Posted on 10/03/2007 1:19:30 PM PDT by SmithL
Saint Louis (AP) -- Roman Catholic Archbishop Raymond Burke, who made headlines last presidential season by saying he'd refuse Holy Communion to John Kerry, has his eye on Rudy Giuliani this year. Giuliani's response: "Archbishops have a right to their opinion."
Burke, the Archbishop of St. Louis, was asked by The St. Louis Post-Dispatch if he would deny Communion to Giuliani if the former New York mayor approached him for the sacrament.
"If the question is about a Catholic who is publicly espousing positions contrary to the moral law, and I know that person knows it, yes I would," the paper quoted the archbishop as responding.
Burke has said of Giuliani: "I can't imagine that as a Catholic he doesn't know that his stance on the protection of human life is wrong. If someone is publicly sinning, they should not approach to receive Holy Communion."
Asked about it Wednesday while campaigning in New Hampshire, Giuliani said:
"Archbishops have a right to their opinion, you know. There's freedom of religion in this country. There's no established religion, and archbishops have a right to their opinion. Everybody has a right to their opinion."
Burke says that anyone administering Communion is morally obligated to deny it to Catholic politicians who support an abortion-rights position contrary to church teaching.
He is expected to push the nation's bishops to take that stance in a document on political responsibility they will issue to Catholics before the 2008 election.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I wonder if the pope would refuse communion to Rudy if he got elected president?
He should. It's not just about public scandal for the Church, it's also about the sinner's soul...
1 Cor 11:27 Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself...
The difference here is Archbishop Burke will receive praise from the Left. Liberals believe that Rooty is unworthy of Communion for tormenting Blacks and the poor.
Attention Catholic Church: The more you become involved in America’s domestic politics, the less relevant you become to your American parishioners. Your job has been and still is the salvation of souls, one at a time, if necessary, not the control of government, not the intimidation of voters and not the policy-making of a secular government.
So, the bishop should just shut up while the example of political leaders like Giuliani contributes to the moral decay of our country??
Repeated references to the archbishop’s position as “opinion” are attempts to diminish it.
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=51031
May. 9, 2007
CWNews.com (excerpt)
Catholic politicians who vote for legal abortion are subject to excommunication, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) told reporters during a May 9 flight from Rome to Brazil.
Fielding questions from reporters during the trip, the Holy Father was asked whether he supported the Mexican bishops who have threatened the excommunication of politicians who voted to approve legalization of abortion in Mexico City. The Pontiff replied that he did.
“They did nothing new, nothing arbitrary or surprising,” the Pope said of the Mexican bishops. “They simply announced to the public what is stipulated by the law of the Church.” (snip)
Donna, I think the Church would fast change it’s directives if told it was to lose it’s tax-exempt status and, also, have to pay taxes on all the real estate it owns. Maybe it’s time for that. If the Church wants to dabble in intimidation, it should be prepared to face the same from those it seeks to frighten. No? :)
Paul has a way of cutting to the quick.
Take your anticlerical, Church hating bigotry to Mexico ... it was official COMMUNIST government policy there for several decades in the XX Century. If Mexico isn't to your likeing, you might try the Peoples' Republic of China ... they're certainly giving a good try at silencing the Church.
In these United States of America we have freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.
!!!!Viva Cristo Rey!!!!!!
You have it exactly backwards.
Unless you are a Catholic Bishop Burkes remarks concerning an apostate Catholic are none of your business nor the states business.
I thought those multiple marriages also disqualified him for communion, no?
“Giuliani’s response: “Archbishops have a right to their opinion.”
Rudy - it is not an opinion...it’s Church Law. Idiot.
You are so ignorant I can’t talk to you.
Study up:
Religion and the Founding of the American Republic
Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/
So the church should not be allowed to comment on any person running for public office? What about government employees? School teachers? How about church-goers—should they also be silenced from commenting?
Sheesh! I guess you agree with Rudy on Freedom—that it’s something we should all have less of!
I believe the topic at question is the suitability of a particular Catholic layman to receive communion in the Catholic Church, an issue pretty directly connected to the salvation of the soul of that particular layman. As far as I know, who gets to receive communion in the Catholic Church is not (yet) a matter of government policy, nor -- to be perfectly blunt -- is it really the business of anyone outside the Catholic Church.
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