Washington archbishop says denial of Communion is up to local bishops

Published: 2008-05-05

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Following criticism that high-profile Catholic politicians who support keeping abortion legal were permitted to receive the Eucharist during the U.S. papal Masses in Washington and New York, Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl reiterated that such an action should be left to the discretion of the bishop heading an individual lawmaker's diocese. In the archbishop's April 30 column in the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, he does not agree with those who say he supersede the authority of an individual bishop when dealing with public figures from those jurisdictions who serve in the District of Columbia. "A decision regarding the refusal of holy Communion to an individual is one that should be made only after clear efforts to persuade and convince the person that their actions are wrong and bear moral consequences," he said. "Presumably this is done in the home diocese where the bishops and priests, the pastors of souls, engage the members of their flock in this type of discussion." An April 28 column by syndicated columnist Robert Novak criticized Archbishop Wuerl and Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York for inviting to the papal Masses U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Sens. John Kerry, Christopher Dodd and Edward M. Kennedy and former New York mayor and GOP presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani, all Catholics who have supported keeping abortion legal and all of whom were reported to have publicly received Communion.

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