As a result of endorsing the pro-choice Obama, Kmiec was denied Communion in May 2008 at a Red Mass for Catholic business people in California. Kmiec confirmed the incident with Nina Totenberg, NPR's legal correspondent and E. J. Dionne of "The Washington Post" wrote a column noting how John Kerry and other Catholic public officials had been threatened with communion denial in 2004 because of their pro-choice position, but the first actual denial was experienced by Kmiec, a Catholic layman. After review, Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles called the action "shameful and indefensible" and asked the priest to write a letter of apology to Kmiec.