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

[old and tired]

Thanks for posting the Catholic pols articles. It'll come in handy.

[old and tired]

Oh, the libs will demand lots of stuff. They'll demand anyone who doesn't raise taxes should be denied communion.

Well, that's just the sort of idiocy that'll be fun to watch...

[tiki]

:-}

[conservonator]

Well, I hope he'll take his crusade with him down the Mississip.

With stops in Dubuque and Davenport along the way.

[pseudo-justin]

Ignatius Press Catechism Series

Above is the link to the Iggy Press series. It was one of very few to pass muster with the recent USCCB committe on catechetical materials. For complete list see link below.

Ignatius Press does not have a series for high schoolers, but Ave Maria Press (the Tom Monaghan gang) does. For a list of approved texts see:

List of Approved Catechetical Texts (PDF file)

[old and tired]

it's going to set up an us vs. them adversarial relationship with a few orders and parishes. And the press will play it up, too.

That's just the sort of thing that scares me. I've wanted for so long these bishops to do something (anything?) and now that some are finally starting to take concrete action, I genuinely fear an actual schism. Not that there isn't already a de facto one, I guess.

[Bigg Red]

God bless this bishop! I pray his attitude is contagious.

[enuu]

Thank you for making that point. It is a widespread misunderstanding perpetuated by the news media that the Pope "condemned" the war in Iraq or declared it "unjust". He did NOT do so. Some high-ranking Vatican officials gave their opinions, but that was not the definitive church viewpoint. I was so confused by the media misrepresentation on this, and discovered the best way to get to the truth is to read the words of the Holy Father himself. His Aposotolic notice on the war is on the Holy See's website: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/

[ArrogantBustard]

Which document are you trying to link?

[k omalley]

If there is any way to get from the Mississippi to the James then send him that way too, to the diocese of Richmond. I don't live there anymore but I think they could use some help.

[Mr. Silverback]

ProLife Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my ProLife Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[Northern Yankee]

I live in Julie Lassa's District, and the letters to the editor of the Stevens Point Journal (The local paper) have been flying.

It appears Julie finds it more important to serve govt. rather than God.

"Render unto Ceasar what are Ceasar's and to God what are God's.!"

[ninenot]

Democrat=Prostitute

[AnimalLover]

In what one national group called an unprecedented action, La Crosse Bishop Raymond L. Burke has issued a document that says Catholic legislators who support abortion rights or euthanasia should not present themselves to receive Communion and should be refused if they do so.

Anyone have the name and address of the Bishop in Florida - the one who has been ignoring Terri Schiavo. I want to send him a copy of this article!!

[ninenot]

Not to worry. That Bish knows about this. Burke, like any other RC Bishop, does not work in a vacuum. The network is quite strong.

Besides: this move has attracted NATIONAL attention from the Press. See following post.

[ninenot]

Story from Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel of 1/10/04:

Lawmakers insist on independence of the church
By TOM HEINEN
theinen@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Jan. 9, 2004
Treading where few Catholic bishops in the world have gone, La Crosse Bishop Raymond L. Burke has moved ahead of his American contemporaries and drawn strong praise and criticism from secular groups by publicly ordering priests in his diocese to refuse Communion to Catholic politicians who vote in favor of abortion or euthanasia.

Wisconsin


Photo/File
Is Bishop Raymond L. Burke:


Truth is, the dark ages ended 500 years ago, and it is not a good idea for the American electorate to begin to be divided along religious lines.



Recent Coverage

1/9/04: Legislators can't have Eucharist, bishop says



"This is certainly absolutely unprecedented action, and it's disturbing because elected officials have to represent constituents from hundreds of religious groups and non-believers, and not just give blind adherence to one religious demand, even if it is a demand from the bishop," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, a United Church of Christ minister and executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State in Washington, D.C.

"Truth is, the Dark Ages ended 500 years ago, and it is not a good idea for the American electorate to begin to be divided along religious lines. That is the inevitable consequence of clergy punishing church members for not following church doctrine in their voting pattern."

However, three groups opposing abortion commended Burke for holding politicians accountable, for "taking a historic step forward," and for being a "wise and caring shepherd."

Politicians know that they can be stripped of committee leadership positions and can have their own legislation held up if they go against their political party's positions, said Susan Armacost, legislative director of Wisconsin Right to Life, a non-sectarian group in Milwaukee. So, she asked, why is it horrible if the bishop of their denomination disciplines them for crossing a line?

"We're saying, 'What's the problem? Stop the whining and accept the consequences,' " Armacost said.

Also praising Burke were Judie Brown, president of the Virginia-based American Life League, and Peggy Hammill, state director of Pro-Life Wisconsin, a Christian group based in Brookfield.

Burke, who will be installed as archbishop of St. Louis on Jan. 26, attracted national attention last month when it became known that he had sent letters to three unnamed Wisconsin legislators in his diocese to warn them that their support of "anti-life" legislation was causing grave scandal and putting their spiritual well-being at risk.

He ratcheted that up Thursday when he published a pastoral letter "On the Dignity of Life and Civic Responsibility" and a "Notification" in The Catholic Times, his diocesan newspaper. The notice tells Catholic legislators there who support abortion or euthanasia not to attempt to receive Communion and orders priests not to give it to them.

Burke's action comes while a task force of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is developing a policy to guide U.S. bishops in handling Catholic legislators. The Vatican issued a doctrinal note on the participation of Catholics in political life about a year ago.

Father Thomas Reese, editor of the Jesuit magazine America, said Burke "pushed the envelope." Reese did not know of many bishops around the world who had taken similar action.

"I don't know of any Italian bishops who are denying Communion to Catholic politicians in Italy who are voting wrong on abortion," Reese said. "The real question is, is this the beginning of a trend or is this going to be simply an isolated story?"

Reese said the U.S. bishops have not decided how they want to handle the issue.

Burke, a canon lawyer, has followed canonical obligations and pastoral duty by trying to correct the politicians' behavior in various steps before taking more serious action.

Diocesan spokeswoman Rose Hammes said Friday that Burke was out of town and unavailable for comment.

The diocesan newspaper quoted Burke as saying that he took action because the three legislators had not accepted his invitation to meet with him and appeared unwilling to conform to church teaching.

State Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point), who has acknowledged being one of the three, released a statement Friday, saying, "When I was sworn into office, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution. My constituents have the right to expect that I will represent people of all faiths. Bishop Burke certainly has a right to voice his opinion, and I will give him the same respectful hearing I would give any other citizen.

"I hold Bishop Burke in high regard; however, I believe any effort to pressure legislators by threatening to deny them the sacraments is contrary to the principles of democracy."

U.S. Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), whose home office is in the diocese, released a more pointed statement without indicating whether he had been contacted by Burke.

"Bishop Burke has a right to instruct me on matters of faith and morals in my private life and - like any other citizen - to try by persuasion, not dictation, to affect my vote on any public matter. But, when he attempts to use his ecclesiastical position to dictate to American public officials how the power of law should be brought to bear against Americans who do not necessarily share our religious beliefs, on abortion or any other public issue, he crosses the line into unacceptable territory.

"The U.S. Constitution, which I have taken a sacred oath to defend, is designed to protect American citizens from just such authoritarian demands."


The estimable Barry Lynn weighs in from the Twilight Zone, and Dave Obey, an ego similar in all ways to Ted Kennedy, resents the abominable treatment from his Bishop and Pastor.

[GirlShortstop]

"Truth is, the Dark Ages ended 500 years ago, and it is not a good idea for the American electorate to begin to be divided..."

NO!  Truth is TRUTH, and it is timeless.

[Thorin]

God bless Bishop Burke!

[GirlShortstop]

Anyone have the name and address of the Bishop in Florida - the one who has been ignoring Terri Schiavo

Good to have a reference of the Bishops' listing

Florida

Archdiocese of Miami
Most Reverend John C. Favalora
9401 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami Shores, FL 33138

Most Reverend Gilberto Fernandez
9401 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami Shores, FL 33138

Most Reverend Agustín A. Román
9401 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami Shores, FL 33138

Diocese of Orlando
Most Reverend Norbert M. Dorsey, CP
P.O. Box 1800
Orlando, FL 32802-1800

Most Reverend Thomas G. Wenski
Coadjutor Bishop of Orlando
P.O. Box 1800
Orlando, Fl 32802

Diocese of Palm Beach
Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito
P.O. Box 109650
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410-9650

Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee
Most Reverend John H. Ricard, SSJ
P.O. Drawer 17329
Pensacola, FL 32522

Diocese of St. Augustine
Most Reverend Victor B. Galeone
P.O. Box 24000
Jacksonville, FL 32241-4000

Diocese of St. Petersburg
Most Reverend Robert N. Lynch
P.O. Box 40200
St. Petersburg, FL 33743

Diocese of Venice
Most Reverend John J. Nevins
1000 Pinebrook Road
P.O. Box 2006
Venice, FL 34284

[Thorin]

Barry Lynn is a perfect representative of the United Church of Christ--a denomination that began with the Pilgrims and is now Christian in Name Only.

The whining politicians are ridiculous. Bishop Burke is not trying to "dictate" to them. He has given them a chance to embrace the Faith they claim to have, and told them they had to make a choice: be a good Catholic or a good pro-abort. No one is forcing them to claim to be Catholic, after all.