Politicizing The Sacraments

Novak wants pro-choice politicians deprived of communion:

Vatican sources say the pope has not retreated from his long-held position that pro-choice politicians should be deprived of Communion, but the decisions in Washington and New York were not his. The effect was to dull the pope's messages of faith, obligation and compassion.[...]

At Yankee Stadium, Benedict spoke of the "inalienable dignity and rights" of "the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother's womb." In parishes across the country, the faithful hear their priests echo the Holy Father's words. Those professions ring hollow when pro-choice politicians are honored as they were during the pope's visit.

The politicization of the sacraments is a sad part of Catholic Christianism: the slow removal of any political space for dissent or conscience. Benedict is down with this, but he has a little too much sense to enforce it as ruthlessly as the theocons would want. He is now a pastor, thank goodness.