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Because the Roman Catholic Church officially opposes abortion, a number of controversies have occurred with respect to Catholic politicians who favor abortion rights. Most such controversies have involved a bishop threatening to deny the politician communion; in a few cases, excommunication was suggested.

In the United States

In 2004, with some few American bishops in favor of withholding communion from pro-choice politicians and the majority against such action, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops decided that such matters should be decided on a case-by-case basis by the individual bishops. Debate has subsequently re-arisen on a number of occasions, leading Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Pittsburgh to say in 2005 that, because of "national ramifications", no individual bishop should deny communion to politicians, and more conservative bishops and archbishops, including Raymond Burke of St. Louis and Charles J. Chaput of Denver, to see ecclesiastical penalties as a means of promoting the church's position on abortion. Those few bishops who support denying communion to pro-choice Catholics cite their minority interpretation of Canon 915 as their justification. Wuerl has commented that he believes the canon was not intended to be used in such a way, and that a pastoral approach would be more effective for changing minds than a legalistic one. Other bishops do not refer to canon 915, which speaks about those who are not to be admitted to holy communion, and said that the legislators in question ought to refrain from receiving communion, rather than that they should be rejected if they did present themselves. Statements of this kind have been made by several American bishops, including Thomas Tobin, and by the Director of the Holy See Press Office.

Suggested reasons for the United States being the focus of such activity are a greater politicization of pastoral practice brought about by a more single-minded, crusade-like way of changing the law and society, and that abortion's status as a constitutional right in the United States makes the question more acute than where the legal situation regarding abortion can be changed by the legislature.

Mario Cuomo

In 1984, Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor, then Archbishop of New York, contemplated excommunicating then-Governor of New York Mario Cuomo.

John Kerry

In April 2004, Archbishop Raymond Burke forbade Senator John Kerry, a Catholic, to take communion because of his stance on abortion and possibly stem cell research. This action was at that time considered unprecedented and taken on grounds that experts considered not to apply to Kerry.

Rudy Giuliani

Burke also said that he would deny communion to Rudy Giuliani, and that Giuliani should not seek communion.

Joe Biden

After Joe Biden, a pro-choice Catholic, was selected as a vice presidential candidate in the 2008 presidential election, Bishop Joseph Francis Martino, bishop of Biden's original hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, said that Biden would be refused Holy Communion in that diocese because of his stance on legal abortion. However, Biden was not refused communion in his then-current parish of Wilmington, Delaware.

Patrick Kennedy

In November 2009, Bishop Thomas Tobin barred Representative Patrick Kennedy from communion due to his support for abortion rights, saying that it would be "inappropriate."

Europe

In Europe, Catholic bishops have not raised the question of refusing communion to pro-choice Catholic politicians. In January 2001, Pope John Paul II gave Communion to Mayor of Rome Francesco Rutelli, whose position is that of being "personally opposed to abortion, but not willing to impose his stance through law". Similar cases are found among parliamentarians in Austria, Belgium and Germany.

Mexico comments

However, one notable incident regarding excommunication of pro-choice Catholic legislators occurred in Mexico. In May 2007, Pope Benedict XVI expressed support for the Mexican bishops' envisaged excommunication of politicians who had voted to legalize abortion in Mexico City. Responding to a journalist's question, "Do you agree with the excommunications given to legislators in Mexico City on the question?" the Pope said: "Yes. The excommunication was not something arbitrary. It is part of the (canon law) code. It is based simply on the principle that the killing of an innocent human child is incompatible with going in Communion with the body of Christ. Thus, they (the bishops) didn't do anything new or anything surprising. Or arbitrary." According to Der Spiegel, many journalists were wondering if this support could be interpreted as a wish to excommunicate such politicians,; Time magazine reported that it was in fact such a declaration. However, church officials said that it was not a declaration but appeared to be a misunderstanding. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, clarified that the Pope was not excommunicating anyone, since the Mexican bishops had not in fact declared an excommunication, and that he did not mean to depart from a recent declaration that placed the decision to leave the Church in the hands of individual politicians. However, Lombardi said "politicians who vote in favor of abortion should not receive the sacrament of Holy Communion", because their action is "incompatible with participation in the Eucharist."

References

1. ^ Sandro Magister, "Obama's Pick for Vice President Is Catholic. But the Bishops Deny Him Communion"
2. Major, Richard (August 27, 2005). "Communion for pro-choice politicians splits Church". The Tablet.
3. John Allen, "Antiabortion imperative more complex than acknowledged: John Allen: bishops' views on abortion"
4. Michael Sean Winters, "Chaput Cites Disunity Among Bishops on Canon 915" in National Catholic Reporter, 12 April 2011
5. Henneberger, Melinda (11 May 2009). "Wuerl: Why I Won't Deny Pelosi Communion". Politics Daily.
6. Code of Canon Law, canon 915
7. "Bishop bars Patrick Kennedy from Communion over abortion". CNN. November 22, 2009.
8. "Pope condemns abortion on Latin America trip". Associated Press. May 9, 2007.
9. ^ John L. Allen, "The Word from Rome" in National Catholic Reporter, 28 May 2004
10. Beltramini, Enrico (September 12, 2009). "Il cattolicesimo politico in America". Limes.
11. West, John G.; MacLean, Iain S. (1999). Encyclopedia of religion in American politics, Volume 2. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 98.
12. Hancock, David (April 6, 2004). "Kerry's Communion Controversy". CBS News.
13. "Outspoken Catholic Archbishop Raymond Burke Says He'd Deny Rudy Giuliani Communion". Fox News. Associated Press. October 3, 2007.
14. Kirkpatrick, David (2008-09-16). "Abortion Issue Again Dividing Catholic Votes". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
15. NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli, "Abortion politics: Biden never refused communion"
16. "Bishop bars Patrick Kennedy from Communion over abortion". CNN. November 22, 2009.
17. ^ "Pope arrives in Brazil with tough abortion stance". USA Today (Associated Press service). 10 May 2007.
18. Der Spiegel. Pope Attacks Mexico City Politicians. May 10, 2007.
19. Israely, Jeff (May 9, 2007). "Pope Rejects Pro-Choice Politicians". Time.
20. "Pope condemns abortion on Latin America trip". Associated Press. May 9, 2007.

See also

• Catholic Church and politics in the United States

• Abortion debate
• Catholic moral theology
• Christianity and abortion
• Christianity-related controversies
• Christian politics
• Eucharist (Catholic Church)
• Roman Catholicism in the world