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Archbishop Raymond Burke continues to make waves with his stand regarding pro-abortion “Catholic” politicians.  He is quoted in an article in today’s online edition of the St Louis Post Dispatch stating that he would refuse John Kerry Holy Communion if he were to appear in the Archbishop’s Communion line.

“I would have to admonish him not to present himself for Communion,” said Burke. “I might give him a blessing or something,” he said.  John Kerry is moving into the front of the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination and is a Catholic who has vociferously defended his pro-abortion stand.

The response from the Kerry Campaign team was unapologetic. Kim Molstre, a Kerry campaign spokeswoman, said Friday, “The archbishop has the right to deny Communion to whoever he wants, but Senator Kerry respectfully disagrees with him on the issue of choice.”

Catholic pro-life activists have repeatedly said that the problem is not simply one of personal pastoral care of those in politics, but one of grave scandal. Burke said, “On life issues, this is a serious issue for bishops, a grave problem for the church, which has to be addressed.”

The statement comes on the heels of a spate of announcements from U.S. bishops regarding the scandal of politicians using their denominational identity to woo Catholic voters, while maintaining a position directly contradictory to Catholic moral obligations. Timothy Dolan, the recently appointed Archbishop of Milwaukee, has praised Burke’s strong stand in an interview appearing in the January 24th edition of the Milwaukee Sentinal Journal.  Kerry’s own Archbishop Sean O’Malley, was interviewed by LifesiteNews.com the day after the annual March for Life in Washington. He said of the issue, “These politicians should know that if they’re not voting correctly on these life issues that they shouldn’t dare come to Communion.” O’Malley, however, declined to go so far as to refuse Communion.

See full story on Burke:  https://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/B9DFA84EABE0727886256E2C0019A45C?OpenDocument&Headline=Archbishop+Burke+says+he+would+refuse+Communion+to+Sen.+Kerr   See also Lifesite interviews Archbishop Sean O’Malley:  https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jan/04012301.html