The meeting to discuss health care and abortion issues between Congressman Patrick Kennedy and  Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has been postponed, the Bishop's spokesman, Mike Guilfoyle, has confirmed.

Tobin and Kennedy were scheduled to meet Thursday at 12:30 p.m. but that meeting is off. No date has been set for the two to sit down and meet.

Kennedy is a Catholic elected official who supports abortion rights. Tobin is a bishop who has been outspoken on the issues of Catholic politicians who do not hew to church teaching that abortion is morally wrong.

In a letter to Kennedy published in the Diocesan newspaper, the Rhode Island Catholic, Tobin sharply criticizes Kennedy's support for abortion rights, calling it ``scandalous.''

Tobin writes: ``Your rejection of the church's teaching on abortion is... a deliberate and obstinate act of the will: a conscious decision.''

``Your position is  unacceptable to the church and scandalous to many of our members,'' wrote Tobin.

Tobin and Kennedy had clashed on national health care policy, with Tobin saying he was against any health care overhaul that allowed federal money _ even tangentially_ to be used to pay for abortions. The bill passed by the U.S. House includes the language sought by the US Catholic Bishops barring federal money for abortions. Kennedy voted against the anti-abortion provision, but after the amendment was approved, he voted for the entire bill.

Tobin supports the final bill that won House approval, said Guilfoyle.