I heard a very good explanation of the situation last night and I cannot remember where I heard it or read it. But, Bishop Tobin is not telling Representative Kennedy how to vote he is simply telling him what it means to be a Catholic. Rep. Kennedy can support all of the abortion bills he wants but he if chooses to do so he should refrain from Communion in the Catholic Church. Plain and simple.
Today in my blog reading I came across this article from the Catholic News Agency. Now before you write it off as propaganda, it is written by a non Catholic and sums things up well I think. The article speaks of the Separation of Church and State. That phrase and the concept does not not appear in the Constitution by the way. It is from Jefferson but was written in a letter during his Presidency. The author of the article states that the Establishment Clause was placed in the Constitution to protect the faith from coercion from the state not the other way around nor did it prohibit the church from enforcing it’s doctrine on it’s members even where matters of public policy are concerned.
So it continues…
This morning in the Telegram and Gazette I came across a political cartoon.Patrick Kennedy and the Bishop are back to back,Patrick says "yes I support abortion rights" "I support taxpayer money paying for abortion" "and I support gay marriage" "But I'm still a practicing Catholic!"
The bishop with his back to him say "Keep practicing until you get it right my son."
When our fore fathers talked about seperation of church and state it had to do with the goverment not trying to impose a goverment religion on its people,as England had done.
It amazes me how we push aside religion.With Thansgiving one day away let us remember that the pilgrams were a religous group who when they landed in Plymouth knealt down and gave thanks to God for their passage to this new world.
Thanksgiving is a day we give thanks for all we have and for who we are.linda
Because Rep. Kennedy supports abortion, I believe that Bishop Tobin is correct in refusing to allow Rep. Kennedy from receiving Communion in the Catholic Church.
Rep.Kennedy cannot have it both ways. Either he can be against abortion and receive Communion; or he can be for abortion and be ineligible to receive Communion in the Catholic Church. It's that simple!