The feud between Patrick Kennedy and the Catholic Church has escalated to the point that Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has publicly notified Kennedy not to receive Communion because of his stand on abortion.
Their dispute began in October when Kennedy criticized the nation's Catholic bishops for threatening to oppose an overhaul of the nation's health care system unless lawmakers included tighter restrictions on abortion, which have since been added to the House version of the bill. Tobin said he felt Kennedy made an unprovoked attack on the church and demanded an apology.
- Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas had repeatedly said publicly that former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic Democrat who supports abortion rights, should stop taking Communion until she changes her stance. Sebelius is now President Barack Obama's secretary of Health and Human Services.(source)
Kennedy opposed a provision that restricted the use of federal money for abortions, but voted in favor of final passage of the bill that included that language.
Washington (CNN) November 18, 2009-- Six in 10 Americans favor a ban on the use of federal funds for abortion, according to a new poll.
The poll also indicates that the public might also favor legislation that would prevent many women from getting their health insurance plan to cover the cost of an abortion, even if no federal funds are involved.(source)
The Catholic Church advises all Catholics to refrain from taking Communion if they have committed sin which is not confessed or repented. Kennedy was asked 3 years ago by the Bishop not to take Communion in a personal letter.
- Kennedy has consistently taken stands politically that are contradictory to Church teachings. His stand on divorce, remarriage, gay marriage, birth control and abortion are not in line with church doctrine.
The church's position on federally funded abortion echoes the opinion expressed by 6 out of 10 American's.
The church does not excommunicate a Catholic who opposes their teachings, they simply ask them to refrain from participating in the Sacrament.
- No one forces Kennedy to remain a Catholic. As a Catholic you are expected to live your life by following the teachings of the church and be an example to others.
Being a Catholic is not a walk in the park. Catholicism is not the only religion in the world that has rigid standards of spiritual behavior. It's their sandbox. If you cannot play by the rules no one forces you to stay in a religious environment where you feel oppressed.
If Patrick Kennedy is unwilling to comply with the Catholic Church he should leave it for another denomination where his views are supported.
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