Jude makes a good point about the Catholic Curch below. I, unlike Jude, am Catholic, I just celebrated my Confirmation and First Communion yesterday, so I wanted to make a few more points.

"Archbishop O'Malley has said since the summer that pro-choice Catholic politicians are in a state of grave sin and cannot properly take Communion." But I don't understand why one cannot have a political view that is different from their religious view.

If Roe v. Wade was rightly decided, as pro-choice politicians believe, than the Constitutional right to privacy extends to the right to have an abortion. Therefore the policital system of our Country grants a right that is not in line with the Catholic Church's teaching. Mr. Kerry as a Senator has sworn to uphold the Constitution and is doing so with his pro-choice stance.

On the other hand Kerry is Catholic and to be in communion with the Catholic Church must share the belief that life begins at conception and therefore abortion is morally wrong. Apparently Kerry doesn't believe this and that is why O'Malley has said that Kerry is in a state of mortal sin.

But theoretically Kerry could believe that abortion is morally wrong but American women still have the right under the Constitution to commit this moral wrong. Compare this to the belief that homosexual acts are morally wrong but citizens have the right to engage in any consenual sex acts in their own homes, or the belief that eating pork is morally wrong but Americans can do so if they choose.

Essentially I think that a person, or presidential candidate, can have religious beliefs that are apart from their political ones. This ties in to Jude's point about the Catholic Church being both a religious and a political organization.

One more note: I'm not casting any stones, but according to the Church's teachings, Kerry (and loads of other Catholics) is committing mortal sins by not attending Mass every Sunday: the Sunday obligation.