Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, a Catholic, slammed guidance this month from Archbishop Charles Chaput that tells couples viewed as non-traditional by the church they should not have sex or be intimate if they want to receive communion.
"Jesus gave us [the] gift of Holy Communion because he so loved us. All of us. Chaput's actions are not Christian," mayor Kenney tweeted Wednesday night.
Kenney's pronouncement was a response to a tweet by self-described LGBT activist Ben Secka:[[385779971,C]]
Chaput's guidelines are a clarification of the pope's "The Joy of Love," a 256-page document on the church's teachings about family.
Jesus gave us gift of Holy Communion because he so loved us. All of us. Chaput actions are not Christian. https://t.co/FXfC858EP6
— Jim Kenney (@JimFKenney) July 6, 2016
The Archbishop's interpretation of the document says divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, unmarried couples living together and same-sex couples are welcome in the church, but should "refrain from sexual intimacy" in order to receive Communion.
