Priest denies MP holy communion over his support for assi…

A liberal democratic deputy was denounced by his Roman Catholic priest before his congregation and prohibited from communion after having voted in favor of the assisted dying bill.

Chris Coghlan, the deputy for Dorking and Horley, described his treatment as “scandalous”. He complained to Richard Moth, the bishop of Arundel and Brighton.

In the days preceding the vote, Coghlan was contacted by his local priest, Father Ian Vane, who suggested that a vote in favor would be “stubbornly persevering” in sin and that Coghlan would be refused communion if he did.

Vane, the priest of the local church of Coghlan, the Catholic church of St Joseph in Dorking, Surrey, wrote: “As a priests, we are the guards of the sacraments.”

To write Observer Coghlan said: “Although he has made no reference to this, this priest is also well aware that he is responsible for signing my children’s education forms for the Catholic state school they attend.”

Despite the threat, Coghlan supported the bill, which was adopted in the House of Commons on June 20 with a majority of 23 deputies.

Two days after the vote, Vane told the congregation at 8 am that the deputy would be refused communion because of the way he had voted. He repeated the 10 -hour mass ad, which generally attracts a congregation of more than 150 parishioners. Coghlan did not attend any of these services.

“It’s completely inappropriate,” said Coghlan Observer. “This undermines the legitimacy of religious institutions in this country if the representatives think that it is acceptable to try to force the members of the Parliament.”

Coghlan said he had been moved by voters’ support messages who had been to the church when Vane denounced it. He added that he knew other deputies of faith who had been put under pressure before the assisted dying vote.

Kim Leadbe Ater, the Labor MP who presented the assisted dying bill, said: “Religious leaders and people of faith have the right to communicate their opinions to their deputies and parliament as a whole, but it is completely unacceptable. Chris Coghlan was very courageous and principle to withstand this pressure. ”

Last year, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, published a pastoral letter on death assistance for the churches of his diocese, calling people to write to their deputies to oppose the bill.

Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury who directed the Church of England until his resignation in January, and Ephraim Mirvis, the chief rabbi, also expressed their opposition to the legislation.

In 2021, the Vatican warned the bishops in the United States against the refusal of communion to politicians who support the rights to abortion. Antonio Spadaro, a Vatican official, said: “The Vatican concern is not to use access to the Eucharist as a political weapon.”

Vane is an experienced priest, who served for more than a decade for St Charles Borromeo church in Worthing. He is a newcomer relating to St Joseph, where he has a reputation for his strict interpretation of the Scriptures.

When he approached the incident, Vane refused to comment and gave investigations to the Catholic diocese of Arundel and Brighton.

In a press release, the diocese said: “The recent vote on the assisted dying bill was complex for all those involved and although many in our society are deeply saddened by the result, we recognize the difficult task encountered by the deputies by seeking to represent their constituents.

“The Catholic Church believes in the sacred character of the life and dignity of each person. Before the vote, bishop Richard Moth encouraged the members of the clergy and faithful to write to their deputies in private capacity to express their concerns concerning the bill and to ask them to vote against the proposed legislation.

“Bishop Richard spoke with Mr. Coghlan earlier this week and proposed to meet him in person to discuss the issues and concerns raised. Our prayers remain with all the people affected by the adoption of this bill, and the peers of the Chamber of Lords who are engaged in the next stage of this debate. ”