By CHERYL WITTENAUER : Associated Press Writer
Jun 26, 2004 : 12:09 am ET
ST. LOUIS -- The archbishop of St. Louis, who has said he would deny Holy Communion to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, now says Roman Catholic voters who support abortion rights should go to confession before taking the sacrament.
Archbishop Raymond Burke said Thursday that Catholics cannot vote for candidates or policies in support of abortion and be worthy to receive Communion.
"We always have to remember that it's objectively wrong to vote for a pro-choice politician," Burke told KMOX Radio. "People could be in ignorance of how serious this is. But once they understand and know this and then willingly do it, vote for a pro-choice candidate, then they need to confess that."
Asked why it was wrong to vote for a pro-choice political candidate, when the availability of abortion in the United States has been mandated by the Supreme Court as a Constitutional issue, Archbishop Burke replied "Consti-what?" This reporter then attempted to explain to the cleric that politicians can be as pro- or anti-choice as they like in America, but absent a constitutional amendment, abortion cannot be made illegal. He appeared to have some problem with the idea of constitutional limits on executive and legislative authority, and went away muttering "limits? On authority? What kind of heresy is this?"
An aide later clarified that the Archbishop understood that politicians cannot make abortion illegal, but noted that they can make angry anti-abortion speeches which have no effect. Asked what the difference was between a President who makes pro-choice speeches and a President who makes anti-abortion speeches, neither of which change the fact that abortion is legal, the aide replied "Getting angry about things we can't change is a moral imperative. It is simply unacceptable for Catholics not to support meaningless rhetoric on this issue. Empty political rhetoric is important to The Church." Asked why, he replied "Begone, Satan" and sprinkled this reporter with Holy Water.
Reached again by Fax, the aide was then asked if it were permissible to vote for a politician, the sum of whose policies, including access to birth control, adoption services, and sex education, limited the number of unwanted pregnancies and thus the number of abortions. The reply fax stated "Certainly not. You cannot commit one sin to stop another. Birth Control is a sin and cannot be tolerated, you flaming ball of evil. This line is being disconnected."
An e-mail addressed to the aide asked if that meant that those politicians who opposed abortion but supported the availability of birth control to married couples (as guaranteed by the Court in Griswold v. Connecticut) were also not to be supported. The reply said "Of course not. Who are these courtiers you speak of who are urging sin upon the land? Please do not e-mail again, spewer of unclean words."
Asked by semaphore for an example of a politician whom it would not be sinful to support, since the last anti-birth control politician fell by the wayside shortly after the Tet Offensive, the aide replied "Archbishop Burke For Governor!"
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