WICHITA, Kansas, May 9, 2008 – Church leaders in Kansas City are asking Governor Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic, not to take communion.

It’s all tied to the abortion debate and a bill the governor vetoed this year that would have imposed new restrictions on abortion providers. It was an action the Archbishop says was not in line with the Catholic Church.

In April, the governor vetoed a bill that would have allowed a parent, her spouse or family to sue and abortion provider if they believed the doctor violated restriction on late-term abortions. Sebelius said at the time that the bill could block a woman’s abortion even when it was necessary to save her life.

It was that veto that sparked a column by the Archbishop of the Kansas City Archdiocese. He writes, “I hope that my request of the governor, not to present herself for holy communion will provoke her to reconsider the serious spiritual and moral consequences of her past and present actions.”

"We're going to have Catholic legislators, we're going to have people who make decisions and so on who are not going to abide by church doctrine,” said Ken Ciboski, a Wichita State political science professor.

Ciboski points out that Sebelius isn’t the only politician to face such criticism. Four years ago, the Boston Archbishop hinted he may deny Senator John Kerry communion after the former alter boy went on record as favoring abortion rights.

“I fully intend to practice my religion as separate from what I do with respect to my public life,” Kerry said.

That’s the same stance Sebelius took when running for Governor. During one stump speech she said, “My Catholic faith teaches me all life is sacred and personally I believe abortion is wrong.”

But Sebelius went on to say that abortion should remain legal for those who choose it. It was a “politically correct” answer from someone Ciboski believes has high aspirations.

"If she's viewed as being against abortion, that could hurt her politically,” Ciboski said.

But the Archbishop writes that separation of religion and policy cannot and should not happen, saying he’s concerned for the “well-being of the governor, but also those who have been misled (scandalized) by her very public support of legalized abortion.”

A spokesperson say’s Sebelius can’t comment because she just learned of the column and hasn’t seen it yet.