NEW YORK — A Rhode Island priest who was recently under fire for denying communion to politicians who voted in favor of legislation supporting abortion rights is once again in the spotlight for saying that abortion is worse than pedophilia since it “doesn’t kill anyone.”
“We are not talking about any other moral issue, where some may make it a comparison between pedophilia and abortion,” said Father Richard Bucci on Sunday, doubling down on his previous comments. “Pedophilia doesn’t kill anyone, and this does.”
He went on to tell Rhode Island’s NBC 10 News there are more children who have been killed by abortion than have been abused.
“Now, I don’t know what else I have to say about it, this is the teaching of the Church. The Canon Law of the Church, the Second Vatican Council, and the First Catechism of the Church. I don’t know what more evidence I should have to present,” said Bucci.
Bucci had previously sparked an outrage among some parishioners and local politicians after distributing a flier which said that every state legislator who voted last year to keep abortion in state law would be denied communion.
RELATED: Rhode Island priest denies communion to legislators who support abortion
“In accord with the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2000 years, the following members of the legislature may NOT receive Holy Communion, as are all the officers of the state of Rhode Island, as well as Rhode Island’s members of Congress,” said the flier, which was distributed at Sacred Heart Church West Warwick.
At the time, a spokesperson for the diocese of Providence told Crux that the priest had made the decision and distributed the flier at the “local parish level” and he had not consulted with Bishop Thomas Tobin.
“For every sacrament, the Church provides detailed norms for preparation and reception. It is the pastor’s duty to apply them within his parish, in accord with Church law. This includes the proper reception of Holy Communion as outlined by the Code of Canon Law,” said the official diocesan statement in response to the earlier incident. “Because the Church entrusts to each pastor the duty of teaching, sanctifying, and governing his parish, the daily pastoral and administrative decisions are made at the local parish level.”
The diocese did not immediately respond to Crux’s request for comment on Bucci’s latest remarks.
Follow Christopher White on Twitter: @cwwhite212
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