'A Serious Issue of Life and Death': RI Priest Denies Communion to State Lawmakers for Supporting Abortion

A Rhode Island Roman Catholic priest has banned a long list of state lawmakers from receiving communion for voting for a recent abortion bill.

WJAR-TV reports Rev. Richard Bucci of Sacred Heart Church in West Warwick placed a letter in the weekend bulletin at the end of January listing lawmakers by name, saying they should not be allowed to receive Communion, serve as godparents, witness marriages, or serve in other church functions.

The announcement and list of names came just days after the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade - the US Supreme Court decision that created legal protections for abortions. 

The priest's one-page insert reads:

"In accord with the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2,000 years, the following members of the legislature may NOT receive Holy Communion, as all are the general officers of the State of Rhode Island, as well as Rhode Island's members of Congress." 

Then it includes the names of 45 state representatives and 21 state senators, including the districts they represent. 

Here's a photo of the notice received by lawmakers including @repmcentee33 pic.twitter.com/diBYuAVod9

— Ian Donnis (@IanDon) January 31, 2020

State Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee, D-Narragansett, is one of the lawmakers on the list. "This is pro-choice, this is not pro-abortion," she said, defending her stance.

Carolyn Cronin, a spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, told WJAR-TV the church provides "detailed norms for preparation and reception" for each sacrament, but it's "the pastor's duty to apply them within his parish, in accord with Church law. This includes the proper reception of Holy Communion as outlined by the Code of Canon Law. Because the Church entrusts to each pastor the duty of teaching, sanctifying, and governing his parish, the daily pastoral and administrative decisions are made at the local parish level."

Several Rhode Island pro-life groups have expressed their support for Bucci's list, including Rhode Island Citizens for Life.

"The question is, why is only Father Bucci communicating that hypocrites are not welcome at Holy Communion? Why aren't more priests and pastors reminding folks that God is not fooled by politicians who take part in a worship service and then pass laws where viable babies can be murdered for Planned Parenthood's profit," Carey Jeffrey, spokesperson for the group, said in a statement to WJAR. "Both church and state should be promoting safety for all people, not just for folks fortunate enough to be born."

McEntee called the letter a personal attack on her and her family. She claims Bucci asked her to leave a family member's funeral at the church last December. Bucci said he told her she was not allowed to deliver a eulogy.

McEntee is also trying to imply that what Bucci did is an act of retribution against her family. Her older sister Ann Hagan, testified before state lawmakers for the past two years in support of a new law for the statute of limitations. Hagan claims she was repeatedly abused by a former Sacred Heart priest as a child. 

Meanwhile, Bucci told WJAR he would issue his response during services this weekend. 

"If they are proud of what they have done, why do they want to keep it a secret? We all hear about responsibility. Let them take responsibility. If they think this is a good and wholesome and holy thing ... they should be proud of it, and why should I hide that from my parishioners?" he asked rhetorically, in an interview with The Providence Journal. 

"They call me 'Father' so that I may have an influence in their lives, and this is a serious issue of life and death," he said.

As CBN News has reported, Catholic Democrat politicians have garnered attention for their stance on abortion on previous occasions. Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden was denied Communion by a Catholic priest at Saint Anthony Church in Florence, South Carolina because of his support for abortion rights last October. 

The Rev. Robert Morey said in a statement, "Sadly, this past Sunday, I had to refuse holy communion to former Vice President Joe Biden. Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of church teaching." 

Biden told MSNBC at the time that he wouldn't discuss the reports.