So does the Bishop deny communion to those politicians who support the death

[BR_Parkway]

penalty?

Or is that not 'pro-life' in his mind as well?

[Christa]

1. Tweety should have asked him

Excellent question!

[Kolesar]

2. This really frosts me. Kerry could have won if the creep-clergy had not campaigned against him.

Insert gratuitous "pedophile enabler" verbiage.

[H2O Man]

3. Great point.

Thank you. Recommended.

[bobburgster]

4. I'm glad Chris kept on him.....

maybe he made a dent in his sermonological platitudes.

[krispos42]

5. Isn't the Church officially against the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well?

So does the bishop deny communion for invastion supporters as well?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[BR_Parkway]

6. An excellent point

[Ignis]

26. Nah, a medical procedure is MUCH worse than an invasion.

Actually shooting bullets into other human beings or bombing their homes and critical infrastructure? Nah, they don't even call out Sister Grace to rap your knuckles with a ruler anymore.

Some priorities, eh?

[TexasProgresive]

7. Canon law does not proscribe the death penalty

Those who have an abortion, provide an abortion or assist one to have an abortion are automatically excommunicated from the church. The excommunication can only be lifted by the bishop.

While I don't agree with this law what the bishop did was to inform Kennedy of the law of the church. My understanding that this was not done publicly but that Kennedy made it so.

My guess is that the bishop interpreted Kennedy's support for reproductive rights in the Congress as assisting abortion.

[mdmc]

11. But wouldn't confession absolve one of the sin (sin = pro choice)?

I don't take communion for this reason. I do however take communion after confession.

[TexasProgresive]

13. The only cleric who can lift the excommunication is

the bishop. This was true in the old code of canon law maybe not so in the new code. Assisting, performing or obtaining an abortion incurred automatic excommunication that was reserved to the bishop. So again I think the bishop is interpreting Canon Law that Kennedy is assisting in abortion. Once again, let me be clear, I don't agree with that interpretation.

[mdmc]

16. excommunication is an absense from the church

Even a murder would be allowed to take communion if he had properly reconciled their sins.

[TexasProgresive]

19. Certain sins are only reconcilled through the bishop.

Not my rules.

[mdmc]

20. thanks for the reply

I'll have to talk this one out with my priest..

[TexasProgresive]

23. One last thing

I could be wrong as this could be the ruling of the old Code of Canon Law. I would appreciate it if you find out that I am and send me a PM. Thanks.

[mdmc]

25. will do

My priest is very liberal, as is the NY Diocese, I guess..

I'll be in touch..

[Warren Stupidity]

8. The RC church is not totally against state executions.

Kind of an odd stance for a religion based on a myth that climaxes with the state execution of its deity, but there it is.

[KharmaTrain]

9. The Big Problem...

...was at the very start of the interview...where the Bishop said that a person's allegiance must be to their faith first and then country. If you take that tract, then the question is whose faith? Is being a Catholic or Baptist more of a faith than being a Moslem or Jew? If my faith professed robbing banks or beating children, does that give me a special "dispensation" cause my faith must reign above the law? Tweety went down the right path, but came up short on the real big problem here...the putting of a religious "faith" (which can change on the whim of a religious leader) over written law and the concept of separation of church and state.

Kudos to Tweety for not rolling over. I was actually surprised he took on the Bishop considering how one can hear Tweety's own Catholic opionions put forward (especially on a woman's right to choose) and how he didn't roll over to the Bishop's attempt to make his faith seem not only superior to all of ours but Tweety's as well...

[Angry Dragon]

22. You can do anything you want

as long as you invoke "I am doing God's work because he is too busy right now" and claim persecution when you are arrested because you are just following your faith and beliefs.

[mdmc]

10. The death penalty doesn't give the Vatican a chubby like abortion does

That is why that bishop was quiet on the issue..

[spanone]

12. h y p o c r i s y

[LynneSin]

14. Most Catholics are also against the death penalty

I will say this much - they are not hippocrites when it comes to stuff like this.

[Better Today]

15. y'know I got no sympathies for any of these fools that not only still

believe in a pissed off, finger shaking god-father, but that they still find the catholic church as a worthy entity to be a part of.

I hope this straightens 'em up and finally shows them that church/god is not loving, is not caring, is not behaving in a tax exempt manner, and they give believing in fairy tales the ol' heave ho!

[meow2u3]

17. Tweety should have asked him if he denies Communion to divorced and remarried politicians

Divorce and remarriage also incurs an automatic excommunication according to the teachings of the Catholic Church, lifted only at the discretion of the bishop. If the bishop allows divorced and remarried politicians (who didn't get their first marriage annuled) while denying it to politicians who condone abortion, that would be hypocrisy.

You'd be surprised at how many repuke Catholics have divorced and remarried someone else. But you'll never hear that in the media.

[Angry Dragon]

24. All it takes is mega bucks to get an annulment

through the church. I remember back aways that a Kennedy got an annulment after many years of marriage and many children. The church has no problem separating church marriage from civil marriage. So why do they have so much trouble letting gays marry in a civil marriage??

I would like to see a family as prominent as the Kennedy's leave the church. i think this would really cause eyes to open.

[Octafish]

18. ...or the Wars.

Same thing -- Death.

[dflprincess]

21. The church thinks abortion is "intrinsically evil"

it does not feel that way about the death penalty or most wars. Seriously, that's how they rationalize this. Go figure.