Catholic Bishops Considering How To Treat Dissenting Politicians

According to the Associated Press, a Roman Catholic bishops' special task force on Catholic politicians who disagree with the Church on issues like abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage will confer with Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Washington this week. During the 2004 Presidential campaign, the issue of whether dissenting Catholic candidates should be barred from receiving Holy Communion became an important issue. Last year the U.S. bishops agreed that officeholders who support abortion rights or euthanasia are "cooperating in evil", but only individual bishops would decide whether they should receive communion. The new task force may have revised guidelines ready for the U.S. bishops' next meeting in June, in advance of the upcoming congressional campaign. Washington's Cardinal Theodore McCarrick who chairs the task force said the bishops were discussing with college presidents the possibility of denying awards and speech invitations to such candidates. Some bishops want a ban on all appearances while others would only ban speeches on topics where there is disagreement with church teaching.