Naumann on Sebelius

Earlier this year, as the presidential campaign was heating up, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., asked his most famous parishioner, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, to refrain from taking Communion because of her support for abortion rights. Obama loves Sebelius, and was reportedly considering making the gov his VP running mate at the time. […]

Earlier this year, as the presidential campaign was heating up, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., asked his most famous parishioner, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, to refrain from taking Communion because of her support for abortion rights. Obama loves Sebelius, and was reportedly considering making the gov his VP running mate at the time.

Now talk is circulating about Sebelius being tapped for a top position in the Obama administration, including, possibly, head of the Dept. of Health & Human Services, which helps set much of the federal government’s policies on sexual health, including abortion and contraception.

With that in mind, I asked Naumann, here in Baltimore for a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, how big a concern such talk is for him.


“It is a concern,” Naumann said. “I can understand why President-elect Obama would look to her for a role in his administration. She is a very gifted and intelligent public servant. But it concerns me because of her complete failure to understand the church’s teaching on the sanctity of human life. “

If Sebelius is named head of HHS, Nauman said: “I’m am concerned about what could come about as a result of her actions and what kind of harmful effects those actions could have.”

I also asked Naumann if Sebelius had ever responded to his public letter (her office said she would.) He said no.

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