Kathleen Sebelius Discusses Order to Forgo Holy Communion

By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius hardly ever talks publicly about her Roman Catholicism. But in a Washington Post interview this week, she speaks candidly about being ordered to forgo receiving communion by the archbishop of Kansas City—she was previously governor of Kansas—because of her actions upholding abortion rights.

The excerpt (video above): 

You are also a pro-choice Catholic, and I was reading some stories out of your home state recently where one of the bishops took an action. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Well, the Archbishop in the Kansas City area did not approve of my conduct as a public official and asked that I not present myself for communion.

What did you think about that?
Well, it was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced in my life, and I am a firm believer in the separation of church and state, and I feel that my actions as a parishioner are different than my actions as a public official and that the people who elected me in Kansas had a right to expect me to uphold their rights and their beliefs even if they did not have the same religious beliefs that I had. And that's what I did: I took an oath of office and I have taken an oath of office in this job and will uphold the law.

Do you continue to take communion?
I really would prefer not to discuss that with you. That's really a personal—thank you.

Sebelius's response is certainly humanizing. Do you think her logic on the difference between her public and private stance on abortion is convincing?

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