Catholic Scholar : Sheriff Joe Should Be Denied Communion for Supporting 1070
The Vatican twist to the immigration issue, they want the borders open. Catholic Scholar wants to deny sacrament ritual to 1070 supporters. PHOENIX - The battle over illegal immigration gets personal for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Some religious leaders are saying he should not be allowed to receive communion at church anymore because of his stance.
A well-known Catholic scholar has written an article suggesting bishops deny Holy Communion to the sheriff and other supporters of SB 1070. In the Catholic church, receiving communion is one of the Holy Sacraments.
In an article in the Washington Post Thursday, religious author Anthony Stevens-Arroyo suggested that Sheriff Arpaio should be denied communion over his support of Arizona's new immigration law.
Now, the sheriff is reacting.
"Let's not get personal about it and publicize my name -- and say that I should not go to church anymore and receive communion anymore. That's getting really personal, I would think," said Arpaio.
Stevens-Arroyo printed: "Will any of today's bishops deny communion to Catholic officials who vote for this bill and its spawn of imitators in other states? Has censure been voiced against the local sheriff Joe Arpaio (a Catholic) who has led raids on Latinos? These are strategies used in the past by bishops."
Sheriff Joe says it's not right to bring his religion into the political battle over illegal immigration.
"I can see if something was immoral, where the church may become involved like the abortion issue -- but what's immoral about this, other than the fact laws were passed," he says.
The Phoenix Diocese had no comment on the article.
Sheriff Joe says he has no plans to stop receiving communion, and he hasn't heard anything about it from his priest.