Cardinal Denies Threatening Politicians Over Abortion

NEW YORK —  Cardinal John J. O’Connor insisted Sunday that he never threatened to excommunicate Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. He said his views on the contentious issue have been widely misinterpreted.

O’Connor, speaking at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, said that many politicians and members of the news media had misunderstood a long column about abortion that he wrote for last week’s Catholic New York, the official archdiocese newspaper.

“I never threatened to excommunicate anybody,” said O’Connor, who heads the U.S. Catholic bishops’ pro-life committee and has been an outspoken opponent of abortion.

“I wish everybody would read what I wrote,” he said. “I never suggested that any other bishop should excommunicate anybody. I have no intention of excommunicating anybody. I don’t say, in any way whatsoever, that I’m threatening politicians.

“The last thing in the world I want to see is anyone excommunicated,” he added.

Many such officials, including Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, personally oppose abortion but do not seek to impose their beliefs on others.

O’Connor wrote: “Where Catholics are perceived not only as treating church teaching on abortion with contempt, but helping to multiply abortions by advocating legislation supporting abortion, or by making public funds available for abortion, bishops may decide that, for the common good, such Catholics must be warned that they are at risk of excommunication.”