Archbishop: No Communion For Giuliani

Republican Hopeful's Support For Abortion Rights Make Him Ineligible, Cleric Says

(AP)  Roman Catholic Archbishop Raymond Burke, who made headlines last presidential season by saying he'd refuse Holy Communion to John Kerry, has his eye on Rudy Giuliani this year. Giuliani's response: "Archbishops have a right to their opinion."

Burke, the Archbishop of St. Louis, was asked by The St. Louis Post-Dispatch if he would deny Communion to Giuliani if the former New York mayor approached him for the sacrament.

"If the question is about a Catholic who is publicly espousing positions contrary to the moral law, and I know that person knows it, yes I would," the paper quoted the archbishop as responding.

Burke has said of Giuliani: "I can't imagine that as a Catholic he doesn't know that his stance on the protection of human life is wrong. If someone is publicly sinning, they should not approach to receive Holy Communion."

Asked about it Wednesday while campaigning in New Hampshire, Giuliani said:

"Archbishops have a right to their opinion, you know. There's freedom of religion in this country. There's no established religion, and archbishops have a right to their opinion. Everybody has a right to their opinion."

Burke says that anyone administering Communion is morally obligated to deny it to Catholic politicians who support an abortion-rights position contrary to church teaching.

He is expected to push the nation's bishops to take that stance in a document on political responsibility they will issue to Catholics before the 2008 election.

A number of other Catholic presidential candidates also have abortion-rights stances in apparent conflict with church teaching.

"It is a cause of concern for me and for all bishops to find ourselves in this situation," Burke told the Post-Dispatch.

While it is unlikely Giuliani or any other presidential candidate will present himself to Burke for Communion in the next few months, the archbishop's comments revive an issue that could be a factor for churchgoing voters.

In 2004, Burke said he would deny Communion to Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee who supports abortion rights. Several other bishops have said politicians should refrain from the sacrament if they oppose the church on such an important issue.

Giuliani, a Republican, sometimes evokes his Catholic upbringing as he campaigns for president, yet he declines to say whether he is a practicing Catholic.

In August, when a voter in Iowa asked if he was a "traditional, practicing Roman Catholic," he said: "My religious affiliation, my religious practices and the degree to which I am a good or not-so-good Catholic, I prefer to leave to the priests."

Last week, Giuliani compared the scrutiny of his personal life marked by three marriages to the biblical story in which Jesus said only someone who was free of all sin should try to stone an adulterous woman.

"I'm guided very, very often about, 'Don't judge others, lest you be judged,'" Giuliani told the Christian Broadcasting Network.

"I have very, very strong views on religion that come about from having wanted to be a priest when I was younger, having studied theology for four years in college," he said.

"So it's a very, very important part of my life," he said. "But I think in a democracy and in a government like ours, my religion is my way of looking at God, and other people have other ways of doing it, and some people don't believe in God. I think that's unfortunate. I think their life would be a lot fuller if they did, but they have that right."

Republicans have been most successful with religious voters President Bush, a Methodist, won the Catholic vote over Kerry, a Catholic, in 2004 but Democratic candidates are fighting back and have spoken frequently about their religious beliefs this year.

[agnim]

"Archbishop: No Communion For Giuliani"

Giuliani is too old a f@got to now bend down for communion from the old catholic perverted priest of the Christian Church of Child Sodomy.

The nasty and filth-stirring **** perverts of Church of Child Sodomy would never deny communion to little boys on their bending knees.

[ov442]

They Definitely put emphasis on only 1 issue in today''s world and its all due to politics. GOP money flows freely to the coffers of religious zealots, which was the whole reason behind his "faith-based initiative" scam.
He wasnt trying to further religion, he was trying to hand over cash to .orgs that play by his rules politically.
I dont recall in the 10 commandments that there were a bunch of Asterisks to make exceptions for the GOP hippocrisy movement... does anyone know where it says in the 10 commandments ... "Thou shalt not kill **unless the GOP says its ok to do**and theres lots of money, power and greed at stake**and those that die, are guarenteed not to be GOP political operatives." ??
Cuz i cant find that no matter which version of hte bible i look in, nor can i find it in any other religion.. but it appears to be how the Conservatives live their lives.
Just wondering.

[ov442]

Im still trying to figure out how people think that upholding a law that allows women to make their own choices (to sin or not) makes that legislator a sinner as well? No one is "PRO-Abortion". period. Except for Neo Nazis, but they want minorities all aborted.
Pro-Choice, is waaay different than Pro-Abortion. Get it through your heads.
Otherwise, if thats how you think, then anyone thats Pro-Bush''s war, is also Pro-Dead american service people. Period. You want war? then you want dead americans. You''re a hair away from being a killer.

And every one of those priests that raaped the thousands and thousands of children by using their Position, Power, Influence, and GOD to force themselves on those poor kids do not deserve Communion. NOr does the Entire Catholic Church Hierarchy for their complicity and knowledge of the crimes, and the coverups, and the ''transfers'' to protect the priests first, and the children last.
Hippocrisy KNowS NO Bounds!

[thgdriver]

They make up the rules as they go along, Just recently one of the 3 tenors died. Although he was divorced and remarried, (that''s a big no no in the catholic church) he was given all church blessings.

They should have one set of rules for every body and all churches should get out of politics.

[signof4]

Good. It either means something or it doesn''t. Bravo to the archbishop for upholding the correct teachings of the church!

[ioweign]

while it''''s nice to see the Catholics play out the ''''no communion for you!'''' card to Republicans for their sins..., It''''s past time for the IRS yank the Catholic''''s tax exempt status for their attempt to control politics. It''''s clear that they''''re preaching politics, which is a violation of the separation of church and state.

Posted by fairandbal at 11:06 PM : Oct 03, 2007



How about the Pat Robertson''s of religion too ??

[fairandbal]

Is the arch bishop denying communion to politicians who support the US killing of Iraqis? Is the arch bishop denying communion to priests and politicians who are abusing children? is the arch bishop denying communion to politicians who didn''t support the SCHIP program? It''s clear the bishop is playing politics with ONE issue. Yank the church''s tax excempt status.

[fairandbal]

while it''s nice to see the Catholics play out the ''no communion for you!'' card to Republicans for their sins..., It''s past time for the IRS yank the Catholic''s tax exempt status for their attempt to control politics. It''s clear that they''re preaching politics, which is a violation of the separation of church and state.

[toldyouso21]

I can''t imagine that as a Catholic he doesn''t know that his stance on the protection of human life is wrong. If someone is publicly sinning, they should not approach to receive Holy Communion."


GOT NEWS FOR THE ARCHBISHOP: Those who secretly sin, should not take communion either. God sees and knows everything we think and do, even if we do it in little hidden corners--in the dark of night.

[hideronpaul]

Who Is Paying For Your Vote To Keep Control Of You And To Keep This War Going? Remember The Bankers Hold The Stock In Companies That Are Getting Billions In War Contracts!

Obama''s Contributers: bankers / Special interest!
http://tinyurl.com/2nd4f8

Hillary Clinton''s Contributers Lawyers / RealEstate:
http://tinyurl.com/2ontpq

Rudy GIULIANI Contributors: Bankers / Hedge Funds!
http://tinyurl.com/2m2c4n

Ron Pauls Money Is From the People! We have someone who is NOT Paid Off By Special Interest or Bankers Money!!!
http://tinyurl.com/2q8vr3

If you ever want this War to End Vote Ron Paul 2008, No One Else Is Going To End It!
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues

RON PAUL RAISES $5.1 MILLION
FROM THE PEOPLE! VOTE RON PAUL 2008!

[dutchfarmer]

Ha!! His kids won''t vote for him. A priest won''t give him a cracker. Gudy Riuliani is a loser!!!

[jerr11]

These are the same people who were shuffling pedophile priests around so that they could get maximum exposure to kids.

[formrusmcsgt]

"It is a cause of concern for me and for all bishops to find ourselves in this situation," Burke told the Post-Dispatch.

It should be a concern to ya bub, because it means no credible candidate is out there on your limb with you....

[kansas1946]

AP) Roman Catholic Archbishop Raymond Burke, who made headlines last presidential season by saying he''d refuse Holy Communion to John Kerry, has his eye on Rudy Giuliani this year. Giuliani''s response: "Archbishops have a right to their opinion."
************************
I am not a Rudy fan, but good for him on this one. This archbishop is a hypocrite if he is talking about denying communion for someone just not wanting to make it illegal for someone else to have an abortion. The Catholic church thinks a lot of things are sins, but do they deny communion to someone who doesn''t want to make birth-control against the law?
Did they deny communion to Rudy because he was committing adultry, all of the time? For being married several times?
This Archbishop is a hypocrite just like most of the Republican politicians.