WASHINGTON — Washington Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick is open to meeting a group of Catholic Democrats critical of bishops who would deny Communion to Catholic legislators favoring legalized abortion, said Susan Gibbs, the cardinal's spokeswoman.

The request for a meeting was made in a letter signed by 48 Catholic Democrats in the House of Representatives, several of whom oppose legalized abortion. Most of the signers favor legalized abortion.

The lawmakers said that public statements made by some bishops about withholding Communion fuel anti-Catholicism in society, lead to division within the church and involve the church in partisan politics.

Cardinal McCarrick heads a task force of U.S. bishops that is considering how bishops might respond to Catholic politicians who publicly disagree with church teachings. The task force expects to complete its work after the presidential election this year.

As task-force chairman, the cardinal is open to hearing from the signers but a meeting has yet to be arranged, Gibbs told Catholic News Service May 20 after several newspaper articles quoted from the letter.

CNS received a copy of the letter from the office of one of the signers, Rep. Michael Doyle, of Pennsylvania, who opposes legalized abortion. At least two other signers have anti-abortion voting records: Reps. Bart Stupak, of Michigan, and James Langevin, of Rhode Island.

The signers also include House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, of California and Virginia Congressman James Moran.

The May 10 letter opposed, in general, denying the sacraments to lawmakers "on the basis of a voting record" and zeroed in specifically on using such a ban against supporters of legalized abortion. The letter said that singling out "pro-choice" legislators for the Communion ban is harmful.

"Allowing a bishop to take actions that lead to involvement in partisan politics would be detrimental to the church," it said.

It said that many of the signers oppose the death penalty and are active on other pro-life issues in keeping with the positions of church leaders.

Pressure by bishops on Catholic politicians will backfire on the church's public image, it said.

"Attempts by church leaders today to influence votes by the threat of withholding a sacrament will revive latent anti-Catholic prejudice, which so many of us have worked so hard to overcome," it said.

"As Catholics, we do not believe it is our role to legislate the teachings of the Catholic Church," said the signers.

They added that the Supreme Court has ruled that women have a right to an abortion and that "members who vote for legislation consistent with that mandate are not acting contrary to our positions as faithful members of the Catholic Church." Legislators are sworn to uphold the law and "are sworn to represent all Americans, not just Catholics," said the letter.

Catholic politicians can make distinctions between public and private morality, and are called to reflect the views of their constituents "even when those views may conflict with some of our personal views," it said.

Several bishops have said they would deny Communion to politicians favoring abortion, with at least one specifically mentioning Sen. John F. Kerry, of Massachusetts, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. Others have said that it is up to the individual to refrain from receiving Communion but they would not deny Communion to people who present themselves for it.