Bishop Raymond Burke to pro-aborts: no Faith, no Eucharist

ALL President Judie Brown

Pro-partial-birth-abortion and gay rights "Catholic" Senator Dick Durbin can receive Communion in Springfield, IL, but not in LaCrosse, Wisc.

Bishop Lucas of Springfield, IL, the state capital, the largest gathering spot for so-called "pro-abortion Catholics" in Illinois.

Democratic Chicago Mayor Rich Daley is another "pro-choice" Catholic and a parishioner at Old St. Pat's parish in downtown Chicago

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The Associated Press reported the following story today:

Jan. 8, 2004, 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.

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The American Life League posted the following article on Jan. 8, 2004 at their website:

Wisconsin bishop alerts pro-abortion Catholic politicians: Change your stripes or stay away from Holy Communion (www.all.org/news/newsroom.htm)

Calling it "a historic step forward in dealing with the problem of pro-abortion Catholic political figures," American Life League president Judie Brown expressed her gratitude to Bishop Raymond Burke of La Crosse, Wis., for "using the authority of his office to deal with a grave public scandal.

By issuing a formal decree barring pro-abortion Catholic politicians from receiving Holy Communion, Bishop Burke is not only enforcing Church law but is courageously stepping forward in defense of innocent human beings." Bishop Burke will be installed later this month as the new archbishop of St. Louis.

For the past year, through its Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church, American Life League has been pointing out that Catholic bishops have the authority under Canon Law to take the precise action Bishop Burke has taken. "We have diligently brought to the attention of America's bishops the pro-abortion public comments of Catholic elected officials in each of their dioceses, and the Church's remedy for this disparity," said Mrs. Brown.

"As Bishop Burke states in his notification, 'A Catholic legislator who supports procured abortion or euthanasia, after knowing the teaching of the Church, commits a manifestly grave sin which is a cause of most serious scandal for others.' This is why American Life League has published, and will continue to publish, the names of public officials who claim the Catholic faith yet ignore the Church's clear teachings on the sanctity of human life," she said.

The Vatican reinforced those teachings a year ago when it issued a Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life.

"Since our effort began last year," said Mrs. Brown, "American Life League has identified more than 500 state and federal officeholders who claim to be Catholic while making public pronouncements on abortion that are contrary to Church teachings. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops recently established a task force to take action on this serious problem. We will continue to encourage the task force - and all American bishops - to defend the truth and send a loud, clear message to all Catholic public officials: You cannot be pro-abortion and Catholic."

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