Priest: No communion for Obama supporters
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."
The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote.
"Our nation has chosen for its chief executive the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president," Newman wrote, referring to Obama by his full name, including his middle name of Hussein.
"Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation."
During the 2008 presidential campaign, many bishops spoke out on abortion more boldly than four years earlier, telling Catholic politicians and voters that the issue should be the most important consideration in setting policy and deciding which candidate to back. A few church leaders said parishioners risked their immortal soul by voting for candidates who support abortion rights.
But bishops differ on whether Catholic lawmakers - and voters - should refrain from receiving Communion if they diverge from church teaching on abortion. Each bishop sets policy in his own diocese. In their annual fall meeting, the nation's Catholic bishops vowed Tuesday to forcefully confront the Obama administration over its support for abortion rights.
According to national exit polls, 54 percent of Catholics chose Obama, who is Protestant. In South Carolina, which McCain carried, voters in Greenville County - traditionally seen as among the state's most conservative areas - went 61 percent for the Republican, and 37 percent for Obama.
"It was not an attempt to make a partisan point," Newman said in a telephone interview Thursday. "In fact, in this election, for the sake of argument, if the Republican candidate had been pro-abortion, and the Democratic candidate had been pro-life, everything that I wrote would have been exactly the same."
Conservative Catholics criticized Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004 for supporting abortion rights, with a few Catholic bishops saying Kerry should refrain from receiving Holy Communion because his views were contrary to church teachings.
Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said she had not heard of other churches taking this position in reaction to Obama's win. A Boston-based group that supports Catholic Democrats questioned the move, saying it was too extreme.
"Father Newman is off base," said Steve Krueger, national director of Catholic Democrats. "He is acting beyond the authority of a parish priest to say what he did. ... Unfortunately, he is doing so in a manner that will be of great cost to those parishioners who did vote for Sens. Obama and Biden. There will be a spiritual cost to them for his words."
A man who has attended St. Mary's for 18 years said he welcomed Newman's message and anticipated it would inspire further discussion at the church.
"I don't understand anyone who would call themselves a Christian, let alone a Catholic, and could vote for someone who's a pro-abortion candidate," said Ted Kelly, 64, who volunteers his time as lector for the church. "You're talking about the murder of innocent beings."
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly version
Comments
Jason (anonymous) says...
Intrinsic evil is not doing anything (and furthermore covering up) violations against hundreds or thousands of children during the past five decades of sex scandals.
The Catholic Church alienates more and more of their own flock each year with their archaic policies of the crusade du jour. I, by no means condone abortion but this is a decision that should be made on a case-by-case basis with the thoughts, discussions, and prayers of a family - not influenced by a church...or state.
And I was raised Roman Catholic.
November 13, 2008 at 8:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BillytheKid (anonymous) says...
If the "Priest" wants to abuse the "separation of church and state" maybe they should start taxing the churches that don't know the difference. The government sure can use the money and the churches have been getting a free ride for long enough.
November 13, 2008 at 8:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ironhorse (anonymous) says...
So when you face God and are judged as complaisant in murder of unborn children do you reply "I just wanted my taxes to be cut"?
November 13, 2008 at 8:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CannonMan (anonymous) says...
Everyone is entitled to their opinion because that's what makes the US of A the US of A.
But my opinion is that this guy is a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
November 13, 2008 at 8:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
a_set_love (anonymous) says...
Freedom of Choice Act (Introduced in Senate)
S 2020
This little goodie is brought to you by - ( Mrs. BOXER, Mr. CORZINE, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mrs. CLINTON, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. SARBANES, and Ms. MIKULSKI)
Section (15) and (16) of this bill is really interesting................
(15) Congress has the affirmative power under section 8 of article I of the Constitution and section 5 of the 14th amendment to the Constitution to enact legislation to facilitate
interstate commerce and to prevent State interference with interstate commerce, liberty, or equal protection of the laws.
(16) Federal protection of a woman's right to choose to prevent or terminate a pregnancy falls within this affirmative power of Congress, in part, because--
(A) many women cross State lines to obtain abortions and many more would be forced to do so absent a constitutional right or Federal protection;
(B) reproductive health clinics are commercial actors that regularly purchase medicine, medical equipment, and other necessary supplies from out-of-State suppliers; and
(C) reproductive health clinics employ doctors, nurses, and other personnel who travel across State lines in order to provide reproductive health services to patients.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEC. 4. INTERFERENCE WITH REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROHIBITED.
(a) STATEMENT OF POLICY- It is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to bear a child, to terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal
viability,
or to terminate a pregnancy after fetal viability when necessary to protect the life or health of the woman.
(b) PROHIBITION OF INTERFERENCE- A government may not--
(1) deny or interfere with a woman's right to choose--
(A) to bear a child;
(B) to terminate a pregnancy prior to viability; or
(C) to terminate a pregnancy after viability where termination is necessary to protect the life or health of the woman; or
(2) discriminate against the exercise of the rights set forth in paragraph (1) in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information.
(c) CIVIL ACTION- An individual aggrieved by a violation of this section may obtain appropriate relief (including relief against a government) in a civil action.
-------------------------------------------
President - Elect "O" has stated on the record that he will quickly sign this Bill once it finally clears Congress...........
#http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.2020:
November 13, 2008 at 9:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blah_blah_blah (anonymous) says...
This guy is worse than Jeremiah Wright!
November 13, 2008 at 9:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blackwoman (anonymous) says...
The hipocracy of the Catholic Church is astonishing.
November 13, 2008 at 10:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tulane75 (anonymous) says...
What about people who work in drug stores that sell contraceptives? Aren't contraceptives contrary to Church teachings? What about the people who shop in these stores, thereby supporting them?
Personal opinions aside, I have no problem with the Church's position on contraception or abortion. I believe in freedom of religion and thought!
But what if you voted for Obama because of the economy, the war, selection of judges, etc.? I don't think Father Newman gave much thought to his pronouncement. The parties' respective positions on abortion did not come into play in my vote this year, as the Supreme Court, foreign policy and the economy were my issues.
While I understand that the Priest and the Church both oppose abortion, I would not think that this priest's position on communion is shared by the Church.
November 14, 2008 at 7:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BKLYNIRISH (anonymous) says...
I am with Father Newman on this.
If these so-called "Catholics" don't like it, they can find a church where the sanctity of human life is not so important.
November 14, 2008 at 1:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Michael_Wegs (anonymous) says...
Just north of Charleston at Mepkin Abbey live the notorious predatory bishop Anthony J. O'Connell, who resigned in disgrace as bishop of Palm Beach; led the diocese of Knoxville, TN; and for 25 years ran St. Thomas Aquinas High School Seminary in Hannibal, MO. To date, 10 victims of this man have been identified publicly through civil suits and newspaper inquiry. I was victimized by this man, and I can tell you that as long as Roman Catholic Church, its bishops, and many of its priests and nuns -- like Rev. Jay Scott Newman of St Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville --have relinquished their moral authority in every aspect of our daily live as demonstrated by their willful inaction to deal honestly with child molesters operating in their church. Unless they confess to their collaboration in these crimes against children, seek forgiveness, do penance, and make full restitution they cannot be taken seriously. As for dictating the norms of American democracy and political life, they have no place in the system, that is unless they want to start paying taxes, open their financial records to public scrutiny, and operate their businesses per legal and financial dictates.
November 15, 2008 at 11:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
Full terms and conditions can be read here.