Bishop Bars Communion for Pro-Choice Voters

[G_j]

sorry if this is a dupe..

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=5151584

U.S. Bishop Bars Communion for Abortion Supporters
Fri May 14, 2004 04:16 PM ET

By Judith Crosson
DENVER (Reuters) - A Colorado Bishop, in one of strongest stands yet taken by a U.S. Roman Catholic church leader, says communion should be denied to people who vote for candidates supporting such issues as abortion rights, gay marriage, euthanasia and stem cell research.

In a pastoral letter to the 125,000 parishioners in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Bishop Michael Sheridan also warned that politicians opposed to church teachings on such issues and those who vote for them jeopardize their salvation.

"Any Catholic politicians who advocate for abortion, for illicit stem cell research or for any form of euthanasia ipso facto place themselves outside full communion with the church and so jeopardize their salvation," the bishop wrote in a letter published this week in the diocesan monthly newspaper, the Herald.

"Any Catholics who vote for candidates who stand for abortion, illicit stem cell research or euthanasia suffer the same fateful consequences," he added.

While some Catholic church leaders have suggested denying communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, none except Sheridan are believed to have suggested that communion also be denied to the voters who support them.

..more..

[leftistagitator]

1. I wonder when Rupert Murdoch bought the Catholic Church?

[trotsky]

2. What about those who support the death penalty?

Sounds like he'll end up giving communion to maybe 3 people.

[G_j]

7. my first thought also

of course if he adds the death penality he might as well just say don't vote.

[Octafish]

3. Vote GOP... they only kill people.

Of course, the GOP platform is also anti-people.

[Webster Green]

4. Right, vote for the anti-Christ instead....

These assholes should stay out of politics and stick to what they do best.....molesting altar boys.

[jean]

5. How about Catholics who practice birth control or who have sexual

relations (in Al Franken's best Strom Thurmond imitation) for reasons OTHER than procreation?

I was born, baptized and raised a Catholic - don't partake anymore. And before we accept the edict of ANY Bishop, let's run a full scale background check on his personal life and financial portfolio.

[MissMarple]

9. And what about those who repeatedly flout any one the "Big 10"?

This just doesn't make any sense. I don't see how they can retain any theological integrity by refusing communion to those they personally deem unworthy.

And just because a person votes for pro-choice laws and policies doesn't mean one is personally supporting abortion. In fact, it may be a better way to help end the use of abortion as a form of birth control. Promoting the availability of contraception, sex education, and encouraging adoption would be better ways to achieve that goal. And if a pregnancy is deleterious to a woman's health, well, that's a decision between her, her family, her spiritual counselor, and her doctor. The government has no place in that discussion.

Making a law banning abortion is a cop out. It's a shallow person's feel good piece of window dressing. It doesn't focus at all on the underlying problems and lets the anti-abortion people think they have finally "done" something.

These guys need to get a grip.

[Az_lefty]

6. What about those who support invading Iraq?

I believe the Church was opposed to this also.

[SoCalDem]

8. I am getting rather weary from hearing the daily pronouncements

from the bishops and the pope.. I would just offer a wee suggestion to them.. When a 5 year period has elapsed, with no allegations of "priestly rape,fondling,inappropriate touching,nun-murder, etc", then I would have a more favorable opinion of their pronouncements..

Having been raised Catholic, I can tell you that once the "furiously banned birth control pill" arrived on the scene, Catholic families became noticeable smaller.. Lots of Catholics went to communion on Sunday after whoring around on Saturday night..Lots of cheating husbands knelt with the wife and kiddies, while the mistress was waiting for him to duck out later for a "visit"..

Catholics are no different from anyone.. No one in any church is totally faithful to what their church preaches..and the catholic church has NO room to be so preachy to people who attend.. Their membership is falliing precipitously anyway..and they have a terrible time recruiting priests and nuns these days too..

[Old and In the Way]

10. Practicing ex-Catholic here.

The hyprocrisy of these RW Republocatholics never ceases to amaze me. Where's the outrage with war and the death penalty?

[LittleApple81]

11. The catholic church in Latin America has had such a horrendous

record of supporting the oligarchies, maintaining poor people totally under the influence of their decrees (they finally by the mid 70s agreed not to forbid people to use contraceptives from the pulpits), combating their own "liberation theology" priests who tried to fight for social justice, abusing their power in mainly catholic countries (i.e., processing an annulment in Colombia costs 100 times more than in the US when people there are poorer...so guess who are the only ones who have a chance of getting one so they can "stay in the Church"). The outrage with the child sexual abuses all over the world is just another drop in the bucket.
They have a lot of gall talking about conscience.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. Bishop Bars -- sounds like some Catholic charity candy nt

[trof]

13. Question:

Can pedophile priests still take communion?
Just asking.

[MissMarple]

14. Only if they're very, very sorry. And promise not to do it ever again.

They can do that pretty much before taking every communion. What's a confessor to do?

:evilgrin:

[trof]

15. Oh. Well. That's OK then.

jeez

[David Dunham]

16. Stop Giving the Church Money as a Protest

[Doctor_J]

17. my daughter just called about this

she is very upset. She's is very devout Catholic and honestly doesn't know what to do about this. It is time for the Catholic Church to forfeit its tax-exempt status.

[BabsSong]

18. hmmm, I'm wondering if there are any Middle Eastern countries

looking for more asshole clerics??? I think we should round them up on both sides, put them in a small area and let them kill each other in the name of Gawwd....and throw Pat Robertson and Falwell in just for the hell of it--literally.

[UrbScotty]

19. As a Catholic, I won't judge anyone (that's God's job), BUT...

MY Catholic Church teaches that EVERYONE is entitled to salvation, even mass murderers.

Jesus didn't die on the cross for someone like Bishop Sheridan to act as if salvation is for pro-lifers only.