When he died last year, Senator Ted Kennedy was instantly canonised. Kennedy was a great politician, but he had appalling views on abortion. He even supported very late-term abortions. The result of his death was that a bye-election had to be called to fill his vacant seat. Astonishingly, that seat, possibly the safest Democratic seat in all of America, has gone to a Republican.

I have opinions about the defeat, but they properly belong in a politics blog so I'll keep them to myself. A word is in order though about his defeated opponent, Martha Coakley. It goes without saying that as a liberal Democrat, Coakley is pro-abortion (so is the victor, Scott Brown, unfortunately), but Coakley's position is more extreme. For example, she does not support conscience rights for public health care workers who do not wish to carry out or help in abortions.

Her line is that 'You can have religious freedom, but you probably shouldn't work in an emergency room'.

Do I need to point out how the sheer awfulness of this attitude, the gigantic threat it poses to freedom of religion and conscience? It amounts to putting a 'No Catholics need apply' sign on the front door of public hospitals in Boston. (Ok, Catholics can work sweeping the floor, but not as medical workers who might be asked to facilitate an abortion).

That this view is acceptable in 'Catholic' Boston just about says it all. This is the same city that forced Catholic adoption agencies to close because they would not consider gay couples as prospective adoptive parents.

Ted Kennedy never defended the rights of Catholics in this regard. We should remember that when next we hear him praised.