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Welsh prelate joins abortion row

Catholic MPs who vote in favour of abortion should not put themselves forward for communion, the Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff has said.

Peter Smith backed the stand made by the head of Catholics in Scotland, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who questioned pro-abortion MPs' rights to communion.

He said the cardinal's words reflected "the general teaching of the church".

Archbishop Smith said he would not bar abortion supporters from communion, but advised them not to ask for it.

"The church's law is quite clear," the archbishop told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "A priest or bishop is not permitted to refuse communion unless it is quite clear that the person has been excommunicated or there is a very public rejection of church teaching.

But he went on: "The pastoral reality is, as the Pope has said recently in Mexico, that if a Catholic politician manifestly, clearly goes against the church's teaching, then they ought to remove themselves from receiving communion, because it would be a cause of great scandal."

Archbishop Smith rejected arguments that MPs had to represent a larger constituency, including people whose views on abortion were at odds with the Catholic Church.

Full story at BBC Scotland News.