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Bishop's edict draws a strong reaction
AP ^ | 1/11/04 | Juliet Williams

Posted on 01/11/2004 10:08:33 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson

Bishop's edict draws a strong reaction

By Juliet Williams
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE - A Roman Catholic bishop who waded into politics with a decree that lawmakers who support abortion rights can no longer receive Holy Communion has ignited a debate over the separation of church and state.

Bishop Raymond Burke of La Crosse cited Vatican doctrine, canon law and teachings by the U.S. bishops in an announcement telling diocesan priests to withhold communion from such lawmakers until they ``publicly renounce'' their support of abortion rights.

``This is about as stark a decree to come down against Catholic politicians as we've seen in recent history,'' said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

``The problem with it is that elected officials have to represent people of all faiths and none, and not adhere to one religious demand like the bishop's,'' he said.

Pope John Paul II appointed Burke, 55, archbishop of St. Louis in December. Burke signed the decree in November, when he still had the authority to do so, but it was not made public until Thursday.

Burke is to be installed in St. Louis on Jan. 26.

The Vatican and U.S. bishops have for years urged Catholic legislators to consider their faith when they vote, and a task force of bishops is weighing whether to recommend sanctions for Catholic politicians who support policies contrary to church teachings.

In November, Burke wrote letters to at least three Catholic lawmakers, telling them they risked being forbidden from taking the sacrament by continuing to vote for measures he termed anti-life, including abortion and euthanasia.

Democratic U.S. Rep. David Obey, who received a letter from Burke, said Friday that he respects the sacred oath he took to uphold the U.S. Constitution.

Obey said Burke can instruct him on faith and morals in his private life, but should use ``persuasion, not dictation'' to affect his political votes.

State Senate Minority Leader Jon Erpenbach, a Democrat who was raised Catholic, expressed a similar view.

``Dictating public policy for people of all faiths by holding sacraments hostage from those who believe does not sound right,'' Erpenbach said.

Dan Maguire, a professor of theology at the Jesuit Marquette University in Milwaukee, called Burke a ``fanatic'' who has embarrassed the Catholic Church by using bullying tactics.

``He is not a theologian and he is making terrible mistakes that have been addressed in theology in the past,'' Maguire said. ``He's making a fool of himself. And the politicians are absolutely within their Catholic rights to ignore him.''


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: abortion; barrylynn; bishopburke; catholicpoliticians; repobey
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He's making a fool of himself.

God bless the fool.

1 posted on 01/11/2004 10:08:34 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
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2 posted on 01/11/2004 10:10:08 AM PST by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
You can't call yourself a Catholic on one hand, and support different beliefs on the other.

This is one of the reasons I hardly ever attend Catholic mass anymore: my personal beliefs do not coincide with that of the church -- and the fault does not lie with the church.

The Catholic church is infallable: Its laws are its laws and those laws are very seldom subject to change.

You cannot call yourself a Catholic and support gay marriage.

You cannot call yourself a Catholic and support the abortion of unborn children.

Etc., etc., etc.

It's like saying, "Although my skin is white, and I am from Western European origin, I consider myself a black man.
3 posted on 01/11/2004 10:18:34 AM PST by baltodog (A diamond lasts a lifetime, but a Freeper post lasts forever....)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
I think the bishop has made a terrible mistake.

Rather than saying 'politicians who support abortion' are denied the sacraments, he should have said 'any Catholic publicly known to support abortion' are denied the sacraments.

4 posted on 01/11/2004 10:20:33 AM PST by Petronski (I'm not always cranky.)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
``He's making a fool of himself. And the politicians are absolutely within their Catholic rights to ignore him.''

Actually, no.

He is exactly correct. The Bishop said you cannot be a Catholic while supporting abortion. I do think he should have spelled out the options, namely; renounce abortion, leave the Catholic church, or be ex-communicated.

The reason politicians are being targeted is because they have brought the state into the church. They do this by trading on being Catholic to gain votes, but then rejecting the Church's teachings to keep power. The Bishop told them, in-effect; "You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Liberals hate it when reality bites them in the butt!

5 posted on 01/11/2004 10:38:00 AM PST by DakotaGator
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To: DakotaGator
has ignited a debate over the separation of church and state

I paraphrase Ann Coulter: The Bishop is not "Congress," he has made "no law," and he has not "established" a state religion.

6 posted on 01/11/2004 10:43:39 AM PST by MoralSense
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
Notice how they quote Daniel Maguire as if he were some kind of expert on Catholicism. In fact, he is a radical pro-abortion renegade. Here's a quote from William Donaghue about Maguire and his friends at so-called Catholics for a Free Choice:
Perhaps the most severe blow to the reputation of CFFC came on April 21, 1995. That was the day the National Catholic Reporter printed a letter by Marjorie Reiley Maguire blasting the reputation of CFFC. Maguire, an attorney who is divorced from the ex-Jesuit and Marquette theology professor, Dan Maguire, was for years a prominent CFFC activist. Indeed, she and her radical husband were once the CFFC’s poster couple. But like many others who came of age in the sixties, Maguire began to have second thoughts. Included in her intellectual migration were second thoughts about CFFC and Catholicism. In her letter, Maguire branded CFFC as “an anti-woman organization” whose agenda is “the promotion of abortion, the defense of every abortion decision as a good, moral choice and the related agenda of persuading society to cast off any moral constraints about sexual behavior.” She explains that it is not the Catholic Church that is “hung up on sex.” Rather it is liberals who are obsessed with sex. Questioning the right of CFFC to call itself Catholic, Maguire said, “When I was involved with CFFC, I was never aware that any of its leaders attended Mass. Furthermore, various conversations and experiences convinced me they did not.”
No bias in the news, is there?
7 posted on 01/11/2004 10:52:25 AM PST by madprof98
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
Dan Maguire, a professor of theology at the Jesuit Marquette University in Milwaukee, called Burke a ``fanatic'' who has embarrassed the Catholic Church by using bullying tactics.

If a house be divided against itself how can it stand. Was not a question

Going down?
8 posted on 01/11/2004 11:17:54 AM PST by heavenbound (so what did I say wrong)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
Dan Maguire is like the ACLU. If you don't know where to immediately stand on an issue, just pick the opposite course, you'll be correct every time. Maguire is a continuing embarrassment to his church and university.

MU grad '84, '87

9 posted on 01/11/2004 11:19:23 AM PST by Last Dakotan
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
"he respects the sacred oath he took to uphold the U.S. constitution"--

Would that be the way the constitution was written or the rewrite SCOTUS has done on it?
10 posted on 01/11/2004 11:25:09 AM PST by freeangel (freeangel)
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To: baltodog
I agree with you and the Bishop. I was raised as a Catholic and still respect the Church. However, as my beliefs changed, I realized that I could no longer call myself a Catholic, and so I converted to another religion.

Maybe it's my pre-Vatican II upbringing and 12 years of Catholic school, but the Church is the Church. It doesn't change on major issues. Personally, I don't know how half the Catholics I know can call themselves Catholic, considering how little of the Church's doctrine they accept.

I know how hard it is to leave the Church, but you can't continue to publicly support anti-Catholic positions and still call yourself a believing Catholic able to receive Communion.
11 posted on 01/11/2004 11:26:06 AM PST by radiohead
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
``The problem with it is that elected officials have to represent people of all faiths and none, and not adhere to one religious demand like the bishop's,'' he said.


I have no problem with pols representing people of other faiths and none, but if they call themselves Catholic or Christian and support unCatholic or unChristian things, they need to admit what they truly are.
12 posted on 01/11/2004 11:26:42 AM PST by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll keep getting what you always get)
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To: madprof98
And Barry Lynn was quoted in one of the first few paragraphs of this article! As if anything he has to say about "Religion" has any validity!

In the minds of Lefties we do have a state religion - rabid secularism and holy diversity. There NEVER is any criticism allowed against diversity or secularism.
13 posted on 01/11/2004 11:28:25 AM PST by maica (Laus Deo)
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To: MoralSense
I paraphrase Ann Coulter: The Bishop is not "Congress," he has made "no law," and he has not "established" a state religion.

Exactly!

Nor has the Bishop told anyone how to vote. He has told them how to be Catholic.

BTW, we may be periously close to violating a major FreeRepublic posting rule. Without a pic, can Freeper ex-communication be far behind?!

14 posted on 01/11/2004 11:29:49 AM PST by DakotaGator
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To: Petronski
Rather than saying 'politicians who support abortion' are denied the sacraments, he should have said 'any Catholic publicly known to support abortion' are denied the sacraments.

No, I think the bishop is correct.

Politicians who vote to support abortion policies are giving scandal by ACTING contrary to Church teaching.

An ordinary Catholic who might publicly disagree with the Church about abortion, though wrong, does nothing to directly influence the perpetuation of the practice.

A Catholic Congressman who supports abortion is different from a CEO who supports abortion. This is more about scandal than the personal disposition of a Catholic's soul.

15 posted on 01/11/2004 11:32:23 AM PST by sinkspur (Adopt a shelter dog or cat! You'll save one life, and maybe two!)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
During the civil rights era, several catholic politicians who supported Jim Crow were denied Sacraments. I don't seem to recall the liberals complaining about this issue then.
16 posted on 01/11/2004 11:33:52 AM PST by Paleoguy
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
Taking-a-stand Bump.
17 posted on 01/11/2004 11:36:07 AM PST by DoctorMichael (Thats my story, and I'm sticking to it.)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
This is what the Church has the total GOD-Given right to do.

You do not follow the Church's teaching, you have no reason for being there and they may excommunicate you.

This is NOT banning a sinner, but banning an envoy of EVIL and SIN as the church sees it.

If the politician were to have an abortion or perform an abortion, that would not automatically warrant an excommunication - there is Confession, Penance, and Absolution if there is a true repentance.

Excommunication is being offered to those who would blatantly and consistently flaunt their contempt for the Church's Dogma.

Without rule there is only anarchy and lawlessness.
18 posted on 01/11/2004 11:38:39 AM PST by steplock (www.FOCUS.GOHOTSPRINGS.com)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
Democratic U.S. Rep. David Obey, who received a letter from Burke, said Friday that he respects the sacred oath he took to uphold the U.S. Constitution.

Yeah right, like the Constitution says anything about so called reproductive rights or privacy rights or it okeedokee per the Constitution to kill the unborn.

19 posted on 01/11/2004 11:41:05 AM PST by Fzob (Why does this tag line keep showing up?)
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To: sinkspur
Someone is going to try to twist the Bishop's language into that of a PAC, and try to mess with the tax exemption.

Also, I like the consistency of applying the policy to all. Nonetheless...

This is more about scandal than the personal disposition of a Catholic's soul.

...I can certainly see your point.

20 posted on 01/11/2004 11:45:48 AM PST by Petronski (I'm not always cranky.)
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