I'm not sure which is more troubling to me -- that Chris Matthews would ask this question, or that he would direct it to Mitt Romney. Romney handled it perfectly, though.

MR. MATTHEWS: Governor Romney, what do you say to Roman Catholic bishops who would deny communion to elected officials who support abortion rights?

MR. ROMNEY: I donÂ’t say anything to Roman Catholic bishops. They can do whatever the heck they want. (Laughter.) Roman Catholic bishops are in a private institution, a religion, and they can do whatever they want in a religion. America --

MR. MATTHEWS: Do you see that as interference in public life?

MR. ROMNEY: Well, I canÂ’t imagine a government telling a church who can have communion in their church. I canÂ’t -- we have a separation of church and state; itÂ’s served us well in this country.

MR. MATTHEWS: Okay.

MR. ROMNEY: This is a nation, after all, that wants a leader thatÂ’s a person of faith, but we donÂ’t choose our leader based on which church they go to. This is a nation which also comes together. We unite over faith and over the right of people to worship as they choose. The people weÂ’re fighting, theyÂ’re the ones who divide over faith and decide matters of this nature in the public forum. This is a place where we celebrate different religions and different faiths.

MR. MATTHEWS: Thank you, Governor.

I'm curious -- why ask a question about the right of a religious group to give or withhold its sacraments based upon its own religious teachings? Does Matthews really believe that it is the place of government to regulate such decisions, or of politicians to dictate to churches who receives such sacred rites? And why did this question go to the most conspicuously non-Catholic candidate in the group?

But Romney sounded precisely the right note -- one that any American political leader who believes in the First Amendment should have given. Who may or may not receive communion -- or other issues of church doctrine or discipline -- are not matters for government regulation or intervention. They shouldn't be fodder for political debate, either.

Posted by: Greg at 10:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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