at night.

[rod1]

Yes decisions have consequences.....just almost never for a Kennedy.

Its high time that politicians actually were made to live with their decisions.

[Dudoight]

I don’t care which bishop either Kennedy is subject to....do the tenets of the Catholic faith vary from state to state or city to city?

[Dudoight]

We cannot judge the degree of ‘repentance’, I agree. But Ted’s blatant defiance of the tenets of his faith shown by his voting record was, as far as I know, never called to account by the Church.

There was plenty of opportunity for the Church to take a stand at the time. It’s not the Kennedy’s choices I am questioning, it is the Church’s lack of ‘spine’, historically, in response to those choices.

[HiramQuick]

I am frankly apalled that some other man thinks he has control of my faith. Not what the Bible teaches.

[Jed Eckert]

Not enough.

He needs to be publicly excommunicated from the Church:

Excommunication

[conservativehistorian]

I agree that the Church, most especially its American bishops, for decades has scandalized millions of Catholics, by its ‘acceptance’ of the legislative behaviors of militantly pro-choice prominent “Catholic” Democrat politicians.

However, this practicing Catholic iv very reassured that at least once American bishop has stood up for the magisterium.

I wonder how the bishops can square their support for Obamacare with its ‘death panels’ and abortion funding.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Patrick Kennedy says Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has barred him from receiving communion because of his support of abortion rights.

This is a good thing. Why don't people like Kennedy just leave the Catholic church...They could become a member of one of the pro-choice Protestant denominations like the Presbyterian Church of the USA, United Church of Christ, Lutheran, etc...

[clockwise]

ping

[mware]

I haven’t noticed Nancy receiving communion since her meeting with B-16.