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RI Bishop Disses Kennedy Over Pro-Choice Stance

Spat over Patrick's position on abortion escalates

By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 22, 2009 8:23 AM CST
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(Newser) – Health care reform, the cause of his father's life, has made Rep. Patrick Kennedy persona non grata in his Rhode Island parish—thanks to the furor over publicly funded abortion. As the debate rages, Bishop Thomas Tobin has told the only public servant remaining in America's most famous Catholic family not to receive communion because of his pro-choice stance, Kennedy tells the Providence Journal.

In the rare step, Tobin denied Ted Kennedy's youngest communion because "I am not a good practicing Catholic because of the positions that I’ve taken as a public official ," says Kennedy, who admits "personal feelings of disappointment" over the ban. The snub is the latest in escalating public sniping between the two.

In this Sept. 9, 2009 file photo, sons of Teddy Kennedy, Ted Jr, left, and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-RI, listen to President Obama's speech on health care before a joint session of Congress.
In this Sept. 9, 2009 file photo, sons of Teddy Kennedy, Ted Jr, left, and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-RI, listen to President Obama's speech on health care before a joint session of Congress.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin has barred Rep. Patrick Kennedy from receiving communion because of his support of abortion rights.
Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin has barred Rep. Patrick Kennedy from receiving communion because of his support of abortion rights.   (AP Photo/Stew Milne, File)
Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-RI, speaks during a health care news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, in this Sept. 22, 2009 file photo.
Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-RI, speaks during a health care news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, in this Sept. 22, 2009 file photo.   (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg, File)
In this Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009 photo, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-RI, speaks in Exeter, RI. Kennedy is in a public dispute over abortion with Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin.
In this Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009 photo, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-RI, speaks in Exeter, RI. Kennedy is in a public dispute over abortion with Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin.   (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 51 comments
bewilderbeast
Dec 11, 2009 12:07 PM CST
Now wouldn't it be neat if this world was normal, and Kennedy could just leave the church and not suffer politically by doing so. But he can't. He's trapped by these pedophiles. Sick, ain't it?
bewilderbeast
Dec 11, 2009 12:01 PM CST
Snarf, the "long odds coincidence" vs the "almost inevitable probability" debate is interesting. I lean towards the "life evolved inevitably given enough time" angle after much trying to wrap my head around just how long a billion years is. It's LONG! Fascinating stuff. ------------- SO: Your statement "the simple fact that the odds of our being here are astronomical & that the coincidences that occurred over billions of years to create a world that supports conscious, intelligent life were completely against those odds"?? I don't think so. IMHO, more reading required!
northeast
Nov 23, 2009 11:03 AM CST
No. My argument was that we couldn't leap to conclusions about politics and religion in RI until more evidence came out, and until then I was siding with the story from one who did not have a history of lying. Now that we know Kennedy was actually telling the truth for once in his life, we can start to examine the ramifications.

 
abortion • Catholic Church • health care reform • Catholic • communion • Patrick Kennedy • Roman Catholic bishops • pro-choice • Bishop Thomas Tobin

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