Empire State Today

New York Catholics are speaking out against Catholic politicians-- including U.S. Sen Kirsten Gillibrand (D) and U.S. Reps. Thomas Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City), Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn), Adriano Espaillat (D-New York), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D- Bronx), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-Cold Spring), Paul Tonko (D- Amsterdam), Joseph Morelle (D-Irondequoit) and Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo)--  who are pro-abortion but still present themselves at Mass for Holy Communion.

The Catholics were responding to a November email survey by CatholicVote.org. They were unanimous in their criticism of the New York politicians, describing their actions as heretical and damaging to the church.

“It seems as though they are using their status to try to make the Catholic Church what they want it to be. If you're going to be public about your faith, then you should be trying to live all aspects of that faith,” said Amy Lynch of Whitney Point. “They're hypocrites.”

“It's an abomination,” said Christina Fitzgerald of Saratoga Springs. “Any person that purposely identifies as a Catholic in the public sphere and announces their allegiance to anything against Catholic doctrine should be denied Holy Communion. Period.”

“The Bishops need to have a united voice on this issue,” said Martha Wilder of Brooklyn. “Others are denied communion because they divorce, but (President Joe) Biden gets to receive it?”

“Any public figure who speaks against the Catholic Church should not receive Communion unless they repent,” said Peter Mason of Albany.

Since his inauguration, President Joe Biden has regularly pitted himself against Catholic leaders over Catholic teachings on issues like abortion and sexuality. 

Archbishop Joseph Naumann, head of the U.S. Bishops’ pro-life committee, has said “[President Biden] likes to call himself a ‘devout’ Catholic. I would urge him to begin to act like one, especially on life issues."

In September 2021, Biden frankly admitted that he does not agree with the Catholic Church when it comes to the sanctity of life. 

“I respect those who believe life begins at the moment of conception,” Biden said. “I don’t agree, but I respect that.”

A June 2021 poll conducted by CatholicVote.org found that an overwhelming majority of Mass-going Catholics think that Catholic politicians who promote abortion should not receive Communion. 

It found 83% of Mass-going Catholics believe politicians who oppose Catholic teachings "create confusion and disunity" and 74% believe that they should not present themselves for communion.

Speaking with America Magazine in November, Catholic Democrat U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois complained of being denied Communion in his home diocese, near Springfield, Ill., due to his pro-abortion record. 

“It’s not a happy experience,” Durbin said, adding that he thought receiving Communion is “a personal decision” that should be open to almost “anybody if the person believes that they are worthy of it.”

The current U.S. Congress includes 158 Catholics, according to the Pew Forum. That's down from 168 in 2017 and up from 100 in 1961.

There are 85 Catholic Democrats in the U.S. House and 24 in the U.S. Senate. All are pro-abortion.