Bishop: No Communion for Abortion Backers

AP ^ | 1/8/04 | AP

[Jaded]

Bishop: No Communion for Abortion Backers

LA CROSSE, Wis. - State and federal lawmakers who support abortion rights can no longer receive Holy Communion in the Diocese of La Crosse, Bishop Raymond Burke ordered in a decree made public Thursday.

Priests of parishes where such lawmakers attend Mass must withhold communion from them until the lawmakers publicly renounce their support of abortion rights, Burke said in the decree, posted on the diocese's Web site.

Burke also has written letters to three Roman Catholic lawmakers, telling them they risked their faith if they continued to vote for measures he termed "anti-life," including abortion and euthanasia.

Burke was named archbishop of St. Louis in December and will be installed there later this month. Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II has yet to name Burke's replacement.

State Sen. Julie Lassa, a Democrat, received a letter from Burke and has said she would not let religion decide how she serves her constituents.

Judie Brown, president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Life League, praised Burke and called his move a "historic first step forward in dealing with the problem of pro-abortion Catholic political figures."

The Diocese of La Crosse is home to more than 200,000 Catholics in 169 parishes in west-central Wisconsin, according to its Web site. ___

On the Net:

Catholic Diocese of La Crosse: http://www.dioceseoflacrosse.com

[ninenot]

Tomorrow at Mass you can thank God for Mike Sherman. To lose the game he goes for a TD on 4th/1 to the goal line, losing the sure 3 point (margin of victory.)

To make DOUBLE sure of losing, he then tries to fake a 4th/1 and fails to get Philly offsides.

For that he gets the big bucks.

[GirlShortstop]

Tomorrow at Mass you can thank God for Mike Sherman.

LOL... alright, I will.  Will the cheeseheads be calling for his head?
BTW - quite a thrill for me (besides the EAGLES win):  when G.B. took possession in OT, I pronounced to my brother, husband, and aunt (the only ones left to see the end of the game) "interception. Brian Dawkins."  Well I'll be!!
Sorry that your team is through -- being a Phila sports team fan, I certainly know the unpleasantness.
FReegards.

[TradicalRC]

The good bishop has been a bright beacon in the darkness.

God Bless him.