US: After a debate of several days, US Catholic bishops have stopped short of saying that Catholic politicians who support abortion should be denied communion, but affirmed that each bishop can decide how to apply teachings in his own diocese.
This leaves open the prospect of Democratic candidate Senator John Kerry being refused communion in a small number of dioceses where the bishops have declared they will refuse the sacrament to politicians who support abortion rights.
Mr Kerry, a regular Mass-goer, often receives communion and has responded to the bishops that he is running for president not to promote Catholic doctrine but "to uphold the constitution of our country, which has a strict separation of the affairs of church and state".
The policy statement by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, who took advice from the Vatican, stressed teaching and persuasion rather than public threats against politicians who might support abortion or gay marriages.
They stated that Catholic institutions "should not honour those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles" and "they should not be given awards, honours or platforms which would suggest support for their actions". This applies to Catholic institutions such as Georgetown University, Washington, an important forum for debate where Mr Kerry has spoken.
The debate over Catholics and communion erupted in January when Archbishop Raymond Burke of St Louis said he would deny the sacrament to the Democratic candidate because of his support for issues opposed by the Catholic Church.
Many of the country's 250 bishops responded that the sacrament should not be used to rebuke politicians like Mr Kerry, the first Catholic nominated by a major party to run for president since John F. Kennedy in 1960.
But Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs went further, saying that Catholics who voted for pro-choice politicians should refrain from taking communion. Another prominent Catholic politician, Governor James McGreevey of New Jersey, has agreed to abstain from communion after New Jersey bishops chastised him for his pro-choice policy and for remarrying before receiving an annulment of his first marriage.
"Bishops can legitimately make different judgments on the most prudent course of pastoral action," the bishops said in the statement approved by 183-6 votes at their week-long retreat in Denver, which ended on Saturday.
"Nevertheless, we all share an unequivocal commitment to protect human life and dignity and to preach the Gospel in difficult times." It also warned Catholics they should not receive communion until they had satisfied their consciences about their fidelity "to the moral teaching of the church in personal and public life".
Los Angeles×'s Cardinal Roger Mahony said after the meeting that it was "not the role of the person distributing the body and blood of Christ" to deny communion to any Catholic.
Bishop Thomas Rodi from Mississippi said: "I think it is important that we not be perceived for or against any particular public official or political party but that we call on everyone to respect God's gift of life."