No Communion For Obama Supporters, Says South Carolina Priest

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote.

"Our nation has chosen for its chief executive the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president," Newman wrote, referring to Obama by his full name, including his middle name of Hussein.

"Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation."

During the 2008 presidential campaign, many bishops spoke out on abortion more boldly than four years earlier, telling Catholic politicians and voters that the issue should be the most important consideration in setting policy and deciding which candidate to back. A few church leaders said parishioners risked their immortal soul by voting for candidates who support abortion rights.

But bishops differ on whether Catholic lawmakers _ and voters _ should refrain from receiving Communion if they diverge from church teaching on abortion. Each bishop sets policy in his own diocese. In their annual fall meeting, the nation's Catholic bishops vowed Tuesday to forcefully confront the Obama administration over its support for abortion rights.

According to national exit polls, 54 percent of Catholics chose Obama, who is Protestant. In South Carolina, which McCain carried, voters in Greenville County _ traditionally seen as among the state's most conservative areas _ went 61 percent for the Republican, and 37 percent for Obama.

"It was not an attempt to make a partisan point," Newman said in a telephone interview Thursday. "In fact, in this election, for the sake of argument, if the Republican candidate had been pro-abortion, and the Democratic candidate had been pro-life, everything that I wrote would have been exactly the same."

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Conservative Catholics criticized Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004 for supporting abortion rights, with a few Catholic bishops saying Kerry should refrain from receiving Holy Communion because his views were contrary to church teachings.

Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said she had not heard of other churches taking this position in reaction to Obama's win. A Boston-based group that supports Catholic Democrats questioned the move, saying it was too extreme.

"Father Newman is off base," said Steve Krueger, national director of Catholic Democrats. "He is acting beyond the authority of a parish priest to say what he did. ... Unfortunately, he is doing so in a manner that will be of great cost to those parishioners who did vote for Sens. Obama and Biden. There will be a spiritual cost to them for his words."

A man who has attended St. Mary's for 18 years said he welcomed Newman's message and anticipated it would inspire further discussion at the church.

"I don't understand anyone who would call themselves a Christian, let alone a Catholic, and could vote for someone who's a pro-abortion candidate," said Ted Kelly, 64, who volunteers his time as lector for the church. "You're talking about the murder of innocent beings."

___

On the Net:

St. Mary's Catholic Church: http://www.stmarysgvl.org/

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/

Comments

[Badger84]

There are several churches that should have their tax-exempt status rescinded.

[Finchy13]

Thank you Fr. Newman - you are a prime example of what is wrong with the Church today! There is no place in any church for political opinion or manipulation of member of your flock - how irresponsible - even Jesus would be abhorred!

Now I know why I AM NOT A CATHOLIC ANY MORE! The Catholic Church and priests like this man - are so filled with arrogance, hypocrisy, biggotry and vanity - that it is a wonder there are any Catholics left in this country - the Church HATES member who think for themselves and use their intellect - and prefer to make 'informed choices' in life.............

My Church has but one temple, Wide as the world is wide -

Set with a million stars, Where a million hearts abide -

My Church has no creed to bar, A single brother man -

But says 'come thou and worship', To everyone who can -

My Church has no roof or walls, Nor floors, save the beautiful sod -

For fear it would seem to limit, The Love of the illimitable God!!!!
==============
The wonder of nature speaks truer words to man about belief, stability, constancy and abiding faith - in today's world than all of the words of 'men of faith' in their hypocrisy and ambition - look at the mountains, the sea, the stars, the seashells, the leaves, the critters, and the beauty of the world - there you will find your connection to Him that you

[GregJL]

"I don't understand anyone who would call themselves a Christian, let alone a Catholic, and could vote for someone who's a pro-abortion candidate," said Ted Kelly, 64, who volunteers his time as lector for the church.

It's simple, Ted. Obama is not pro-abortion.

[ZsaZsa]

Dear Father,

When you claim that communion can be denied someone because of one single issue, you are cheapening your religion and making you and your fellow priests look petty and foolish. Please stop.

Sincerely,
Jesus

[KLMoore]

Amen.

[tangenjill]

Preaching politics from the pulpit...or fear-monge­ring/brain­washing...­why should this parish be tax exempt?

[zorak1704]

Tax them! Tax them hard and tax them now. The government is going to need all the tax revenue it can get when all of the jobs are gone. Organized religion is going to be the downfall of the human race if something is not done now. The only thing churches respect is money. Hit them in their bank account and maybe they will return to the teachings of Jesus Christ and get their minds out of peoples crotches.

[TruckerJohn]

I agree!

[rozgeorge]

Rev. Jay Scott Newman is a nut job. You suppose to be preaching the word of God, not telling people of your church that they can't take communion if they voted for Barack Obama. This is one of the reasons why there is so much hatred in this world today because of people like this man. He is no child of God. He is a sheep in wolves clothing. Why don't you work for FOX NEWS, I'm sure they have an opening.

[torbo]

Priest Ray Scott Newman did the catholic church,pope,priest and other catholic memebers support slavery? Did past popes denounce slavery saying it was wrong for white christians, white catholics, and other white men of God to hold people in bondage for over 400 years. Past America presidents supported slavery and became rich from the free labor of black,men,women,and children. Priest Newman did you ask other members who may be part of hate groups not participant in Holy Communion? Priest Newman did you asked adulters,h­omosexuals­,thieves,s­windlers,i­doaters or any one who is not living by God's principles not paritcipant in Holy Communion? Priest Newman you should encourage your members as well as yourself to pray for Presdient electe Obama that he will contiune to live and governor by God's principles. Pray all members of the government wil govern with responsibility not only to themesleves but God ,the United States and the world.

[KLMoore]

"Priest Newman did you ask other members who may be part of hate groups not participant in Holy Communion? Priest Newman did you asked adulters,h­omosexuals­,thieves,s­windlers,i­doaters or any one who is not living by God's principles not paritcipant in Holy Communion? Priest Newman you should encourage your members as well as yourself to pray for Presdient electe Obama that he will contiune to live and governor by God's principles. Pray all members of the government wil govern with responsibility not only to themesleves but God ,the United States and the world."

Wow. This is soooo the right message in the face of this Priest's blindness. Thank you so much for posting your thoughts.

[kadene]

McCain is a remarried divorcee. Divorce is anathema to the Catholic faith. So what, wouldn't voting for him be also a sin? Hae the McCainites been threatened with denial of the sacraments too?

Father, forgive me but you are going to pay taxes, for you head a political institution masquerading under the bammer of the church.

[Veratruth]

A CHURCH DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF CAN NOT STAND. Read the Bible.

[TruckerJohn]

No thanks , I,m not interested in fiction!

[carolo]

His job is to deliver the word of God, not tell his parishioners how they should or should not vote. What a jerk.

[reverendadam]

Amazing how these monomaniacs manage to not link any other human endeavor - be it economic policy, war, poverty, health care, climate change - to the sanctity of life and living beings. On every major issue other than abortion, the conservative philosophy spits in the face of Christ's teachings. But for some reason, this issue is the only one that matters to them. Life is valuable to more than just the unborn... where's the outsized compassion and fighting spirit for those who are already living? Why not go to bat just as vociferously for them? Seems to me that if you voted for the Republican, you were voting for more war and death, corporate profits over the public good, fewer Americans having health care, a greater poverty gap, government sanctioned torture, deep cuts in education and social spending which helps the least among us... ooh, how about this - trillions spent on Iraq, but a veto of the expansion of health care for children! Shall I go on?

Talk about souls in peril.

[Veratruth]

Judge Rev. Jay Scott Newman

[notconfindtweenhatnboots]

He thinks he's back in 2004. A lot of churches - at least in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio- told all of their parishioners how to vote then. The minister at my church was getting pressured to tell his congregation to vote for Bush, but he got up on the pulpit and told them that a church was not place for politics.... Good thing, or I would never ever have gone there again.

[Indie2008]

Does he demand that adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, and those who bear false witness, also refrain from communion?

[marytny]

Church would be empty....

[capurnicus]

This priest would have been at home in Medieval Spain. By the way, have you noticed how much he looks like Rush Limbaugh in drag?

[TruckerJohn]

Hey! Great comment "capurnicus" maybe some of these priests should read the Constitution especially the section on separation of church and state!
Lets be honest, organized religion is about control and these guys in Greenville were doing just that.

[protagonia]

Another in a long list of Hell Churches.

They act more like the devil than like Jesus.

[fbwap]

Voting Democratic will reduce the number of abortions.

If we continue to vote Rebublican, abortion will become illegal. And eventually there will be a few rich people and everyone else will be extremely poor. Then how many abortions will there be, even though it will be illegal? (And how much alcoholism, drug abuse, prostitution, broken families, suicides, general crime).

Besides the economic argument, Democrats will have programs for sex education, birth control, etc. which will further reduce the demand for abortions. I am Catholic and I know that birth control is another no-no.

So. Do you want to make abortion illegal or do you want to actually reduce the number of them?