Catholic Cardinal McCarrick Restates Policy Leaving Decision To Refuse Communion To Politicians Who Support Abortion Rights To Local Bishop

Washington, D.C., Cardinal Theodore McCarrick on Thursday at a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting in Los Angeles reiterated a policy approved by the bishops in 2004 that the decision to deny communion to Roman Catholic politicians who support abortion rights is up to the local bishop, Reuters/ABC News reports (Serjeant, Reuters/ABC News, 6/15). The USCCB in June 2004 at a closed meeting in Colorado voted to approve a statement saying that Catholic politicians should work against legalized abortion "lest they be guilty of cooperating in evil and in sinning against the common good." However, the statement also said the decision to deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be left to individual bishops (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/20/04). A task force on Catholics in public life, which McCarrick chairs, has been investigating the issue. McCarrick said there is "no substitute for the local bishop's pastoral judgment and his vital relationships with Catholic public officials in his own diocese." He added, "My concern is the fear that the intense polarization and bitter battles of partisan politics may be seeping into the broader ecclesial life of our Catholic people and maybe even of our conference. Our concern is not politics, nor just particular policies, but their faith and even their salvation. These dialogues are not about winning votes but saving souls." The task force has written a booklet, "Readings on Catholics and Political Life," that has been distributed to every Catholic member of Congress. The church also is arranging education and information sessions on Capitol Hill about Catholic teachings. McCarrick said the church needs "more, not fewer Catholics in political life" and announced that the task force is ending its work (Reuters/ABC News, 6/15).

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