RI bishop asked Kennedy in 2007 to avoid Communion (AP)

FILE - Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin, is shown in his office in Providence, R.I, in this Aug. 21, 2008 file photo. Rep. Patrick Kennedy says Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has barred him from receiving communion because of his support of abortion rights. The Providence Journal reported on its Web site Sunday Nov. 22, 2009. Under church rules, Tobin can prevent Kennedy from receiving communion within his diocese, which covers Rhode Island. It's unclear whether bishops outside Rhode Island will take the same path. (AP Photo/Stew Milne, File)AP - The Roman Catholic bishop of Rhode Island said Sunday that he asked Rep. Patrick Kennedy in a 2007 letter to stop receiving Communion, the central sacrament of the church, because of the congressman's public stance on moral issues.