In Ireland, Fr. Gabriel Burke stood firm in denying communion to the MP with the same surname, Colm Burke, because of his pro-abortion stance.
Newsroom (19/07/2024 13:56, Gaudium Press) Colm Burke, MP for Cork North-Central, was attending the funeral of an acquaintance in St. Patrick’s Church, Blarney parish, when he wanted to receive communion, which he was denied.
“As a senator, Colm Burke voted in favor of abortion after the 2018 referendum, and he knows the Church’s teaching that any politician who votes in favor of abortion cannot receive communion. Archbishop Eamon Martin made that very clear before the abortion vote,” Fr. Burke said.
“Archbishop Martin said that any politician who voted for abortion would be ‘cooperating with evil’ and should not present themselves for communion. Burke knew this because he had been here twice before and was denied communion on both occasions,” the priest emphasized.
Clarification: ‘You have been excommunicated’
Describing what happened, Burke said: “I recently attended the funeral Mass of a person I had known for over 35 years. During the ceremony, an incident occurred in which Fr. Burke refused to give me Holy Communion, and gave me a blessing instead. I said I was there to receive communion. He leaned forward and said: ‘You have been excommunicated’.”
“I have contacted the Cloyne Diocesan Center and intend to write to Bishop Crean to clarify my position regarding participation in future Church ceremonies in the diocese,” the politician added.
Burke said he was not aware of the archbishop’s statement before the vote on the abortion law, but believes the priest is wrong. “No politician has the right to receive Holy Communion, but it was a democratic process and there was a referendum on this issue and the people voted overwhelmingly to repeal the law,” he said.
A spokesman for the diocese of Cloyne said that Bishop Creane would contact the politician in the next few days.
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
