04/23/2004: "More on pro-abortion Catholic politicians"

Cardinal Francis Arinze of the Vatican's Congregation on Worship and the Sacraments, was asked Friday whether priests should deny the Eucharist to politicians who support abortion. His answer, essentially, was yes. According to AP, the pro-abortion Catholic left then went on the attack:

Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice, USA, said statements such as Arinze's "debase the political campaign" and would isolate the church from its Americans members, most of whom she said support abortion rights.

They don't, but Kissling doesn't know any who don't, so they must.

"Do they really want to tell Senators Kennedy, Mikulski, Leahy and 70 other members of the U.S. Congress that they can't receive Communion?" Kissling asked. "Because they can't just tell this to Senator Kerry."

Uh, yeah, I think that's exactly what he said.

Kissling said the statement could have a negative impact on Kerry's campaign. "It has the effect of making Senator Kerry's task of describing himself to the American public very difficult because it places him on the defensive. He should not be having to explain to the American public his relationship to the Roman Catholic Church," she said.

Then I guess that means the secular left should stop talking about Bush's relationship to the "religious right," right, Frances?

Kerry has said he would nominate only Supreme Court justices who support his position.

It's a good thing Kerry doesn't have a litmus test for judicial appointments like those nasty, evil pro-life Republicans, because that would be un-American, un-presidential, and subversive of the Constitution, according to his fellow Senator Chuck Schumer.