Chris Matthews as Uncivil as Irish Catholics.

Last night Chris Matthews had Providence, RI Tomas Tobin on his show Hardball to discuss abortion and the bishop's call for US Congressman Kennedy to forego communion. It was a heated segment. You can view it here.

Now the Catholic League is condemning Matthews for being "uncivil" to the bishop, just as those Irish Catholics tend to be....

Newsblog reports on the dust up:

Catholic League President Bill Donohue said their New York office was deluged with calls, e-mails and faxes from outraged viewers after Matthews unleashed a "tirade'' on the bishop "with an extended and quite insulting lecture."

"He had absolutely no interest in a discussion on the question of the morality and legality of abortion -- all he wanted to do was to make the bishop sit there and listen to his rant,'' Donohue said.

Bishop Tobin was a guest on the show discussing his well-publicized disagreement with U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy over health care, abortion and the congressman's standing in the church.

Donohue said, "No non-Catholic would ever treat a bishop this way. But too many liberal Catholics, especially Irish Catholics, think they are exempt from the same standards of civility that apply to others.''