Wisconsin Catholic Lawmakers Seek Victim Status In Feud With Bishop

Catholic League For Religious and Civil Rights ^ | December 5, 2003

[EsclavoDeCristo]

December 5, 2003   

 

WISCONSIN CATHOLIC LAWMAKERS

SEEK VICTIM STATUS IN FEUD WITH BISHOP

 

A Catholic congressman from Wisconsin, and two Catholic state legislators, have received a letter from Bishop Raymond Burke of La Crosse objecting to their voting record on life issues.  The bishop, who was named Archbishop of St. Louis this week, said that if the lawmakers continued to vote “anti-life,” he would “ask them not to present themselves to receive the sacraments because they would not be Catholics in good standing.”  The letter has now occasioned a public furor, leading Catholics and non-Catholics alike to criticize Bishop Burke for violating the principle of separation of church and state.

 

Catholic League president William Donohue defended the bishop today:

 

“Raymond L. Burke did not lose his right to freedom of speech when he became a bishop.  He not only has a First Amendment right to speak his mind, he has a moral obligation to do so on matters of life and death.  It is important to note that Bishop Burke did not advise his priests to refuse Communion to anti-life Catholic lawmakers, he simply asked the offending politicians not to seek Communion. 

 

“If the issue were segregation, not abortion, the critics of Bishop Burke would be praising him.  For example, when New Orleans Archbishop Joseph Rummel publicly chastised Catholics in the 1950s for stopping an African American priest from celebrating Mass, he was regarded as a hero.  When he excommunicated three Catholic leaders and two public office holders in 1962 for promoting segregation, he was praised by elites.  In other words, it’s the issue that matters, not the right of a bishop to censure Catholic politicians. 
 

“Regarding separation of church and state, we have a minister running for president and no one complains.  Similarly, no one complained when Senator Joseph Lieberman, an orthodox Jew, opined in 2000 that ‘My religion decides what’s right.  And what’s right for me as vice president will be what’s right for America.’  Now imagine what would happen if Bishop Burke ran for president and said what Lieberman said?”

The Catholic League is the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization. It defends individual Catholics and the institutional Church from defamation and discrimination.
 

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[EsclavoDeCristo]

'Bout time we have a Catholic clergy member who's not ashamed to do what is right nor to say what must be said!!! Amen Bishop Burke!!! Now how can I get him to transfer to my diocese?

[Once-Ler]

So who are the lawmakers he is sending letters to?

[Once-Ler]

related story.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1035136/posts

[GeronL]

What a headline. I didn't know there was really such a thing as official victims and that wealthy lawmakers want to be victims

[dsc]

"violating the principle of separation of church and state."

Future generations are going to boggle at America's acceptance of the nonsense implicit in such statements.

The founding fathers said, "Keep government's hands off religion," and we've allowed the forces of evil to convince millions that what they really meant was, "Keep the influence of God out of government."

As for Bishop Burke, he deserves a cheering section.

Gimme a "B"
Gimme a "U"
Gimme an "R"...

[Tantumergo]

Praise God for a faithful bishop (archbishop!).

Pray for 10 more like him and the Church can change the face of America.

[Desdemona]

This is going to be so much fun.

Actually, the only U.S. seat held by a Catholic from this archdiocese, I think, is Lacy Clay, my congrescritter.

The local ones, though, a lot are. I can just hear the complaints now about the Catholics having too much power in St. Louis. Well, we were here first. Think of the name.

[Salvation]

It would seem that these congressmen and legislators have some choices to make.

Their religion

or

a legislative, congressional seat.


Hmmmmmmmm.

Not a difficult choice. They could have both if their personal values and choices were realigned.

I pray that they can do this.

[Salvation]

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William E. Simon, Sr. and Jr. Devout Catholics, Philanthropists and Politicians

Deadly Dozen senator taken to task over claims of Catholicism

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Blood On Their Hands: Exposing Pro-abortion Catholic Politicians

MI Gov Granholm Proclaims June "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month"

Colorado Governor To Media:'WE LOVE OUR CHURCH' [Gov. Bill Owens

U.S. Senator Brownback and Commentator Dick Morris Join Catholic Church

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CONFUSIONS ABOUT POLITICAL JUDGMENT AND THE MORAL LAW

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Kennedy likens Vatican stance on gay unions to 'bigotry' (oh, go get a job, you little creep)

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Catholic politicians facing dogmatic threat

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New St. Louis Catholic Archbishop Warns Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians of Excommunication.

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Wisconsin Catholic Lawmakers Seek Victim Status In Feud With Bishop

[RobbyS]

Lacy Clay, my congrescritter.

Pro-life or pro-choice?

[BlackElk]

Christmas came early this year for Desdemona and other seriously Catholic folk in the St. Louis Archdiocese as Pope John Paul II sent them Archbishop-designate Raymond Burke, 55 years of age, tanned, rested and ready to demonstrate magnificently what an archbishop can do.

The relatively recent appointment of Justin Cardinal Rigali to become Archbishop of Philadelphia had created a vacancy at St. Louis, just as the promotion of Bishop Burke has now created a vacancy at La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Genuine Catholics will pray for a worthy sucessor of Bishop Burke to be apponted to La Crosse and that that repleacement will pick up where Bishop Burke left off by sending copies of the referenced latter to the same legislators and putting a deadline on their response. An unsatisfactory response should lead to the promised invitation (mandatory) to stop receiving the sacraments and the necessary public declaration of non-Catholicism of those "Catholic" legislators who refuse to obey.

Desdemona, I guess this means we probably won't be able to persuade you to move to Rockford. Sigh.

[TotusTuus]

Christmas came early this year for Desdemona and other seriously Catholic folk in the St. Louis Archdiocese as Pope John Paul II sent them ...

And let us not forget the Christmas present given to the good people of the Diocese of Phoenix. Namely, this holy Bishop:

A conservative Catholic bishop, handpicked by Pope John Paul II for most of his clerical assignments over a 30-year career, takes over next month as spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

The appointment Tuesday of the Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, bishop of Wichita, Kan., fits a pattern of several recent bishop assignments: a church leader who studied and worked in Rome, is considered orthodox in his belief and faithful to the pope.

He was on nobody's short list for the appointment. That "hand-picked" connotation by the Pope has a nice ring to it. I'm telling you, Phoenix just might blossom under his care. He has a core of young and upcoming orthodox Priests scattered throughout several parishes to assist his oversight. The future looks bright, very bright!

[TotusTuus]

Hey Jeff, do you know if Fr. Doug Lorig of St. Anne's is still active in the "bi-ritual" situation at St. Thomas Byzantine Catholic Church in Gilbert?

[Desdemona]

Not pro-life.

[Desdemona]

Desdemona, I guess this means we probably won't be able to persuade you to move to Rockford. Sigh.

Not at the current time. Sorry.

I'm hoping that Archbishop Burke will do something about the liturgical abuses here. Rigali tried, but....

[Jeff Chandler]

Hey Jeff, do you know if Fr. Doug Lorig of St. Anne's is still active in the "bi-ritual" situation at St. Thomas Byzantine Catholic Church in Gilbert?

I don't know the current situation but I'll ask some folks who know.

I do know that the day Bishop O'Brien stepped down, Fr. Lorig moved the tabernacle from the side of the church to the altar. That speaks volumes. St.Anne's has also been very instrumental in the development of VirtueMedia. Tom Peterson, who started VirtueMedia, is a parishioner there. It was on a retreat led by Fr. Lorig that Tom decided to downsize his secular business and devote his life to doing what God had in mind for him. Our parish's (St. Mary's) Respect Life organization were the first ones to donate to VirtueMedia, though.

[RobbyS]

Then her staff is in the process of working up a reply in advance and if she has a parish that priest will have a few things to think about also.

[RobbyS]

Wow! REome has said" O.K. we have let you guys choose and you have come up with some real bummers. They must feel like the guys at the Pantagon who "can't wait" for Rummy's next move. So much for the old career track.

[k omalley]

Does anyone know if a replacement has been named for Walter Sullivan in the diocese of Richmond, Va? My heart longs to go back to SW Virginia in a few years to retire, but I cannot until the state of the Catholic church there improves. If only Il Papa would appoint someone like Burke. I imagine you would hear much weeping and wailing, however. Catholics there have become used to being Protestant.

[saradippity]

I believe we are very fortunate,i hadn't heard about the move of the tabernacle,good for Fr. Lorig.

It was funny to read comments from the prevailing power structure when the appointment of Bishop Olmsted was announced. In the first interview,one said they were "shocked" at this selection from the Vatican.

I think that was "code" to the pew sleepers that they were supposed to be upset along with the "shock". Fortunately,this same power structure deadened the minds and souls of so many of the faithful,that the faithful were not aware of how dreadful the method of selection was,having long ago lost any sense of connection between our local church and the Catholic Church led by Peter from the Vatican.Most of them probably wondered why Viacom had anything to do with the appointment of the Bishop anyway,but what the heck,"oh well". They (the old powere brokers)are now trying to figure out what to do next.

Another piece of good news is/was that Father Corapi gave a two day retreat at "Our Lady of Joy" last week. Two years ago a friend of mine had arranged for him to give a retreat,it was cancelled by his superior after a word from our bishop.

Also the Catholic Sun whose publiher,Chris Gunty,is now on his way to Florida to continue corrupting six Florida dioceses with his poisonous publisher's pen seems to have allowed two priests' letters to the editor, expressing a Catholic moral view to be printed. It is just one minor miracle after another.