Keep Your Church Off My Body, And Leave Kathleen Sebelius Alone, Too.

The Catholic Church is PO'd at Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, and HHS Secretary-designate. Archbishop Raymond F. Burke, Prefect for the Apostolic Signatura, the highest word of Catholic law in the Vatican save the Pope himself, has informed Sebelius that she may not approach the altar for Communion in the United States, stating that, "After pastoral admonition, she obstinately persists in serious sin."

Sebelius, a practicing Catholic, is under scrutiny for her support of pro-choice legislation and policy guidance, which is worsening because as HHS Secretary she will oversee abortion policy in the US. Gov. Sebelius has not responded publicly yet, but in a 2006 speech she said, "Personally, I believe abortion is wrong. However, I disagree with the suggestion that criminalizing women and their doctors is an effective means of achieving the goal of reducing the number of abortions in our nation."

Senators John Kerry, Chris Dodd and Edward Kennedy are among the other well-known politicians to be barred from taking the sacrament. Most notably, John Kerry openly thumbed his nose at the Catholic church by taking Communion on television in front of 46,000 people -- after he had been informed in 2004 by multiple bishops not to take Communion in their dioceses. Sens. Dodd and Kennedy also continue to take Communion although they have been admonished not to. This is not a new fight, but it's no less maddening for being predictable.

This story makes me proud of Kathleen Sebelius in a way. If she really does believe abortion is wrong, yet persists in defending it legally, bravo to her. Bravo to her even if she doesn't believe her rhetoric; she is doing the right thing by keeping her personal faith out of her politics. She should be applauded for being a defender of freedom, and a forward thinking progressive. It's too bad the Catholic church is so slow to accept change. Because of my personal loyalty to Hillary Clinton in 2008, I kept my mouth shut about Sebelius for the most part. But, I think she is quite something, actually. I have been researching her more since the HHS nomination, and it all impresses me, to be honest. She would be another "natural selection" for the Democratic nod down the road. She's a little in the closet about GLBT issues, but she has given sufficient indication that she is friendly toward the gay community. She is the governor of Kansas after all. Sad, but a true factor. I think on the national stage, living in Washington D.C., we'll see a much more liberal Sebelius. This better not snafu her nomination. I'll be spitting nails.

Come to the Gnostic church, Kathleen. They'll let you take Communion.

[SOURCE: The Washington Times: "Sebelius in trouble with Catholic Church"]