Monday, November 23, 2009

Providence bishop disputes Kennedy’s take on Communion message

http://www.libnot.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/patrick-kennedy1.jpg

By John E. Mulligan

Journal Washington Bureau

..(Bishop Tobin) said no one knows how many bishops confidentially bring that teaching to individual Catholic officials. He added, finally, that he had never contemplated that his letter to Kennedy would become public.

What is the distinction, Tobin was asked, between what Kennedy recollected as an “instruction” not to take Communion and what the bishop considered a request. How is a Catholic to take such a suggestion, coming from a bishop, he was asked?

Tobin said he “presumed” that Kennedy had complied with the request and was not certain what he would have done if Kennedy continued to take the sacrament. “If I had found out that he was regularly violating that request, the next step might have been more direct. An instruction? A decree? I don’t know what.”

Kennedy has said that he has taken Communion, but he did not give any specifics.

Tobin was asked whether, by taking his firm public stands on abortion, he is seeking to advance his career within the church.

“No,” he replied. “Bishops who tend to be really outspoken don’t tend to get promoted …

“It’s simply one bishop — me — doing my job as best I can.”

3 comments:

Carmen said...

Thanks be to God for Archbishop Tobin.

Anonymous said...

Gee, I don't know--if a bishop told you to stop taking Communion--the only reasonable thing to do is STOP TAKING COMMUNION! Even more reasonable is change the reason why the Bishop told you to stop taking Communion. But, I guess if your in mortal sin from voting to kill innocent babies--what different does it make if your in mortal sin by continuing to take Communion. Except it's like mocking God's authority.

Cathy_of_Alex said...

Naturally, the press makes the insinuation that Tobin's stance was a career move. In my experience, priests and bishops that used to make these kinds of strong stances ended up going nowhere "politically".

It's not about politics for Bishop Tobin. He's doing his duty to try and save Kennedy's soul.

Interesting, Kennedy is photographed with a limp balloon by his head and next to that lefty commie poster of Obama.