Catholic Church 'will refuse Kerry Communion'

Senior traditionalists in the Catholic Church are backing a campaign over the Democrat's stance on abortion. Julian Coman reports.

A battle in John Kerry's presidential election campaign may soon be fought at the altar rail, if senior traditionalists in the Catholic Church get their way.

Priests and bishops across America are being urged by members to refuse Communion to the first Catholic to run for the presidency since John F. Kennedy. The sanction would be imposed until Mr Kerry abandoned his permissive views on abortion and other issues such as gay marriages.

The campaign - which has the explicit blessing of the Vatican - is gathering force and, with Holy Week drawing near, Mr Kerry's aides have been forced to visit churches before allowing him to attend Mass. Rome has become increasingly concerned about the possibility of an avowedly Catholic president who is both pro-choice and approves of gay civil unions.

In a surprisingly frank statement, a Vatican official told Time magazine: "People in Rome are becoming more and more aware that there's a problem with John Kerry and a potential scandal with his apparent profession of his Catholic faith and some of his stances, particularly abortion."

Last Sunday, while campaigning in Missouri, Mr Kerry preferred to miss a Catholic service rather than risk a confrontation with the formidable Archbishop Raymond Burke of St Louis. Archbishop Burke had publicly warned the Massachusetts senator "not to present himself for Communion" in the state of Missouri unless he dropped his support of existing abortion laws.

Catholics make up 27 per cent of the American electorate, many living in states with large blocs of electoral votes such as California, Texas, New York, Ohio, Illinois and Florida.

Since 1980, no presidential candidate has won the Catholic vote but lost the White House, with the exception of Al Gore who narrowly lost in 2000.

To be clear (and accurate) the headline from this meatless bone should read:

"group of catholics urge their leaders to refuse Kerry communion"

In an ironic twist, several recent surveys have indicated that Catholics are nearly seventy percent Democrat.

There are alot of Catholics out there...a hypocritical group for sure. Reminds me of the joke....You have to visualize here:

Grab a guy with a wrestling hold and say: "This is a half Nelson"

Grab another guy with another wrestling hold and say: " This is a full Nelson"

Take the third guy and bend him over and pretend to hump him from behind and say:

" This is Father Nelson"

That phony you worry about taking communion from is probably a perverted child molestor.

If it came down to a coin flip over whom to chose for president, I would go with the one the Catholic church didn't like.

Among their many crimes are massive child molestations, persecution of millions, torture of their enemies, trying desperately to stop slowing scientific knowledge and general world class hypocrisy

With the exception Jimmy Carter most presidents go to church for the photo ops.

Father Nelson