Florida Bishop John Ricard of Pensacola Tallahassee has called on Vice President-elect Joe Biden to examine his conscience regarding his support for abortion before receiving communion. Biden's staff told Catholic News Service the pro-choice Catholic senator would have no comment.
The issue of Biden's ascendancy to one of the highest offices in the country has put U.S. bishops in a pastoral bind, one they'll surely be discussing during their meeting next week in Baltimore. And the problem will get more acute of President-elect Barack Obama taps prominent pro-choice Catholics -- like Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius or former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle -- for senior cabinet spots (as some think is likely).
