Politics
Monday June 26, 2006
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
Papal Nuncio Gives Communion to John Kerry - Likely Unintentional
By John-Henry Westen
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - At the installation Mass of the new Archbishop of Washington, Donald W. Wuerl, Thursday, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the representative of Pope Benedict XVI, was seen giving Holy Communion to pro-abortion Senator and former Presidential candidate John Kerry. The incident was reported by the Catholic News Service (CNS), the official news service of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
CNS states: "During the Mass, Kerry, who supports keeping abortion legal, received Communion in the hand from Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States and Pope Benedict XVI's representative to the U.S. bishops."
LifeSiteNews.com formally requested a clarification from the office of the Apostolic Nuncio. No reply was sent from Archbishop Sambi's office though LifeSiteNews.com was informed that the nuncio received the request for clarification.
LifeSiteNews.com also spoke with the Communications Assistant of the Archdiocese of Washington about the matter. Mark Adkinson indicated that the incident was likely not intentional by indicating that Archbishop Sambi was administering Holy Communion on the side where the dignitaries were seated.
CNS also reported that Archbishop Wuerl shook hands with Senators Kerry and Ted Kennedy as he processed into the church. "During his entrance procession, the archbishop shook hands with Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts, seated side by side in the third row along the center aisle," reported CNS.
However, Adkinson also downplayed the significance of the greetings telling LifeSiteNews.com that the Archbishop shook hands with "hundreds of people" as he processed into the church.
The issue of allowing pro-abortion politicians to receive Holy Communion has loomed large in the Catholic Church in the United States with a committee on the matter having been chaired by former Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick concluding only last week. While it was finally decided that bishops should decide for themselves on the matter, the church's canon law and the man who now serves as Pope, Benedict XVI, have indicated that such politicians "must" be denied communion.
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Highest Authorities in Vatican Back Denial of Communion to Pro-Abortion Politicians
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jul/04070501.html
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Vatican Cardinal: Damage to the Church from the Dissent on Paul VI Contraception Doc Continues Today
- "Heaps of Empirical Evidence" Vindicate Pope Paul VI's Dire Warnings 40 Years Ago About Contraceptive Culture
- William Wilberforce Relative to Speak at International Pro-Life Conference in Toronto October 2-4
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules that Homosexual 'Hate Crimes' Law Violates Pennsylvania Constitution
- Lawsuit: Wayne State University Denied Funds, Access to Pro-life Student Group
- Man Booted from Leadership in Monarchist League for Objection to Morgentaler Order of Canada
- Spanish Pro-Family Group Files Charges Against Homosexual Groups for "Hate Speech"
- Nurse Suing Fort Worth Catholic Charities over Condom Prohibition
- German Government must Recognise "Sex-Change" of Married "Transsexuals"
- Letter to the Editor for Friday, July 25, 2008
Most Read this Week
- Sex-Selective Abortions Happening on Wide Scale in United States: Population Research Institute
- Atheist Professors Follows Through on Promise and Desecrates Eucharist
- Last Abortion Clinic in South Dakota Closes after Law Requires Patients be Informed of Possible Side Effects
- Prominent Christian Theologian Dr. James Packer Speaks Out on Homosexuality
- Massive New POLL: 56% of Canadians Oppose Morgentaler Order of Canada
- South Dakota Law Goes Into Effect: Women Must be Told They Are "Terminating the Life of a Whole Separate, Unique Living Human Being"
- Dr. Henry Morgentaler and "the Goddess with the Golden Breasts"
- Planned Parenthood Forces Clients to View Graphic Photos of Abortion
- 2008 World Youth Day Brings Together Largest Crowd in Australian History
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules that Homosexual 'Hate Crimes' Law Violates Pennsylvania Constitution
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any Internet re-publishing of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews that have come from other news sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.