Missouri congressman to meet with Archbishop Burke

Rep. William Lacy Clay, a St. Louis Democrat who favors abortion rights, plans to meet Monday with the archbishop.

“I think Archbishop Burke has gone too far; he is now delving into politics,” Clay said in an interview on Friday. “Perhaps the Catholic Church should surrender their 501-C status.”

…Clay, who attends St. Nicholas Catholic Church, said that if a priest refused him communion, “I would stand there.”

“That’s such a personal thing, between my God and me,” he said. “I think it’s an intrusion into uncharted waters that the church has never been in. They don’t have the luxury of driving people away from the church right now. It’s difficult for them to find priests and nuns, and if they continue on this track, they’re going to drive people away from the church.”