Theological Muscle

Some Catholic Bishops are threatening to deny supporters of abortion and even heathcare reform Holy Communion. A row hit the headlines when supporter of abortion rights Patrick Kennedy spoke out after receiving a suggestion from Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence that he refrain from taking the sacrament due to his liberal views. “The point is that for any Catholic in public office, his first commitment has to be to his faith,” Tobin told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. “Not just for a Catholic, but for a member of any religious community. No commitment is more important than your commitment to your faith, because it involves your relationship with God.” Connecticut Democrat Rosa DeLauro, a pro-choice Catholic, says the bishops are using Holy Communion as a political weapon, and that makes her and her fellow Catholics on the Hill uncomfortable. “I think every Catholic member of this body who walks into a church to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist has at the back of their mind that they could be potentially denied,” she says.