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Thursday February 18, 2010


LSN Cardinal O’Malley Interview: Full Transcript

WASHINGTON, DC, February 18, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The full transcript of LSN’s January 2010 conversation with Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley on denying Communion to pro-abortion politicians is as follows:

LSN: “A number of Catholics are concerned about Catholics who are pro-abortion and in politics. Some have said the bishops have to deny them communion. But in your estimation, what is exactly is the appropriate pastoral response? How should Catholics understand this?”

O’Malley: “Well I think that the only way that that solution should be invoked is if there were a large catechesis or if it was universal for the whole Church. You can’t have people doing things in one parish and another, you would only divide the Church hopelessly.”

[Although turning away at an aide’s urging to leave the Basilica, the Cardinal returned to clarify that he was concerned about how to deal with pro-abortion Catholic politicians from the very beginning. O’Malley said he asked that question when John Paul II solicited input from bishops for the pro-life encyclical Evangelium Vitae.]

O’Malley: “… I wrote to him [John Paul II] and asked him to please give us very clear direction on how to deal with politicians who will be pro-abortion and will be Catholic. We have not had the kind of clear response that we need.”

LSN: “Do you think something coming forth in Canon Law – would that be helpful?”

O’Malley: “That would be helpful if they did it. But if it is not done – to make it look like it’s an individual bishop sparring with the people of particular parties is only going to divide the Church in a very terrible way. Then you’ll have some priest who will obey and others who won’t, other divisions of the Church, more scandal, and undermining the authority of the bishops.”

LSN: “So you think it needs a directive from the Pope or be made clear in Canon Law?”

O’Malley: “It’s the only way it is really going to work – this isn’t the only country that has this problem.”

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