Paul Weyrich
Tuesday, Apr. 06, 2004

If a marriage is annulled, in the eyes of the Church, it didn’t exist. If it didn’t exist, then a Catholic is free to remarry in the Church. Both senators from Massachusetts have had their first marriages annulled by the Boston archdiocese then headed by scandal-ridden Bernard Cardinal Law.

Rome takes a dim view of American marriage permissiveness and has ordered a crackdown. Since the new Archbishop of Boston is known to be rather less permissive, perhaps neither senator would be granted an annulment today. Only God knows that.

But by getting those annulments, both Senators Ted Kennedy (D) and John Kerry (D) are eligible to receive Holy Communion. There is just one little problem. The Vatican has told its sister Churches around the world not to give the Sacraments to politicians who do not follow church teaching when it comes to how they cast their votes.

Both senators routinely vote against Right to Life measures. Now Senator Kerry, at least, has indicated he will oppose the Musgrave-Allard amendment aimed at affirming that marriage is between one man and one woman.

The Roman Catholic Church in America strongly backs a Federal Marriage Amendment. Kerry’s archbishop, Sean O’Malley, says any politician who doesn’t follow the Church’s teachings had dare not present himself for Communion in the Boston area.

The Archbishop of St. Louis has gone even further. Archbishop Burke has instructed his clergy not to give Holy Communion to any politician who flouts church teachings.

Others may follow. The Bishop of Sacramento warned former Governor Gray Davis (D) not to come to Communion in his diocese. The Bishop of Sioux Falls , SD told Senator Tom Daschle (D), the then-Majority Leader, not to call himself Catholic since he not only votes pro-abortion more often than not but raises money for Planned Parenthood.

All of this may well present a problem for Kerry. Catholics are a swing voter bloc in American politics. When they cast a majority vote for the Democrats, as they did for Bill Clinton, the Democrats win. When they vote in majority for the Republicans as they did in 2002, Republicans win. Kerry may be able to survive a diocese or two denying him Communion but if it becomes a near-national policy, Kerry will suffer.

Kerry doesn’t have the Catholic Church on his mind these days, however. He is busy preaching in black churches. In fact, in a recent appearance Kerry quoted the Epistle of St. James while charging that President Bush may have faith but he does not have the good works which follow.

Moreover, he suggested that he (Kerry) did. He was well received. I would not suggest that he quote the same passage of Scripture in many white Protestant churches. Martin Luther said that epistle was “straw” (i.e. worthless) and almost didn’t include it in his German translation of the Bible.

Most Protestant churches follow the “faith alone” teaching of Luther and other reformers. But then Kerry doesn’t attend any white Protestant churches these days. He probably couldn’t preach there and they might be scared to take up a collection for him.

Black churches have become the forum for liberal Democrats to make campaign speeches, raise funds and get publicity. Bill Clinton did it so much he eventually was dubbed the first black President in America.

The IRS has looked the other way as this goes on year after year after year, presidential election after presidential election. They even ignored it when presidential candidate Michael Dukakis raised millions from collections in Greek Orthodox churches even though, like Kerry, he violated many important church teachings. I hate to say it but with the Greeks, nationality trumps theology.

Can you imagine, though, if President Herbert Walker Bush had gone around to Episcopal churches in 1988 collecting money? Or what do you think the IRS and the national media would say if President Bush ’43 would preach in Evangelical churches where the collection plate would be passed around on his behalf.

There would be lawsuits and demands for Congressional hearings and local investigations galore. It would become THE issue in the campaign. Heck, President Bush can hardly go to church without it being an issue and when he does he says nothing and not a dime is raised on his behalf.

I was about to say that I didn’t understand how Kerry gets by with what he is doing. But I do understand it. He knows that the IRS will turn a blind eye toward what happens in black churches. That is a fact. And he knows that the Republicans won’t say a word lest they be called “racist”. So he is home free.

I wonder what would happen, though, if President Bush ’43 asked to speak at a service of every black church which Kerry visits. No collections, mind you. Just a chance to tell those in the pew that he is pro- life and his opponent votes the other way.

That he supports marriage the way the Bible says it should be while his opponent even voted against the Defense of Marriage Act. And that he started the Faith Based Initiative, making churches such as he preaches in eligible for federal funds if they do good works, while his opponent is against it. Would they turn him down? Would they boo him? Or would they welcome hearing another side of the story.

And then if the IRS moved against a church which let the President preach there would be grounds for a lawsuit…..against the IRS for one-sided enforcement.

Now Kerry busies himself in black churches in the blue states and I’m not suggesting that Bush waste a lot of time where he has little chance anyway. But surely he can spare a couple of Sundays to test what would happen in those same black churches that are busy taking up collections for “our brother John Kerry”.

My advice to Senator Kerry is to stick with the black churches. He’ll get money from that source and he won’t run the risk of some priest at his own church saying, “I’m sorry Senator. I’ve been instructed by my bishop not to give you Communion”. He’ll get lots of favorable coverage going to black churches. By going to his own he just might cause at least some of the media to remind voters just how far apart he is from Church teachings.

Separation of church and state? That is only a meaningless slogan when Kerry visits the black community on a Sunday.

Paul M. Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.