Civil disobedience may be in order here.
With the House debate on health care at its hottest, the U.S. Catholicbishops issued a stunning ultimatum: Impose an absolute ban on taxfunds for abortions, or we call for defeat of the Pelosi bill.
Message received.
The Stupak Amendment, named for Bart Stupak ofMichigan, was promptly passed, to the delight of pro-life Catholics andthe astonished outrage of pro-abortion Democrats.
No member was more upset than Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island,son of Edward Kennedy, who proceeded to bash the Church for imperilingthe greatest advance for human rights in a generation.
Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin responded, accusing Kennedy of anunprovoked attack and demanding an apology. Kennedy retorted that Tobinhad told him not to receive communion at Mass and ordered his diocesanpriests not to give him communion.
False! The bishop fired back.