New York Cardinal Edward Egan said Monday that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani should not have received Holy Communion during the pope's visit because he supports abortion rights.
Egan said he had "an understanding" with the former presidential candidate that he is not to receive the Eucharist. The Catholic church opposes abortion.
The cardinal said Giuliani broke that understanding when he received the Eucharist from Pope Benedict XVI on April 19 at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
Egan said he will be seeking a meeting with Giuliani "to insist that he abide by our understanding."
Giuliani's spokesman said the former mayor "is certainly willing to meet with Cardinal Egan. As he has previously said, Mayor Giuliani's faith is a deeply personal matter and should remain confidential."
