Patrick Kennedy: My Bishop Ordered Me to Forego Communion

Americans enjoy the constitutional right to choose their religion or to decide not to have any. Patrick Kennedy views himself as a member of the Roman Catholic Church. The reception of communion, as its name indicates, expresses among other things a unity of faith between the communicant and the Church that grants it. It is a matter of fact that Kennedy no longer shares doctrines that are taught by the highest members of the Catholic hierarchy as being parts of the core beliefs of that Church. Of course, he is free to do so, but why doesn’t he have the honnesty to leave that Church and stop presenting himself as a Roman Catholic ? Kennedy wants to have the cake and eat it. NO WAY. He has got to choose. Either he is a Roman Catholic or he is not. If he is, he can only be Pro Life. If he is Pro Choice, he should stop receiving communion and leave that Church whose teachings he refuses. He will have no difficulty in finding a Church which will fit his convictions.

Jean-Luc Dalmasso 6:40AM December 01, 2009

Bishop Tobin is wrong to question Representative Kennedy’s faith because Tobin is defending Belief and not Faith. It may be reassuring to some that if they follow certain beliefs and a quid pro quo, St. Peter will be waiting. But this denies the very MYSTERY of God. True faith acknowledges this mystery. Can we say that we are so certain of our beliefs that we should be attacking someone else? What would Jesus do? If Tobin wants to protect innocent children perhaps he should be denying communion to a few of his own clergymen.

RC of NJ 9:04AM November 26, 2009

Is it still legal to cohabitate with your horsey in your state sir. Us hillbillies here in the south think that is beastiality. Look it up sport. Seems I read an article recently about a natural man(?) dying as a result of his equine tryst> Teabagging my word!!!!!!!

bluemule of MS 11:25PM November 24, 2009

As a mother of seven and a Catholic, I do not believe the Bishop or any representative of any Church/religion has the right to dictate what we can or cannot believe in. By law, Thank God, there is a separation of church/state. Many religions and conservatives forget that even Jesus and the Bible state, give onto Cesar what is Cesar's and give unto the Lord what is the Lord's. I find the bishop a complete hypocrit. I did not read where the bishop took away the right to receive Communion from all the pedophile priest. No man has the right to dictate to a women what she can do with her body, especially since they are the ones who take part in the conception of a child then take off and refuse to accept their responsibility as a man and father in raising the child. One of the hypocritical anti-abortionist was found to be hundreds of thousands of dollars behind in child support! But he is always on the front line making demands when he is not man enough to support his children. NO man, church or religious belief can dictate or interfere with the laws of the state, nor do any of them have the right to tell women what they should do, expecially since they do not support them.

A. Geary of IA 3:42PM November 24, 2009