Posted on 03/26/2009 5:25:37 PM PDT by chase19
Is the Obama Administration pressuring the Holy See to slience Archbp. Burke?
Context: Archbp. Burke recently made clear statements in an interview about pro-abortion Catholic politicians and Holy Communion.
It is written by Austin Ruse, "President of the New York and Washington, D.C.-based Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-FAM), a research institute that focuses exclusively on international social policy."
Read the whole thing there, but this is the salient part:
Thursday, 26 March 2009 Hey, Obama: Hands Off Burke Print By Austin Ruse
A reliable source tells me that someone representing the Obama administration is about to put pressure on the papal nuncio to the United States to get Archbishop Raymond Burke to be quiet. The Obama complaint is that Archbishop Burke, who is now head of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome, has supported another bishop in his chastisement of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for her support of abortion.
...
Burke closed the interview by issuing a challenge to his brother bishops, most notably Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C.: “Every bishop is held to the same universal discipline which has been in force since the time of St. Paul the Apostle and is stated in canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law.” And then this: “Whether Governor Sebelius is in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, or in any other diocese [italics mine], she should not present herself for Holy Communion because, after pastoral admonition, she obstinately persists in serious sin.”
You can see why the Obama administration might get upset about this. They played footsie with pet Catholics of left and right last year and thought they had this kind of problem covered, since some of them have already offered cover for Sebelius. Two groups created to offer such services, Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance, started a petition drive saying Sebelius was really pro-life.
And now there is word that someone who is well known among Republicans, and who has served in previous Republican administrations, is reaching out on behalf of the Obama administration to get the Holy See to quiet Burke, or at least to make it clear he speaks not for the Church, but only for himself.
...
But it’s not just questioning her fitness for office that offends Obama and his Catholics. They are also offended about Burke questioning Sebelius’s fidelity to the Catholic Church, for this strikes at the heart of their appeal to Catholics in the pews. Catholics who believe the Democratic answer to health care is more important than the murder of a million children a year desperately need the fiction that someone like Sebelius is a Catholic in good standing. Burke gives the lie to that assertion.
...
The pressure won’t work, of course. Burke is just too smart, and tough. But Obama and his representatives are coming dangerously close to interfering in internal Church matters. [Just setting the stage for what is to come.] More than anything else, the free exercise clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution was intended precisely to protect religious bodies from meddling by the state, even covert meddling by the White House like this. Obama and his pet Catholics should back off – and fast.
Like the Pope would ACTUALLY listen to that thug, Bammy! HA!
That TRAITOR Paul O’Neill??? The Pope wouldn’t listen to him either.
No, the Nazis did NOT compromise the Church’s leadership before WWII. The Vatican was never complicit with the Nazis and anyone who knows anything about history, knows that, which apparently you don’t.
You’ve swallowed the lie that was put out in the 60’s by a FICTION writer!!! Do your homework at the time of the situation.
prismsinc-> Didn’t the Nazis prior to WW2 manage to compromise the Church’s leadership?”
No! You posted a well worn rumor by enemies of the Church and got this information from one of their sites. The question I have is which site? The Catholic Church is the leader in this recent spiritual battle and I would suggest other Christians to be wary on who they target because they’re not going to survive if the Catholic Church is weakened. All the religious of like-mind need to unite.
Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals:
13. Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.
http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/8925/alinsky.htm
People who lay negative seeds about the Catholic Church are only hurting themselves.
The abusers and calumniators who plant these seeds are not out to get the truth, to build up, to edify. Their bent is to destroy, to liquidate. Hence, no matter what information you give them, they will not desist but will use these deliberate planted rumors targeted at the Church to further their own ambitions.
You have a lot of questions about the Church for someone who is a Catholic. The net is at your fingertips - do your own research starting with “and the fact that 70% of Catholics that voted, voted Obama”. That’s an easy search which will prove your “fact” is incorrect.
‘... abusers and calumniators who plant these seeds are not out to get the truth, to build up, to edify. Their bent is to destroy, to liquidate. Hence, no matter what information you give them, they will not desist but will use these deliberate planted rumors targeted at the Church to further their own ambitions.’’
What exactly are you trying to say? I work for a living. Maybe I don’t have all the facts, but if you’re a Catholic and you have facts that I’m missing, what harm would it be for you to inform me? If you don’t have any, accusing me of trying to undermine the Church isn’t productive for either of us. Maybe YOU are the mole on FR trying to minimize me, which I suspect is truly the case.
If the Church has been compromised, it’s their duty to purge the those that are harming the Church. Obama is getting away with dictating to the Church. The Church needs to excommunicate Biden, Sebelius, Pelosi, and Kellman, if in fact they are all members “in good standing”. I understand Sebelius was told NOT to recieve communion. This is a start, but much more needs to come from the Church. Obama should be denounced, not glorified with an honorary degree from Notre Dame. That’s an abomination!!!!
I also work for a living and just happen to have had a day off yesterday and today. I had planned to do some stuff at home but...the road to hell was paved with good intentions. :} I have no idea what you’re talking about in regards “trying to minimize you”. Sorry if I misunderstood your original question. It’s not unusual to see people posting anti-Catholic innuendos wrapped up as questions.
I gave my own opinion on the question about Pelosi, Biden et al here - they excommunicated themselves: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2216096/posts. The media are hostile toward the Church because they’re not buying into the pro-abortionist, pro-infanticidal, FOCA supporting Obama. As for our Bishops, imo, they’re walking a fine tight-rope and have to be careful in such an atmosphere as anything they say or do is critiqued up the ying yang by Pravda. These pravdists also have a habit of troting out; WWII, the Crusades, pedophilia and the Inquisition accompanying any article they write.
EWTN is a good resource - their library is full of excellent and well researched information.
“Obama should be denounced, not glorified with an honorary degree from Notre Dame. That’s an abomination!!!!”
We’re in full agreement here except that the Church can’t just come out and denounce him. Obama and his henchmen knew that the invitation would cause a furor when they accepted - they will keep chipping but one mustn’t fall into their trap(s). This is only the beginning - it’s going to get a lot worse. Let’s support our bishops and point to who the real enemies are...
Apologies. I misunderstood you.
Thanks prismsinc - I think we both misunderstood each other - it’s difficult on the net...
Here’s another little pony trick from the Obama admin:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2216164/posts
Jochim’s ideas were about REFORMING the Church. Interesting that Obama, a Marxist, just happened to read Church history and came upon this specific prophet. Even more interesting that one of his henchmen proffered the information, without being asked, that Obama came up with this prophet all by himself.
It will be interesting to watch this one play out. The American Catholic Church has been blindly loyal to the DNC for decades, and is willing to overlook a lot. I just wonder if they (the DNC) is finally pushing to far.
If any politican is trying to influence or silence a bishop that is an inappropriate intrusion on the internal affairs of the Church. No one in the Obama administration is an expert on theology or Catholic social teachings.
If you’re a Catholic, why are you making up numbers (70%) that are not even close to being accurate?
Didn’t make that number up. Saw the stats after the election. I wouldn’t make that number up.
OK...well, the real number (from Pew) is 54%. And that’s “Catholics” in general...it’s not broken down by frequency of Mass attendance, so it includes people who identify culturally as Catholic, but may never attend Mass.
The answer (perhaps)as to who was putting the pressure on:
Dr. Thomas Patrick Melady is the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.
Sorry (barf)it’s an NCR article:
http://ncronline.org/news/politics/politicizing-communion-harms-interests-church
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