Arinze stopped short of saying Kerry should be specifically denied Communion, but when asked about Catholic politicians who supported abortion rights, he responded that such a politician "is not fit" to receive Communion.
Kerry has said that he personally opposes abortion but supports a woman's legal right to get one.
Some Catholics argued that Kerry must live to the letter of church law, in public and in private, supporting the prohibition on abortion -- or lose the right to Communion and other church privileges. Others accused church leaders of taking too narrow a view of Christian values, saying Kerry proves his faith in other ways, including his support for the poor.
The emotional debate promised to stay in the forefront in the coming days, as organizers prepared for a mass march in Washington this Sunday in support of abortion rights.
Network, a liberal Catholic organization, is leading the call for a broader measure of Catholic politicians' adherence to their faith.
The group has given Kerry near-perfect scores when assessing "social justice" issues such as public housing, support for the poor, and healthcare.
Two Catholic Democrats in the House of Representatives -- Rosa L. DeLauro of Connecticut and Lampson of Texas -- recently released a paper on how Catholics in the House voted on a range of positions taken by the American bishops.
But the Catholic hierarchy, both in the U.S. and in the Vatican, has insisted on a sharp conformity to its pronouncements and not a so-called "cafeteria Catholicism" -- only following rules as an individual sees fit.
The Catholic League, representing conservative Catholics, said the debate should not center just on Kerry's abortion stance, but also on the fact that there was "no evidence that John Kerry and [wife] Teresa Heinz were ever married in the Catholic Church."
"To say this raises serious issues -- especially given his willingness to present himself for Communion -- would be a gross understatement," Catholic League President William Donohue recently said.
Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice, said most church members did not want their leaders meddling in such matters.
"The majority of the bishops, left to their own devices, have no desire to deny John Kerry communion. That means there are 71 members of the U.S. legislature they have to deny Communion to," Kissling said this week. "Do you think the bishops want to tell [Sen.] Barbara Mikulski she can't receive communion or [Sen.] Patrick Leahy or Ted Kennedy or [U.S. Rep] Dennis Kucinich?"
