Rep. Kennedy calls off meeting with bishop

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., says he's through debating whether he's a good Catholic with Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin.

Kennedy said he was "not going to dignify with an answer" Tobin's assertions that he could not be a good Catholic and support abortion rights, adding that he found it "very disconcerting" that Tobin won't agree to keep discussions of his faith private, the Providence Journal reported Wednesday.

"I'm not going to engage (in) this anymore," Kennedy told the newspaper. He said he had postponed a meeting with the bishop after the church leader published an open letter on the Web site of the Diocese of Providence newspaper saying he was not sure whether Kennedy fulfills "the basic requirements of being a Catholic."

The comments were part of an escalating feud between the men, which started when Kennedy attacked the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion-related aspects of a U.S. House of Representatives bill to overhaul the healthcare system.

"I had initially agreed to a meeting with (Tobin Thursday), provided we would not debate this in public in terms of my personal faith, but unfortunately, he hasn't kept to that agreement, and that's very disconcerting to me," Kennedy said.