"Rudy Giulliani, a Roman Catholic ....... "

[Stinky The Clown]

I was also raised Roman Catholic.

Seems to me, what with his marriage history, he was excommunicated a loooong time ago. I know that people with certain pull can get the church to annul some marriages .... maybe once. But for Rudy? After all his issues? I don't think so.

Does anyone know? Is he excommunicated?

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I don't think he's excommunicated as he always showed up at

St. Patrick's Cathedral during his tenure as mayor. I'm not certain he can give confession, receive absolution, and take sacrements.

[partylessinOhio]

2. The Pope needs to stay out of American politics.

I'm Catholic too but I don't dance to that tune.

[zbdent]

3. Roaming was misspelled ...

and gee, wasn't something about a guy schtupping someone other than his wife something of a big issue for the Republicans not long ago?

[pnwmom]

4. Technically, I don't think you're excommunicated.

You can still go to church but you're not supposed to take Communion.

So the Communion issue would seem to be moot in his case.

[seriousstan]

5. Shall we start with Teddy Kennedy? I believe he is on wife #2.

[spooky3]

6. I know someone who was married four times

She had the first three (!) marriages annulled, and remains in good standing as a Catholic.

[CatholicEdHead]

7. Aren't loopholes fun

[Princess Turandot]

8. I doubt he was excommunicated..

excommunication is an official church process by which someone is formally kicked out of the Church. That is not a frequent occurrence, in many cases requiring the decision of tribunals often associated with the Vatican. It goes well beyond a priest/bishop individually refusing to give communion to a politician: an ex-communicant is denied all sacraments except absolution, I think. (One is ex-communicated from the Church itself, not merely refused communion.) He's 'sinning' in this case, adultery, i.e sexual relations outside of marriage with the wife recognized by the Church. Even if he were to 'confess' his sins before going to communion, his confession would be viewed as a spiritually false one if he intended to go back to committing the sin the next day.

I noticed that Giuliani was not present at the televised Christmas midnight mass from St. Patrick's in 2006, a favorite event with NYC pols. Ed Koch attended for years even after he was mayor and the current mayor always attends. They plunk the pols in the front left pews so it's pretty clear who there. The last time I watched the mass prior to that, either in 2004 or 2005, he was there and he received communion (I watched for that.) I think the onus for that (spiritually speaking) is 'on' him, since only he knew his intentions. But I did wonder if they asked him to not attend in 2006 or if he did attend , asked him not to receive communion given all of the publicity about the bishops who announced they would not give communion to Sen. Kerry.