Ratzinger banned Kerry from communion

"German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican theologian who was elected Pope Benedict XVI, intervened in the 2004 US election campaign ordering bishops to deny communion to abortion rights supporters including presidential candidate John Kerry.

"In a June 2004 letter to US bishops he specifically mentioned 'the case of a Catholic politician consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws,' a reference widely understood to mean Democratic candidate Kerry.

"The letter said a priest confronted with such a person seeking communion 'must refuse to distribute it.'