Bishop Leo Maher of San Diego, California, has denied Catholic assembly woman Lucy Killea, a Democrat, the right to receive communion.
Killea ran for the state Senate in a special election on December 5, 1989. She took a pro-abortion stand in her public statements and advertising.
This led Bishop Maher to declare “…you are placing yourself in complete contradiction to the moral teaching of the Catholic Church… I have no other choice but to deny you the right to receive the Eucharist.”
Killea responded to the bishop’s statement that she would continue to attend Mass but she would not try to receive the Eucharist.
On November 30, NBC News Anchorman Dan Rather interviewed Senators Ed Kennedy and Pat Moynihan who denounced the bishop’s decision. So did New York Governor Mario Cuomo and Notre Dame University theologian Richard McBrien.
Senators Kennedy and Moynihan support abortion; Governor Cuomo claims he can’t “impose” his “private” views (supposedly anti-abortion) and, therefore, must enact pro-abortion legislation; theologian McBrien dissents from much of Catholic moral teaching.
NBC News did not interview anyone supporting the bishop but apparently the bishop is getting a flock of mail approving his action. As reported in our December 1989 issue, pressure is being exerted on the Knights of Columbus to expel Kennedy and Cuomo as “brother knights”.
Prisoners of Conscience
Two Canadians, Peter Hendrick, 34, and William de Marois, who participated in a rescue action in Waterbury, Vermont, USA, were among 54 pro-life rescuers sentenced to 90 days for contempt when they refused to cooperate in court on October 24. They were held in a mental institution until set free on December 1st.
