Patrick Kennedy’s Communion fight

Bishop Thomas Tobin wants Ted Kennedy's son to skip Communion over abortion. Is the church getting too political?

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D, R.I.), Ted Kennedy’s son and a Roman Catholic, says Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin has instructed him not to take Holy Communion because Kennedy supports abortion rights in violation of church teachings. Bishop Tobin said he is “disappointed and really surprised” that Kennedy made the 2007 request public now. The spat is part of the Catholic bishops’ hardball lobbying on health care legislation. Is the Catholic Church getting too involved in politics? (Watch a local report about tension between Rep. Patrick Kennedy and the Catholic Church)

Rules are rules: As a cradle Catholic whose personal beliefs no longer line up with the church, says Marie Anne St. Jean in Associated Content, I say: Go Tobin. The Catholic Church says "abortion is murder, therefore a mortal sin." Patrick Kennedy can't support abortion and "claim to be a good, practicing Catholic.” “Kennedy denied Communion—Catholic Church takes a stand”

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us