WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WAND) – A Catholic priest in Rhode Island sad abortion is worse than pedophilia.
The priest who barred state lawmakers who supported abortion rights bills from receiving communion at his church told NBC WJAR in Providence over the weekend. Rev. Richard Bucci of Sacred Heart Church in West Warwick said abortion is a “slaughter of innocent children.”
"We are not talking about any other moral issue, where some may make it a comparison between pedophilia and abortion," Bucci told the station. "Pedophilia doesn't kill anyone, and this does."
Bucci told the station that more children have been killed by abortion than have been abused. He added “which is not to say that abuse is not a horrible thing."
He later told the station his comments were taken out of context and that if anyone supports clergy sex abuse victims, it's him.
"It was imperfectly said," Bucci said. "I should have said, 'In general, the child that's molested does not die physically,' and I should have said, 'but some have.'"
On Monday, a diocese spokeswoman, Carolyn Cronin, told WJAR that the church provides "detailed norms for preparation and reception" for each sacrament, but that it is "the pastor’s duty to apply them within his parish, in accord with church law."
"Because the church entrusts to each pastor the duty of teaching, sanctifying, and governing his parish, the daily pastoral and administrative decisions are made at the local parish level," Cronin said.
