Is John Kerry planning on seeking out a parish where he can be photographed being refused Communion so he can be seen as the heroic dissenting Catholic standing up to the Church? So says the American Spectator.
The Kerry campaign was said to be surprised at the coverage their candidate received for attending Mass while on vacation in Idaho. “You saw conservatives all up in arms that he was receiving communion, when most American Catholics do the same thing and live a life very similar to the senator’s: divorced, pro-choice, etcetera,” says the Kerry adviser. “It just highlights how out of touch the right wing is with America, and we can play to that.”
To that end, according to other sources inside the Kerry camp, aides are attempting to identify a Catholic diocese, and perhaps even a specific priest and church, where Kerry could attend a Mass with reporters present, and be turned away at the altar attempting to receive communion.
If this actually happens, can the US bishops continue to ignore this assault on their pastoral authority? (That’s a rhetorical question.)
The question is whether he will be able to find such a priest and parish. That’s the real scary thought.
[Thanks to Amy for the link.]
So incredible. How could anyone, even someone who hates the Catholic Church, find a person who would use religion that way to be an honorable person, and worthy of a vote? I hope his campaign people are overestimating the indifference/resentment/disagreement of American “Catholics” toward the Church.
I think Kerry is stubborn – a Naval officer trait for sure. Somehow he got off-track – probably when his annulment was handed to him. He thinks he is right and that the majority of everyday Catholics will back him. Unfortunately it seems that many Catholics who’s parents voted Democrat years ago have not re-examined their party.
Kerry’s public problems with the Church (as opposed to any private ones) long predate his divorce (and non-existent annulment). He was a Kennedy clone in his early political races.
Are you saying that Kerry didn’t get an annulment?
That’s what I’m saying. I wrote more about it on the Catholic World News blog.
Well, as I say at the link above, at least as of 1997 the annulment had not gone through. As far as I know they’ve never had a church wedding and I think I would have remembered it because it would have been a big scandal for such a big pro-abort to get married in the Church.