Choice politicians won't be denied sacrament in Cleveland

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland bishop will not ban choice politicians from the sacrament, saying it's not the Roman Catholic Church's role to judge the soul of people taking Holy Communion.
"The Church places the responsibility of such a judgment first on those presenting themselves for Holy Communion," Bishop Anthony Pilla said in a statement Thursday.
Bishops at a recent meeting in Denver agreed they should decide individually how to respond to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights.
Pilla oversees the eight-county Northeast Ohio diocese of 800,000 members. He said his decision should not be mistaken for supporting those who go against the church teaching that the sanctity of all human life forbids abortion and most other forms of birth control, euthanasia and capital punishment.
"Those who take positions or act in ways that are contrary to fundamental moral principles should not underestimate the seriousness of this situation," said Pilla's statement, which also was sent to 35 area Catholic officeholders.
A few U.S. bishops have said they would deny Holy Communion, one of Roman Catholicism's seven sacraments, to politicians who support abortion rights. They include Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, who has said he would deny the Eucharist to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Cleveland Diocese: http://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/