Former Catholic Cardinal McCarrick Reiterates Opposition To Withhold Communion From Catholic Politicians Who Support Abortion Rights

Former Washington, D.C., Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick on Thursday reiterated his opposition to St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke's position to withhold Holy Communion to politicians who support abortion rights, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (AP/International Herald Tribune, 10/11).

Burke when asked earlier this month if he would refuse to give Holy Communion to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, said he would not give Holy Communion to Catholics who knowingly are "publicly espousing positions contrary to the moral law." Burke, who in 2004 refused to give Holy Communion to any Catholic state or federal lawmakers who support abortion rights, said, "If any politician approached me and he'd been admonished not to present himself, I'd not give" Holy Communion (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 10/4).

McCarrick said that no candidate would fall fully in line with church teaching, adding that the church's positions on abortion and other issues such as euthanasia and the death penalty are base teachings, but do not fully encompass Catholic beliefs. "You cannot be authentically Catholic if you do not support life, yet it is not enough just to support life, you have to go beyond that," McCarrick said, adding, "To really be authentically Catholic, you need it and the family rights, the right to education, the right to take care of the poor, the right of migrants."

According to the AP/Herald Tribune, McCarrick advocated attempting to persuade politicians who support abortion rights to change their position rather than refusing them Holy Communion. Jon O'Brien -- president of Catholics for a Free Choice, which supports abortion rights -- said, "In Catholicism, once you are baptized, you are authentically Catholic. We don't have a litmus test that people take" (AP/International Herald Tribune, 10/11).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.