Congressman Patrick Kennedy is to make his first public appearance since heightening a feud with Rhode Island's Roman Catholic bishop over abortion.
The Democratic lawmaker plans to speak Monday at Brown University about the politics of healthcare reform, a subject that set off his feud with Bishop Thomas Tobin.
The men have clashed for weeks over publicly financed abortion in legislation overhauling the nation's healthcare system.
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A week ago, Kennedy told The Providence Journal that Tobin banned him from receiving Holy Communion because of his support for abortion rights. He didn't explain when Tobin issued those instructions.
Tobin said he wrote Kennedy in 2007 and requested that Kennedy not receive Communion. The Catholic Church considers abortion a major moral evil.
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