Rudy Giuliani

Originally posted at Talk to Action.

The Catholic Right, Part Fifty-six
On Tuesday I read the news that Cardinal Edward Egan (Archdiocese of New York) criticized former Mayor Rudy Giuliani for taking Communion during a Mass attended by Pope Benedict XVI.  This comes as no surprise, as the archbishop was repeating an  an increasingly common Catholic Right refrain - that those who support a woman's right to choose should be denied Communion.

For Roman Catholics, Holy Communion is the height of the Mass. It is when the bread and wine, consecrated in the Eucharist, become the body and blood of Christ. This holiest of sacraments further serves as a reminder of the Passover Seder that became the Last Supper.

This originally appeared on Talk to Action

As we all know the craft of the magician is to use slight of hand, diversions and ruses of all kinds to perform feats of illusion that astound and entertain us. Good political scandals often arise by use of the same technique. Certain ethically challenged groups and individuals launder funds and bend or even break laws to accomplish their political purposes. We have seen this repeatedly as Religious Right groups and sometimes, individual churches, have flagrantly violated the privilege of federal tax exemption in the pursuit of political power.