New Mexico diocese responds to lawmaker barred from Communion (CNA)

The diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, has responded to a state legislator who announced that he had been barred from Communion because of his support for abortion. A spokesman for the diocese said that it was “unfortunate that a pastoral issue with a member of the local church be publicized.” However, he revealed that Bishop peter Baldacchino had tried several times to speak privately with State Senator Joseph Cervantes, but had been unable to obtain a meeting with the lawmaker before Cervantes made the matter public.