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Rome, Aug 19, 2008 / (CNA) -- Archbishop Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest judicial authority of the Holy See, said this week that Catholics who publicly support abortion -- especially politicians -- should not receive Communion, and that ministers of Communion should be responsibly charitable in denying it to them if they ask for it “until they have reformed their lives.” [[Burke082108.jpg]]In an interview with the magazine Radici Christiane, Archbishop Burke pointed out that there is often a lack of reverence at Mass when receiving Communion. “Receiving the Body and Blood of...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, whose longtime support for homosexual rights and abortion has made her the darling of groups like Planned Parenthood, NARAL and the Human Rights Campaign, has once again made it a point to describe herself as “Catholic.” In a Sunday, Aug. 3, interview about her recently published book Know Your Power: A Message to America's Daughters for the C-SPAN network’s “Q&A” program, host Brian Lamb asked Pelosi, “The one word I read several times in your book is the word ‘faith.’ And you wrote, ‘Growing up Catholic had an enormous impact on me -- greater,...

Several leading Australian political figures who are Catholic will attend the papal Mass closing World Youth Day, highlighting some leaders’ inconsistencies in applying their faith to political life. Morris Iemma, the Premier of New South Wales who voted for embryonic stem cell research, has said he wants to receive Holy Communion from Pope Benedict XVI at the closing Mass for World Youth Day but also said he did not expect to do so, the Sydney Morning Herald says. Iemma, a practicing Catholic, said having the Pope in Sydney would be a “deeply rewarding experience for all Catholics, my family included.”...

The Catholic League has launched a campaign to bring public scorn on a University of Minnesota-Morris teacher who threatened to treat a consecrated communion wafer, which Catholics believe becomes the body of Christ, "with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse." To which the professor in question, Paul Zachary Myers, responded: "Scumbags." The issue arose over an argument that didn't even involve Myers. As WND reported, a student at the University of Central Florida reported getting death threats after he stole and later returned a wafer from a Catholic Mass in Orlando.

Yesterday, Catholic League president Bill Donohue issued a news release calling attention to the plea that Paul Zachary Myers made on his blog: he solicited the Communion Host for the express purpose of desecrating it. Donohue now responds to the reaction he has received from the University of Minnesota Morris professor, as well as others: “Myers went on Houston radio station KPFT last night saying that Bill Donohue has ‘declared a fatwa’ against him. He should know better—I don’t need others to do the fighting for me. I’m quite good at it myself. But he’d better be careful what he...

In the aftermath of the visit by Pope Benedict XVI, a troublesome question is asked by traditional Catholics: Did American pro-choice politicians receiving Communion at the papal masses indicate a softening on the abortion question by the pope? The answer is that it did not. On the contrary, it reflected disobedience to Benedict by the archbishops of New York and Washington. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sens. John Kerry, Christopher Dodd and Edward M. Kennedy received Communion at Nationals Park in Washington, as did Rudolph Giuliani at Yankee Stadium in New York. They were present because they were invited to...

A Catholic parish in San Francisco has been classified alongside graphic San Francisco sex-fest sponsor Miller Brewing after officials served Communion to members of the ultra anti-Catholic "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence," whose mockery of Christianity is legend in the city. The service was captured on video by a member of the Catholic group St. Joseph's Men Society, and it has been made available Catholic blogsite Quamdiu Domine. Two "sisters" at Holy Redeemer church in San Franscico "I doubt that even Judas would have done such a perverse thing as this," said Anthony Gonzales, president of the men's organization. "Not only...

Catholic Group says "Archbishop Burke Right to Deny Communion to Giuliani" CHICAGO, October 4, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Fidelis, a national Catholic advocacy group, applauded the courageous decision by St. Louis' Archbishop Raymond Burke to deny Holy Communion to Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, and all pro-abortion politicians running for president, regardless of their political party. The Associated Press is reporting that Archbishop Raymond Burke would deny Holy Communion to Rudy Giuliani and any pro-abortion Catholic running for president. Four Catholic Democrats running for president also support abortion, include: Senator Christopher Dodd, Senator Joe Biden, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and...

Archbishop Burke: Bishops Must Discipline Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians Calls his brother bishops to task - “To remain silent is to permit serious confusion regarding a fundamental truth of the moral law" By Hilary White ST. LOUIS, September 11, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Writing in the latest edition of the Canon Law journal, Periodica De Re Canonica, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, bishop of St. Louis, Missouri, has called his brother bishops to task for their silence on the problem of Catholic politicians who support abortion, euthanasia, cloning, embryo research, the homosexual political agenda or other legislation “contrary to the natural moral law.” Burke’s lengthy...

Pro-Abortion John Kerry to Speak at Catholic University of America Invitation violates principle unanimously agreed upon by US Bishops in 2004 By Hilary White WASHINGTON, September 10, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Catholic University of America (CUA) has invited former presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry to speak on environmentalism and the Iraq war this semester, despite initial opposition by the office of University Center, Student Programs and Events (UCSPE). The Tower, the campus paper of Catholic University, said the UCSPE had initially objected to Kerry's appearance, saying there is an "unwritten" campus rule banning political candidates during an election year. Kerry, who...

Full Text - New US Bishops Conference Document on Homosexuality Full Text - New US Bishops Conference Document on Worthiness to Receive Communion Full Text - New US Bishops Conference Document on Married Love including Contraception

by Joe Pacuska Other Articles by Joe Pacuska Teach Us! 07/16/05 This past Sunday my wife arrived at Mass to find a fairly full house and we were lucky to get a seat in the third or fourth pew from the back. Although I’d prefer to be closer to the altar, I don’t find sitting in the back objectionable. I figure I’m as close to Jesus there as anywhere else. Except, of course, when the Consecration takes place and when it comes to Communion. With Jesus real and present in our midst, I’d like to be as close as I can...

by Fr. William Saunders Other Articles by Fr. William Saunders Answering "Amen" 02/17/06 I am an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. In distributing Communion, I am surprised by the different answers to “The Body of Christ” I receive. Most people say, “Amen,” but some say, “I believe.” Does it matter? The simple answer is, “Yes, it does matter.” According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2000), the following rubric was again prescribed concerning the reception of holy Communion: “The priest raises the Eucharistic bread slightly and shows it to each one, saying, ‘The Body of Christ.’ The communicants reply,...

by Pete Vere, JCL Other Articles by Pete Vere, JCL When Lay Ministers Take Holy Communion to the Sick 12/02/2005 The Second Vatican Council, in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, speaks of the Holy Eucharist as the source and the summit of our spiritual life. This means the Holy Eucharist is the source from which all other blessings flow, as well as the summit to which all of our spiritual works are directed. In This Article...Canon Law and the Lay Minister of Holy CommunionPastoral Principles for Lay MinistersOrdinary Visits to the Sick, the Elderly, and the Infirm Canon Law and...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- It was not listed as a topic for discussion, but the question of Communion in the hand versus Communion on the tongue received attention at the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist. Cardinal Janis Pujats of Riga, Latvia, was the first to raise the issue, telling the synod Oct. 3 that he thought Catholics should receive Communion on the tongue -- while kneeling. When communicants stand, Cardinal Pujats said, he feels like a dentist looking into their mouths. Cardinal Francis Arinze, who heads the Vatican's worship congregation, responded by saying that arguments could be made for...

Code: ZE05100401 Date: 2005-10-04 Question Raised on Communion and Abortion Prefect of Doctrinal Congregation Presses the Issue VATICAN CITY, OCT. 4, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The new prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is urging the Synod of Bishops to discuss whether voters who support pro-abortion candidates should be receiving Communion. Archbishop William Levada, who succeeded Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as prefect of the dicastery, quoted No. 73 of the working document of the Synod on the Eucharist, in which reference is made to the relationship between the Eucharist, morality and public life. The archbishop today suggested that the...

. . . for receiving Holy CommunionROMAN Catholic Church members have protested over the decision by former president Frederick Chiluba to receive Holy Communion at the Requiem Mass for the late Zambia Democratic Conference (ZADECO) president Dean Mung'omba on Friday. And Chiluba yesterday apologised for receiving the Holy Communion, saying that his participation in the Holy Communion was not to slight the Catholic Church. Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) spokesperson Father Paul Samasumo confirmed yesterday that various members of the Church protested over Chiluba's resolution to partake the Holy Communion even when he knew that he was not Catholic. "This issue...

Cardinal Ratzinger said, "The minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it." He did not say 'could,' or 'may,' but that he "must." Barbara Kralis Barbara Kralis July 6, 2004 Is it possible that after so much scandal and hurt in the Catholic Church, Bishop Wilton Gregory and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick would withhold and distort an important memo written by the head of the Vatican's second most important dicastery of the Roman Curia? [1] The Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, wrote the memo in English expressly for the USCCB's use...

Angus’ priest out of line The Daily Press Editorial - Thursday, March 10, 2005 @ 07:00 Charlie Angus has found himself in the centre of a storm pitting himself against his small-town parish priest and his conscience as a politician and a Catholic. The MP (NDP Timmins-James Bay) was recently told in a private, confidential letter from Rev. John Lemire of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Cobalt he would be refused communion unless he withdrew his support for same-sex marriage. Lemire said: “I told him his decision was incompatible with the Catholic faith. It’s not possible to be a practising...

Vatican Cardinal Ends Debate: No Communion for Pro-Abortion Politicians or Rainbow Sashers Says "Are we going to change Divine Law, how God made us?" VATICAN CITY, February 16, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, the top Vatican Cardinal in charge of the sacraments of the Catholic Church has made it plain in an on-camera interview with EWTN that pro-abortion politicians may not be admitted to Holy Communion. A February 11 EWTN broadcast of the news program, World Over Live, with host Raymond Arroyo, featured an interview with Arinze, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline...

Is one obligated to take Communion from the cup in addition to the host? My husband and I have a disagreement about this. He thinks you must take it if it is offered, but I've been taught that you do not have to take it. I'm a post-Vatican II Catholic, so I'm not quite sure how things used to be in the Church, although my mother has told me that they never used to receive Communion from the cup--that the priest would consecrate and drink it and that it was not shared with the community. Quite frankly (and I'm sure...

During the past five years, at the time of the Catholic Church's most holy day of Pentecost Sunday, [1] openly 'gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender' persons wearing rainbow colored body sashes have gathered in large groups inside several U.S. Cathedrals to protest the Church's teachings and divine laws against sodomy. Scandalized and sorrow filled faithful sit watchfully in the pews as sash-wearing 'intrinsically disordered' [2] persons walk arm and arm down the aisles in an attempt to receive the Eucharist. Most all U.S. Bishops have denied them Holy Communion. Four known bishops continue to give them the Eucharist. The scandal...

LifeSiteNews.com Wednesday December 22, 2004 The Awesome Pro-Life Leadership of Many US Bishops LifeSiteNews.com's 2004 coverage How the New Bishop of Phoenix Spent His Christmas Eve - Praying Outside an Abortuaryhttp://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jan/04010501.html U.S. Archbishop Burke Orders Priests to Refuse Communion for Anti-Life Politicianshttp://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jan/04010901.html Archbishop Burke Issues Pastoral Letter Saying Right to Life is Most Important Political Issuehttp://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jan/04010902.html New Orleans Archbishop Warns Catholic Pro-Abortion Politicians to Not Receive Communionhttp://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jan/04011604.html Four Cardinals, 40 Bishops, 300 Priests at Mass for March for Lifehttp://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jan/04012101.html Boston Archbishop Says Pro-Abortion Politicians "Shouldn't Dare Come to Communion"http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jan/04012301.html Chicago Cardinal George Mulling Action on Catholic Pro-Abortion Politicianshttp://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/feb/04020203.html Archbishop Burke...

<p>DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- A Roman Catholic priest caused a stir on the House floor Tuesday when he urged lawmakers to let religious faith guide their votes and "be the antithesis of John Kennedy."</p> <p>While delivering the chamber's morning prayer, the Rev. Bill Carmody said too many politicians have followed the example of the nation's first Catholic president by pledging to separate their faith from politics.</p>

TESTING THE FAITHPriest busted for Communion wineWants variance of city law so he can say Mass outside abortion clinic A Catholic priest has run afoul of the law in Colorado Springs, Colo., after being caught with an open container of sacramental wine while performing Mass outside an abortion clinic. The Rev. Bill Carmody was warned by a police officer after the cop asked him what he was holding. "The police officer asked me what's in the flask," he told the Colorado Springs Gazette. "I really didn't know what to do." Carmody has asked the Colorado Springs City Council for a...

An informal exorcism performed at the Cathedral of St. Paul this month was more profane than sacred and was directed toward gay Catholics, police and church authorities said Tuesday. They said the ritualistic sprinkling of blessed oil and salt around the church and in donation boxes amounted to costly vandalism and possibly even a hate crime. The damage was discovered Nov. 7 after the noon mass, and after words were exchanged between members of the Rainbow Sash Alliance, a gay rights group, and the opposing group, Catholics Against Sacrilege.

There is a hint that pledge may have been broken by Prime Minister TONY BLAIR’S family priest strongly hinted yesterday that the Prime Minister was breaking his pledge not to take Roman Catholic Holy Communion in Britain. Father Timothy Russ also said that Mr Blair, an Anglican, “may well” convert to Catholicism. The revelation will increase speculation that Mr Blair is preparing to convert to Roman Catholicism despite a clear denial from Downing Street. Father Russ is invited regularly by Mr Blair to say Mass in a drawing room at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s weekend retreat. A table is used...

A new survey about religion and politics shows that Americans disapprove of Catholic Church leaders withholding Holy Communion from pro-choice Catholic politicians by almost a three-to-one ratio, or 64 percent to 22 percent. But the telephone poll also revealed that evangelical Protestants sided with Catholic bishops more than Catholics did. Although evangelicals still disapproved (47 percent to 35 percent) of withholding Communion, 72 percent of all Catholics disapproved of denying the sacrament to Catholic politicians whose views on abortion, stem-cell research and euthanasia run contrary to church teachings.

In November 2003, Raymond Burke, then the bishop of LaCrosse, Wis., instructed priests in his diocese to deny Communion to three politicians unless they publicly recanted their pro-abortion rights positions, an action some Catholic scholars say is tantamount to excommunication. Since then, Burke's supporters have increasingly pointed to what they see as parallels with another case, and another moral hero, from 40 years ago. In the wake of the United States Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling, Joseph Francis Rummel, Archbishop of New Orleans, began planning the integration of the archdiocese's schools. It would take eight years,...

BRIELLE, N.J. -- An 8-year-old girl who suffers from a rare digestive disorder and cannot consume wheat has had her first Holy Communion declared invalid because the wafer contained none, violating Catholic doctrine. Now, Haley Waldman's mother is pushing the Diocese of Trenton and the Vatican to make an exception, saying the girl's condition _ celiac sprue disease _ should not exclude her from participating in the sacrament, in which Roman Catholics eat consecrated wheat-based wafers to commemorate the last supper of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.

From +Archbishop Donoghue, +Bishop Baker and +Bishop Jugis Worthy to Receive the Lamb:Catholics in Political Life and the Reception of Holy Communion August 4, 2004 + As bishops, we have the obligation to teach and guide the Catholic Faithful whom we shepherd in the Body of Christ. A fundamental teaching of our Church is respect for the sacred gift of life. This teaching flows from the Natural Law and from Divine Revelation. Life is a gift bestowed upon us by God, a truth underscored by the commandment: "You shall not kill" (Deut 5: 17 ). The Old Testament also teaches...

FutureChurch Publicly Declares War on the Catholic Faith!  Brazen Attack on the Eucharist at FutureChurch Meeting by St. Mary's Seminary Professor, Fr. George Smiga 6/28/04   FutureChurch's Third Annual Celebration of Corpus Christi, held at John Carroll University, June 8, 2004, featured Fr. George Smiga who was advertised to speak on the "Biblical Roots of Eucharist."  What was delivered, however, was an all-out-attack on the Biblical/Catholic roots of the Eucharist--the literal Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  What should now become undeniable even to the most skeptical is how fraudulent FutureChurch's loud claim of concern for...

A TASK force of Catholic bishops, headed by Wash ington, D.C.'s Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, is now engaged in the prickly examination of what to do about Sen. John F. Kerry: Should the presumed presidential nominee, who professes the Catholic faith but publicly and consistently flouts its tenets on abortion, be permitted to receive Holy Communion? -snip- In fact, it's a no-brainer: The church's Code of Canon Law 915 states explicitly that Communion must be denied those who have "obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin." Kerry and a whole herd of so-called Catholic politicians fit the bill. -snip- Since all politics...

------------- St. Basil (330–379 AD) considered Communion in the hand a “grave fault.” The Council of Saragozza (380 AD): “It was decided to punish with excommunication anyone who dared to continue the practice of Communion in the Hand.” Council of Rouen (650 AD): “Do not put the Eucharist in the hands of any layperson, but only in their mouths.” Council of Constantinople (695 AD): prohibited the faithful from giving Communion to themselves and decreed an excommunication of one week’s duration for those who did so in the presence of a bishop, priest, or deacon. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274): “Out of...

HOT TOPICS: Consequences of Vatican II The Confused “Clear Teaching” of the Bishops Marian T. Horvat, Ph.D. “I welcome and support the Statement made by the Bishops of the United States, ‘Catholic in Political Life,’ in which we reiterate consistent Catholic teachings on the value of human life .…” stated Cardinal Roger Mahony in a feature article in his diocesan paper, The Tidings (June 25). He couldn’t be more pleased with the USCCB statement released June 18 that essentially backed up those Bishops who permit Catholic abortionist politicians to receive Communion. As in the Protestant sects, now Catholics can...

Bishops remind Catholics that abortion, homosexuality and same-sex “marriage” are incompatible with receiving Holy Communion Ever more frequent attempts to drive religion and morality from the public square have left America divided. On one side are secularists who in varying degrees subscribe to a philosophy based on a supposed right to absolute individual liberty, unrestrained by law, religion, or morality. Americans who love liberty but abhor anarchy rally to the other side. They understand that true liberty comes from observing divine and natural law. Dissident Catholics Try to Reconcile the Irreconcilable The philosophical divide between these two camps underlies America’s...

Does it bother you that Presidential candidate John Kerry is receiving Holy Communion while he promotes the murder of millions of innocent children? I'm sure it does! The Catholic Bishops of America have the authority to intervene and end this scandal. I am writing to invite you to be a part of a critical project that I and others across the country are working on. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is meeting in Englewood (near Denver), Colorado from June 14 through June 19 at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center. Approximately 250 Bishops are expected to attend. At...

Archbishop Denies Rebuking McGreeveyBy DAVID KOCIENIEWSKIPublished: May 22, 2004EWARK, May 21 - Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark said on Friday that he was "deeply disappointed" that his recent criticism of Roman Catholic elected officials who supported abortion rights had been interpreted by some New Jerseyans as a political slap at Gov. James E. McGreevey.In an interview, Archbishop Myers said Mr. McGreevey was not the target of statements he had made in a pastoral letter saying that Catholic officeholders who did not share the Vatican's opposition to abortion should not seek communion. He said he had apologized to the governor...

Thursday, May 27, 2004 WILL CARDINAL GEORGE DENY BISHOP PILLA HOLY COMMUNION From Bishop Pilla's website: http://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/gayandlesbianfamilyministry/images/rnbwtile.gif We wonder if Cardinal George has ever visited Bishop Pilla's website and seen Bishop Pilla's "Index of /gayandlesbianfamilyministry/images."If so, Cardinal George will see that Bishop Pilla not only flies the Rainbow Gay Pride Flag or Sash on his website, but that bishop Pilla also has such Gay Pride symbols as Pink Triangles, headless Rainbow doves descending into Hell, and spinning Rainbow balls. You will have to contact Bishop Pilla directly to find out what that last one means. Why should Cardinal George care?...

Holy Communion Question from Searching_for_Truth on 05-04-2004: Colin,I have 2 questions about Holy Communion in the liturgy:1) Are only priests supposed to deny someone Holy Communion if they (the recipient) are not supposed to have it (i.e., pro-abortion politicans) or are extraordinary ministers supposed to deny them also?2) Are only "public figures" supposed to be denied Holy Communion or is your average "John Doe Catholic" supposed to be denied also if it is known of their stance (i.e., pro-abortion)?Thank you! Answer by Colin B. Donovan, STL on 05-13-2004: Canon 912 Any baptized person who is not prohibited by law...

Bishop-elect knocks politiciansBy Matt O'Brien  mobrien@sentinelandenterprise.comPROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The bishop-elect of the Worcester Diocese wants to make certain every priest, parishioner, and Catholic politician in the county understands precisely what it means to be a Catholic. "Rejecting that teaching can have certain spiritual consequences," said Bishop Robert J. McManus, who views his new role as a way to help solidify authentic Catholic identity.McManus said he also wants local Catholic politicians to know when they stray from church teaching, especially on issues that have the highest "moral valence.""The most fundamental human right is the right to life, and it is most...

Lucy Killea and John Kerry have much in common. Like Kerry, Killea's a Democratic politician – or used to be. Like Kerry, Killea's also a Roman Catholic. And like Kerry, Killea supports abortion rights. But while the debate continues among Catholic hierarchy over whether Kerry and others like him should be allowed to take Holy Communion, it was a done deal for Killea. In 1989, the late San Diego Bishop Leo Maher barred her from participating in Communion in local parishes. She had spoken out for abortion rights in a television campaign ad for a state Senate race, taking a...

McCarrickAbortion Foes Target Cardinal McCarrick Abortion Foes Target Cardinal McCarrick Friday May 07, 2004 3:16pm  Washington (AP) - The Archbishop of Washington is under attack from an anti-abortion group. American Life League is upset that Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is reluctant to deny Communion to Roman Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. So they've taken out ads which read, "You can't be both Catholic and pro-abortion!" The Stafford, Virginia-based group ran the ad in Thursday's Washington Times, and plans to put it in a Catholic weekly. McCarrick is the spiritual leader of more than half-million Catholics in D.C. and suburban Maryland....

Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark is the latest Church leader to address the growing controversy about Catholic lawmakers who favor and promote abortion. In a carefully worded pastoral letter dated May 5, 2004, the Archbishop outlined the Church's position: “Catholics who publicly dissent from the Church’s teaching on the right to life of all unborn children should recognize that they have freely chosen by their own actions to separate themselves from what the Church believes and teaches. They have also separated themselves in a significant way from the Catholic community. “The Church cannot force such people to change their...

Should Kerry be denied communion? I am in favor of the First Amendment guarantee of free speech, with one exception. Nobody should be permitted to say flat-out that “the government should stay out of the bedrooms of America.” What if a civil-rights hate act was being conducted in the bedroom? For that matter, what if Daddy was forcing his way with a 10-year-old girl? Or Mom was starving her 10-month-old boy? The phrase is an idiotic invocation of a taboo whose single purpose, in current usage, is to illegitimize concern about sexual activity. Said John Kerry, “Abortion should be rare,...

Kerry reaffirms rights Saturday, April 24, 2004 By NANCY BENAC ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry delivered an unabashed defense of abortion rights on Friday, just hours after a top Vatican cardinal said that priests must deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights.Several other Catholic politicians said they, too, had no intention of altering the way they practice their religion or their politics.With hundreds of Catholic politicians in the United States supporting abortion rights, the trans-Atlantic counterpoint was only the latest sign that the issue promises to be a recurrent one on the U.S. campaign...

April 11, 2004 Kerry Ignores Reproaches of Some BishopsBy KATHARINE Q. SEELYE OSTON, April 11 — Rejecting the admonitions of several national Roman Catholic leaders, Senator John Kerry received communion at Easter services today at the Paulist Center here, a kind of New Age church that describes itself as "a worship community of Christians in the Roman Catholic tradition" and that attracts people drawn to its dedication to "family religious education and social justice."Mr. Kerry's decision to receive communion represented a challenge to several prominent Catholic bishops, who have become increasingly exasperated with politicians who are Catholic but who deviate...

  Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesJohn Kerry with the Rev. Michael J. Chaback after attending Sunday service in Bethlehem, Pa., on March 14, before a day of campaigning Kerry, Candidate and Catholic, Creates Uneasiness for ChurchBy LAURIE GOODSTEINPublished: April 2, 2004 enator John Kerry's support for abortion rights and stem cell research has prompted discussions among Roman Catholic bishops and Vatican officials over how to respond to a presidential candidate who professes Catholicism while taking stands contrary to church teaching.The issue has been a topic in the Vatican this week as bishops from Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina...

BOSTON -- As millions of Catholics prepare for the traditional midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, the Boston Archdiocese is making an unusual plea to parishioners. NewsCenter 5's Jorge Quiroga reported that church leaders are asking anyone with cold or flu symptoms to take certain precautions and avoid some rituals. The announcement comes days after two elderly men on Cape Cod died of flu complications. But public health officials warn against overreactions saying the cases are not unusual considering the ages of the victims, 89 and 90. Parishioners attending Christmas Mass are urged not to shake hands as a sign of...

To put it bluntly, I have a few reservations about canon 1398. “A person who actually procures an abortion incurs a latae sententiae excommunication,” the canon states. Please do not mistake my reservations as support for abortion. In no way do I condone this intrinsically evil act, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches “is gravely contrary to the moral law” as well as an “abominable crime” (2271). Yet my experience in ministry has taught me that most women who abort their child act under some sort of emotional, mental and/or psychological duress. Despite what many feminists claim, I...