American bishops do what they do best... talk endlessly without ever really DOING anything.
Yes, yes... the headline is encouraging. But the reality is, the nuancing of what was said would make Barack Obama blush. Well, his White side anyhow.
But anyhow, check out the headline from LifeSiteNews.com
Finn says, "A significant new attack on innocent human life will likely send us into a moral freefall that would rival any financial decline"
"All other issues ... have to take second place to the issue of life, so-called good Catholics, are quite ready to vote for a pro-abortion candidate under almost any circumstance."
"Do some of our so-called good Catholics, who may go to Mass every Sunday and receive the Holy Eucharist, really believe that voting for a pro-abortion candidate, when there is a clear alternative and therefore no justifiable reason for so doing, is really not voting to have children killed? This election is all about saving our children!"
This is from a whopping three. Specifically, Bishops Robert W. Finn of Kansas City, Robert Hermann of St. Louis, and Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore. And in all fairness, there has been a handful of other bishops who have said essentially the same thing. A pathetically small handful.
And I'll sincerely tip my hat to these three for having the courage to at least say something, but let's see what some of what was actually said;
Some Catholics have expressed concern that neither John McCain nor Barack Obama are worthy candidates, due to the former's support for intrinsically evil embryonic stem cell research, and the latter's support not only for embryo research, but also for abortion. Bishop Finn responds to the concern by declaring that, when faced with two "imperfect" candidates, "we should choose the candidate whose position will likely do the least grave evil, or whose position will do the most to limit the specific grave evil of abortion."
Hell, I'll do it myself;
Internally; in its nature; essentially; really; truly.
[1913 Webster]
Evil \E"vil\ ([=e]"v'l) n.
Producing or threatening sorrow, distress, injury, or calamity; unpropitious; calamitous; as, evil tidings; evil arrows; evil days.
[1913 Webster]
But anyhow, all this talk talk talk from American bishops is nothing but hot wind. When was the last pro-abortion politician excommunicated? When was the last Roman Collar wearing defender of abortion defrocked? And not just removed from a parish... but defrocked?
Never. That's when.
Overall, the bishops pissed away any moral authority they had when they protected homosexuals rapists. This a a perfect chance to regain the high ground they lost. But they won't. Excommunicating baby-killers is oh-so politically incorrect.
And God knows the USCCB doesn't want to hurt anyones feelings. Self-esteem trumps dead babies every time.
Damn Right! How about you and I take a visit to where these yellow spined nabobs meet and kick a few chairs around. I am sick of this crap. I have never wanted to be lead more than now and I can't get my leader to lead. Again another fine example of men being afraid to sacrifice!
ReplyDeleteidle curiousity, Cavey -- do you think it's more likely that Pelosi, Biden, et al, would respond to excommunication by repenting or trying to foment schism?
ReplyDeleteIf schism, would it be a greater scandal than their formal cooperation with intrinsic evil?
"When was the last pro-abortion politician excommunicated?"
ReplyDeleteWhen he was still in LaCrosse, WI, Bishop Burke excommunicated three members of state govt. I think.
ATI,
ReplyDeleteFrom their track record, I cannot forsee Polosi & Friends repenting anytime soon. Their Pride won't allow it.
And as far as which is worse, the scandal of cooperation with murder is far worse. Remember, the Eastern Orthodox are in schism, but still retain valid Sacraments, Orders.... and under certain circumstances, Catholics can fulfill their Sunday obligation at EO Liturgy.
_______________________________
FD,
Do you have the names or a news link?
This article makes mention of it..
ReplyDeletehttp://www.renewamerica.us/columns/abbott/060822
"Wuerl's article was clearly aimed at the bishops who, during the Kerry-Bush presidential campaign, said they would refuse Communion to nominally Catholic John Kerry. Arguably the most prominent among them was Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis who took action against pro-abortion politicians in LaCrosse, WI in November 2003. His notification read, "In accord with the norm of can. 915, Catholic legislators...who continue to support procured abortion or euthanasia may not present themselves to receive Holy Communion. They are not to be admitted to Holy Communion, should they present themselves, until such time as they publicly renounce their support of these most unjust practices."
I recall this going on at the time in WI and for some reason I am having trouble finding the names on the interent, I think it may be something along the lines of Burke told the priests to deny communion and told the politicans they were not to recieve and most people in the areas could figure out this was aimed it.
I recall that one democrat state leg. from Stevens Point was among the three, she was in a heavily Polish area and people had gone to Bishop Burke because of the scandal of her taking communion and the good Bishop took action to protect the Eucharist.
BTW I have not met a WI seminarian who did not think very highly of Burke so the future is bright for the Church here!
FD,
ReplyDeleteIn all sincerity, it's good that Abp Burke re-enforced the basic Catholic teaching concerning rcv'ing Holy Communion while in a state of Mortal Sin, but I must ask again... who was excommunicated?
Here are two of the three names,with their comments. This is from a 2004 article from a local Wisconsin paper.
ReplyDelete"State Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, who received a letter from Burke, issued a statement Thursday night reiterating her position that she would not let religion decide how she served her constituents.
"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," she said.
In a statement last month, U.S. Rep. David Obey, a Democrat from Wausau, said he respects the effort of the bishop and any other clergy member to try to influence him through advocacy and reason.
"The votes I cast are driven by my own independent judgment and conscience, not by a set of marching orders given by any church hierarchy, prelate or associated lobby group," Obey said."
"When was the last pro-abortion politician excommunicated?"
ReplyDeleteFD,
But no one was ever excommunicated.
They recieved a letter from the Bishop telling them they were not to recieve communion, the Bishop instructed all his priests to make sure they did not recieve.
ReplyDeleteSince I am a product of a pretty lack-luster, spirit of Vatican II, Catholic education, maybe I am missing something here but isn't the Bishop dennying somone communion an excommunication?
To be perfectly clear, as far as I know these three politicans are not to present themselves for communion if they do, the priest will not give it to them, as per the Bishop's order.
FD,
ReplyDeleteGod bless him... but all Abp Burke did was remind these knuckleheads that they were in a state of mortal sin. And as long as they remained in that state, they simply coudn't rcv Holy Commuinion.
And that pertains to every single on of us in a state of M.S.
What the good Apb did was far from excommunication.
But hey... at least he did SOMETHING!! Which is a helluva lot more than could be said of the vast majority of American bishops.
Ok VSC, thanks for the clarification.
ReplyDeleteApb. Burke's actions may not have been exactly what we would have wanted from a Bishop, but he certainly was heading in the right direction (esp. compared to many of his brother Bishops) and I am certainly grateful for the time he led the Church in Western Wisconsin.
I guess as to the question you asked, when was the last time a pro-abortion politican was excommunicated, we'll have to look to Poland, my sources tell me that Archbishop Tadeusz Goclowski of Gdansk excommunicated a politican earlier this summer.