Lay-Out

Let me get this one straight. The Catholic Church is saying, in an unsubtle stab at John Kerry, that a pro-abortion politician can't take communion and by extension is not a moral Catholic.

The Pope has denounced the war in Iraq. The Pope has denounced all forms of capital punishment. This was done on the same moral and doctrinal grounds as the opposition to abortion. I respect the consistency here. But I don't see the hierarchy coming out and saying pro-War, pro-death penalty Catholic politicians can't take communion.

Lovely to have the Vatican re-enter politics. I wonder if the idea that the Roman Catholic church presumes to dictate the policies of public officials via withholding sacraments is going to have the opposite effect desired, of discouraging voters from voting for a Catholic running for office for fear their votes would be dictated from Rome. That, after all, was the slander slung at John F. Kennedy back in 1960.

This is how religious bigotry gets started -- by not leaving for Caeser what is Caeser's and rendering unto God what is God's.