<strong><span class="subhead">Archbishop&#8217;s rebuke of Sebelius</span></strong></p><p>Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann is demanding that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius not receive Communion (5/10, A-1, &#8220;Sebelius draws a church leader&#8217;s rebuke&#8221;). Where was the church with these demands when priests all over the country were sexually abusing children? They were enabling them to continue the abuse, and allowing them to partake in Communion.</p><p>As a former Catholic I&#8217;m saddened that the church continues this kind of hypocrisy. It is this hypocrisy that drove me away from the church, but not my faith. As a woman, one can only wonder if the church would have protected the abusive priests had they been women.</p><p>Gov. Sebelius was elected to represent the people of Kansas, not the Catholic Church. I&#8217;m thankful that she can separate her faith from government. And I&#8217;m grateful that there are many faiths that value women and value the separation of church and state.</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Kathy Cook</strong></p> <p align="right"><em>Shawnee</em></p> Archbishop Naumann is to be praised for his efforts to pastorally counsel Gov. Sebelius in regard to her unwavering support for abortion rights. He sees clearly that such actions conflict with her claimed Catholic faith.</p><p>His decision to publicly request that she abstain from Holy Communion is not a political one but a spiritual one. Gov. Sebelius is free to advocate any policy she wants as a chief executive of the Sunflower State. However, she is not also free to claim to be Catholic when such policies so pointedly contradict the fundamental teachings of Catholicism.</p><p>That some, perhaps most, bishops lack the wherewithal to act as Archbishop Naumann finally has done is no discredit to him. The inaction of other shepherds discredits them and leads others to the never-never land of faith without conviction &#8212; the same place the governor seems to reside &#8212; until now, when she is forced to choose between a timeless teaching or an expedient political path.</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Michael Lehr</strong></p> <p align="right"><em>Holt, Mo.</em></p> As a lifelong Catholic I am sad when I see my archbishop attacking Gov. Sebelius and asking her not to take Communion until she publicly repudiates her support for pro-choice rights. I am against abortion, but I am also against the archbishop publicly attacking Catholic political leaders.</p><p>Most Catholics go to church to be close to God and not to hear a political sermon.</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Dan Lykins</strong></p> <p align="right"><em>Topeka</em></p> Archbishop Naumann&#8217;s attack on Gov. Sebelius is scandalous. Naumann&#8217;s inability to differentiate support for safe abortions being legal, under certain conditions, from support for abortion itself is unbelievable in the context of a tradition that counted angels on the head of a pin.</p><p>Surely his political bullying disqualifies his organization from tax-exempt status.</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Tom Gould</strong></p> <p align="right"><em>Kansas City</em></p> <strong><span class="subhead">Wright&#8217;s remarks on AIDS</span></strong></p><p>The Rev. Jeremiah Wright&#8217;s supposed damage to Barack Obama has been eclipsed by his misinformation about HIV and AIDS. His statement that the high incidence of AIDS in the black community is due to a conspiracy by our government to wipe them out by mysteriously infecting them with the HIV virus is a lie.</p><p>As a white, HIV-positive person, I have heard this conspiracy theory many times from my HIV-positive black associates. I believe it is rooted in the &#8220;black church&#8221; denial that there are many gay and bisexual black people, and the fear of being stereotyped as promiscuous. I know this stereotype is not true.</p><p>It is clear that it has been historically difficult for many African-Americans to receive adequate medical coverage and that most of the medical doctors are white. It is no wonder African-Americans distrust the medical community.