Free Republic

Defenders of right reason and doctrinal coherence must often, these days, upon reading the latest column in support of, say, holy Communion for divorced-and-remarried Catholics or ecclesial recognition of the gay life-style, engage in ‘comprehensional self-checks’ along the lines of “Did so-and-so really say that? Can that possibly mean what it seems clearly to have said?” But, to an extent that has never been required of one before, Bp. Robert Lynch’s (St. Petersburg FL) “Locker Room” essay on the Synod of Bishops and the future of the Church demands that readers repeatedly stop and make sure that they are not...

TAMPA — The servants of the Lord wore red as always, and the servants of the law wore pinstripes. But the annual Red Mass for Tampa's legal community struck a new chord of civil disobedience. Bishop Robert Lynch, leader of nearly a half-million Tampa Bay Catholics, surprised two dozen judges and 300 lawyers Wednesday by promising to thwart the federal health care law. It was a departure from his traditional homilies on the virtues of judicial wisdom. If draft regulations aren't changed, Lynch said, the Diocese of St. Petersburg will no longer provide health insurance for its 2,300 employees. Instead,...

August 27, 2003    Florida Bishops Urge Safer Course For Terri Schiavo   We continue our fervent prayers for Terri Schiavo, for her family, and all involved in this most difficult and heart wrenching situation. After a fourth consideration of her case, the 2nd District Court of Appeals has upheld the latest order of the trial court judge to withdraw her hydration and nutrition tube. An emergency appeal to the Florida Supreme Court was denied. Barring unforeseen legal intervention, the trial court will soon re-schedule the removal of Mrs. Schiavo’s feeding tube.  It is most unfortunate that family members have...

May 24, 2002 ``Hey, if I could get that kind of deal, I'd wear a Speedo for the bishop,'' cogently observed one wag at the end of the bar. Unfortunately for the aforementioned wag, a building contractor himself, given the fact he was, shall we say, at a certain age in life and somewhat physique-challenged, the Speedo gambit quite likely would not have had the desired marketing effect on his business. Much has been made of the revelations Bishop Robert Lynch has funneled more than $30.3 million worth of construction business toward a company owned by his pal David Herman,...

The day after the funeral Mass for Terri Schiavo, which garnered national attention for its touching moments and heavy attendance, Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Florida, informed the church's pastor, Fr. William Swengross of Most Holy Name of Jesus Church and pastor to the Terri's parents, the Schindlers, that he will be transferred in June to St. Stephens Church in Valrico. This church is located out of the diocesan mainstream, far away from Pinellas County, where the Schiavo drama played out. Bishop Lynch previously drew controversy for taking what seemed like a neutral stand in the Schiavo dispute, declining...

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/3/31/225349.shtml

Bishop Lynch to FDLC: "Enough already" "I wonder when and where the current movement backward in liturgy will end and lead", said Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg in his speech to the national meeting of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC) held in Orlando, Florida, in October. Bishop Lynch, who worked at the US bishops' conference from the early 1970s, and was associate and general secretary of conference from 1984 until 1995 when he became bishop of St. Petersburg, recalled the "courage and resolve" of liturgical reformers working in the conference, who "courageously fought for proper liturgical implementation...

Schiavo Case Could Open "Floodgates," Warns Group ROME, MARCH 7, 2005 (Zenit.org).- If Terri Schiavo "can be condemned to death," every person whose life is considered of insufficient quality by a guardian or court could face euthanasia, warns a Catholic organization. The World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC) issued its warning Sunday in regard to the case of the brain-damaged Florida woman whose husband has been in an intense legal battle to stop her artificial feeding. "She is not guilty of any crime, except to a burden for her husband and for a selfish society," said Dr. Gian Luigi...

Italian prelate pleads for Terri Schiavo's life Vatican, Mar. 07 (CWNews.com) - With a deadline looming for the removal of food and water from a brain-damaged Florida woman, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has asked: "How can anyone who claims to speak of the promotion and protection of rights-- of human life-- remain silent?" Cardinal Renato Martino (bio - news) observed, in a March 7 public statement, that if feeding tubes are removed from Terri Schiavo, "She will die a horrible and cruel death." With a court-ordered date for the removal of those tubes quickly...

Church paid $100,000 to Bishop Lynch's aide The Catholic leader denies the man's claims of sexual harassment. His lawyer says the severance pay was not ''hush money.'' By CHUCK MURPHY and WAVENEY ANN MOORE © St. Petersburg Times, published March 23, 2002 The Catholic leader denies the man's claims of sexual harassment. His lawyer says the severance pay was not "hush money." ST. PETERSBURG -- The Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg paid slightly more than $100,000 to a former employee who claimed he had been harassed by Bishop Robert Lynch. Lynch appeared at a news conference Friday to calmly deny...

Terri’s Bishop Issues Bizarre Statement Implies Schindlers should accept her imminent death and reconcile with her killer Terri’s Bishop Issues Bizarre Statement Implies Schindlers should accept her imminent death and reconcile with her killer ST. PETERSBURG, March 2, 2005 (LifeSitenews.com) - For some time now, pro-life Catholics fighting to save the life of Terri Schiavo, have been clamouring for a statement or intervention by the bishop of St. Petersburg Florida, Terri’s home diocese. Now that such a statement has finally been made, the same pro-lifers might well be wishing Bishop Robert N. Lynch had maintained his silence. The Florida Catholic...

Terri’s Bishop Issues Bizarre Statement Implies Schindlers should accept her imminent death and reconcile with her killer ST. PETERSBURG, March 2, 2005 (LifeSitenews.com) - For some time now, pro-life Catholics fighting to save the life of Terri Schiavo, have been clamoring for a statement or intervention by the bishop of St. Petersburg Florida, Terri’s home diocese. Now that such a statement has finally been made, the same pro-lifers might well be wishing Bishop Robert N. Lynch had maintained his silence. The Florida Catholic Bishops’ conference has stated plainly that Terri’s means of receiving food and water does not constitute ‘extraordinary’...

Seattle Catholic is not affiliated with the Archdiocese of Seattle A Journal of Catholic News and Views 1 Mar 2005 Get Down There! by Steve O'Brien Prior to the War of 1812, the British emissary to Washington, D.C., Francis James "Copenhagen" Jackson described Americans as "all alike", except that some few were "less knaves than others." While I do not share that vitriolic Englishman's estimation of all Americans, that pithy quote flies to my mind whenever I consider the American bishops. The most notorious are indefensible, their sins and crimes so grievous, particularly their actions against children, that decent...

Attorneys for Terri Schiavo's parents are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. Even as they fight to extend Schiavo's life beyond the March 18 date that her feeding tube is scheduled to be removed, lawyers also filed motions Monday on her last rites and on whether Schiavo will be cremated or buried. Lawyer David Gibbs III, representing Schiavo's parents, asked the court for several days of total hearing time to argue numerous motions, including other filings to get Schiavo experimental treatment and to remove her husband as her guardian. In all, about a dozen emergency motions were...

Douglas R. Scott, president of Life Decisions International (LDI), today blasted the Florida Catholic Conference (FCC) for "a cold and feeble response to the plight of Terri Schindler Schiavo and those like her." " The FCC issued a statement that addressed Presumption for Nutrition and Hydration: "The Catholic community begins discussions regarding the withdrawal and withholding of artificial nutrition and hydration with a presumption in favor of their provision. However, when the burdens exceed the benefits of providing them, they may be withdrawn or withheld. We note that what is too burdensome for one person may not be too burdensome...

Bishop Lynch passed away last night. Bishop Lynch was remembered for his civil disobediance at abortion clinics in Westchester NY, often being arrested with Father Fidelis (a franciscan brother at the time.) Please include Bishop Lynch in your prayers.

TAMPA - Saying his accuser is fabricating facts about their relationship, Bishop Robert Lynch lashed out at continuing news coverage of sexual harassment allegations against him. Yet, in an interview in Thursday's edition of The Florida Catholic, Lynch also suggested he might follow disgraced Palm Beach Bishop Anthony O'Connell and resign if Catholic opinion starts turning against him. Lynch didn't detail the ``fabrications of fact'' he said were made by former diocesan communications director William Urbanski. Nor did he mention that Urbanski was paid $100,000, despite a Lynch-appointed church panel's conclusion that Urbanski's allegations were unprovable. Diocesan spokeswoman Mary Jo...