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BISHOP BANS CATHOLIC CONGRESS MEMBER FROM COMMUNION
NPR - Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has banned Rep. Patrick Kennedy from receiving Communion, the central sacrament of the church, in Rhode Island because of the congressman's support for abortion rights, Kennedy said in a newspaper interview published Sunday.
The decision by the outspoken prelate, reported on The Providence Journal's Web site, significantly escalates a bitter dispute between Tobin, an ultra orthodox bishop, and Kennedy, a son of the nation's most famous Roman Catholic family.
"The bishop instructed me not to take Communion and said that he has instructed the diocesan priests not to give me Communion," Kennedy told the paper in an interview conducted Friday.
Kennedy said the bishop had explained the penalty by telling him "that I am not a good practicing Catholic because of the positions that I've taken as a public official," particularly on abortion. . .
Church law permits Tobin to ban Kennedy from receiving Communion within the Diocese of Providence, which covers Rhode Island, but he cannot stop Kennedy from receiving Communion elsewhere. It was unclear whether bishops overseeing Washington and Massachusetts, where Kennedy's family has a seaside compound, would issue similar bans.
The decision by the outspoken prelate, reported on The Providence Journal's Web site, significantly escalates a bitter dispute between Tobin, an ultra orthodox bishop, and Kennedy, a son of the nation's most famous Roman Catholic family.
"The bishop instructed me not to take Communion and said that he has instructed the diocesan priests not to give me Communion," Kennedy told the paper in an interview conducted Friday.
Kennedy said the bishop had explained the penalty by telling him "that I am not a good practicing Catholic because of the positions that I've taken as a public official," particularly on abortion. . .
Church law permits Tobin to ban Kennedy from receiving Communion within the Diocese of Providence, which covers Rhode Island, but he cannot stop Kennedy from receiving Communion elsewhere. It was unclear whether bishops overseeing Washington and Massachusetts, where Kennedy's family has a seaside compound, would issue similar bans.
6 Comments:
Lessee... a religious official inflicting intentional harm on an elected legislator in order to coerce the legislator into a particular public policy position compatible with some sect's dogma -- how is this anything but terrorism? And, the Vatican being recognized as a city-state, *state-sponsored* terrorism at that?
Who to root for? (not censorship!)
The Kennedys have been transparent frauds since the early 20th century, but they've met their match with Pedophile Central. To preserve self-respect, Paaahtrick needs to either publicly break with the church or introduce some legislation to strip tax-exempt status...which means it will never happen.
(This modest trifle was too much for "Democratic" Underground. Thanks, Sam.)
yes, time for the kennedy's to seek a new church.
renounce the church of pedophilia and mass murder.
Seems it is ok to bash Catholics wherever you find them, but everyone else should be a protected group, like Buddhists and Muslims, for example. They are really just misunderstood. Odd that nowhere in that story do you find that Bishop Tobin actually asked Kennedy to stop taking Communion in 2007.
Weird that it comes into the public light right before the debate on the health care bill in the Senate with the Stupak Amendment still attached. Weird that it would come up now after the Bishops are in the news for continuing to stand up for their religion, which earns them nothing but scorn from the 1st Amendment crowd. What happened to the idea, from Mencken (one of Sam's favorite authors) that you have to defend first amendment freedoms for everyone? Or, "I may disagree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."
And to the 'church of pedophilia and mass murder' comment, I can only assume you are referring to Buddhism, as there are many documented cases of Buddhist priests sexually abusing young men trying to join their ranks and the tradition of the fighting monks. No? Maybe you mean Islam and the many victims worldwide of Jihad and Mohammed's consummation of a marraige with a nine-year old?
Maybe you are referring to secular humanism and the rampant sexual abuse apparent in public schools and wars fought over controlling every inch of the globe? No? Perhaps you are too cynical my friend. That may just be the case as the hypocrisy that is on display here is just astounding.
Perhaps when I chose the word hypocrisy, I should have said intolerance and bigotry, because that is exactly what is on display here. Which is ironic from the very same people preaching to end bigotry and intolerance. I guess just the bigotry and intolerance that YOU think is wrong?
Yep.
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