Kennedy

WASHINGTON — As antiabortion Democrats continue to push for a ban on taxpayer-financed abortions in the bill to overhaul the health-care system, Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin has declared that Catholic legislators who “obstinately” oppose church doctrine on such key issues “really have to question their membership in the church.”

While stressing the church’s longstanding support for health-care reform, Bishop Tobin said the legislation before the House contains “some backdoor ways of providing subsidies” for what he called the “grave and intrinsic evil of abortion.”

Bishop Tobin spoke in an interview last week after a heated exchange with Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy over the Rhode Island Democrat’s charge the church’s position on the health-care bill would “fan the flames of dissent and discord.” The two men have since agreed to meet on Nov. 12 to discuss the emotional issue.

The dispute between Kennedy and the bishop is timely. Abortion policy is one of the last obstacles to a House vote to retool the U.S. medical system. Despite President Obama’s assertion in September that “no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions” under his plan, several dozen anti-abortion Democrats have withheld support for the House bill. The bill does not include the language that, since 1976, has banned federal subsidies for most abortions under Medicaid and other government health insurance programs.

Instead, while the House bill makes abortion a covered procedure under the public insurance option in the new system, it includes compromise language specifying that abortions must be paid for by money raised from customers’ premiums — not by the federal dollars in the system. Supporters of the bill, including Rep. James R. Langevin, who opposes abortion, argue that this mechanism will effectively block federal abortion subsidies.

But Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, the leader of an anti-abortion bloc of 40 or more Democrats, argues that the compromise is an accounting procedure that will open the door to the subsidization of insurance. The disagreement has helped to stall House debate on the bill as leaders seek a deal with the Stupak group, which may command enough votes to imperil the health-care bill.

Langevin said Tuesday that he is working on stronger language that would satisfy abortion foes by creating “a private entity to be a clearinghouse for money flowing into the public option” insurance plans to pay for abortion. Langevin said he is optimistic, but “we’re not there yet.”

Kennedy told an interviewer on Oct. 21, “I can’t understand for the life of me how the Catholic Church could be against the biggest social-justice issue of our time.” He said, “If the church is pro-life, then they ought to be for health-care reform because it’s going to provide health care that is going to keep people alive.”

Bishop Tobin shot back that Kennedy “is correct in stating that ‘he can’t understand.’ He got that part right.” He called Kennedy’s comments “irresponsible and ignorant of the facts” and asked for an apology. Later, the bishop followed up with a letter inviting Kennedy to meet for a discussion of the issue.

Without apologizing in so many words, Kennedy accepted the invitation in a letter last week and said his comments “were never intended to slight the church.” Kennedy acknowledged that “the church has always stood for health-care reform.” He added, “The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy of the church on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.”

Kennedy also said that no group “is getting everything it wants” in the medical overhaul. The church “has every right to promote its position,” he said, but if a group “seeks to impose absolutes on the debate, we are left standing idle instead of moving our nation forward.”

Bishop Tobin was asked in the interview whether he regretted the tone of his remark about Kennedy’s ability to understand the issues. “Not really,” he replied. “I never intend to personally insult someone. That’s not my business. That’s not my goal. But the fact is I was pretty irritated by the congressman’s comments.”

At another point the bishop addressed what he called the question of whether church leaders are “trying to impose our moral or religious beliefs on Congressman Kennedy.” His answer: “Well, the fact is he professes to be a Catholic.” Speaking of Catholic legislators generally, Tobin indicated that the church’s view is that, “if someone is clearly and consistently and obstinately opposed to the church on something as serious as abortion — which again is a grave and intrinsic evil — then they really have to question their membership in the church and their participation in the life of the church.”

While he opposes abortion, Langevin has split with the church in favoring human stem-cell research that entails the destruction of embryos. He said his Catholic faith is “part of who I am and it guides me in my conscience and everything I do.” While he appreciates the guidance of church leaders on policy questions, “I don’t believe that my vote must always be a reflection of that guidance,” he said.

Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, who is the other Catholic in Rhode Island’s congressional delegation, was unavailable for an interview but issued this statement:

“The Catholic church, like the entire faith community, has an important voice in the health-care reform effort.

“People of every faith are struggling to pay for health insurance under the current system and there is broad consensus on the need for reform.

“Present federal law prohibits direct use of federal funds to provide abortions. The bill emerging in the Senate reflects that.”

Reed was asked in a different context several years ago about the possibility of church sanctions against him for his support for abortion rights. He replied that he recognizes the right of religious communities to govern themselves.

jmulligan@belo-dc.com