NC Catholics take stand on bishops' ruling on communion, abortion

[struggle4progress]

Friday, August 6, 2004
By The Associated Press

<snip>
In Charlotte, Pat Cotham of St. Matthew Catholic Church said, "To me, it is hypocritical for the bishops to select abortion and not birth control or capital punishment as a litmus test for communion. I don't remember Jesus talking about politics at the Last Supper, which was the first Mass and first communion."
<snip>

Gov. Mike Easley, the state's top Catholic politician, has said that although he is not pro-abortion, he supports Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that guarantees the right to the procedure. Easley's spokeswoman, Cari Boyce, said his relationship with his church was private. But Easley is a communicant in the Raleigh diocese, where Bishop Joseph Gossman said it's up to each person who comes forward for communion to judge his or her own soul.
<snip>

State Rep. Joanne Bowie, R-Guilford, is a Catholic from Greensboro, which is in the Charlotte diocese. She said she can't recall ever casting a vote on an issue related to abortion. While saying she intends to continue taking communion, she said it's no one's business whether she supports a woman's right to an abortion.
<snip>

Cotham challenged the church to do more than single out politicians who support abortion rights. "I do not see a concentrated effort to help pregnant women who are often facing dire situations and difficult decisions," she said in an e-mail. "It is easy for someone to say he/she is pro-life, but it is more difficult to welcome an AIDS baby into one's home or give thousands of dollars to help a woman in distress."

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031777152988&path=!localnews&s=1037645509099

[wishlist]

1. Good to hear that N.C. politicians are speaking up against the ruling

I didn't know Gov Easley was Catholic. Hope the RWingers don't start amplifying the abortion issue against him in the election.

Thanks for posting

[Raven]

2. The Church needs to spend it's time vetting its own.

Pedophiles murder the heart and soul of a child. They ought to take care of their own business.

[leftchick]

3. I am so glad to hear them stand up to this BS!

The Catholic Church leaders in this state have become Hypocrites!
:grr:

[schultzee]

4. they did not work as hard to get rid of the child molesters in their midst

And they let those child molestors even say mass and give out communion. What disgusting hypocrits. There is nothing holy about them.