(AP: ) US bishops elect NYC archbishop as head in upset (Catholic bloggers blamed)

BALTIMORE – In an upset, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan elected president Tuesday of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, defeating a vice president who had been widely expected to win the job.

It is the first time since the 1960s that a sitting vice president was on the ballot for president and lost. It follows protests by some conservative Catholics against the vice president, Tucson Bishop Gerald Kicanas.

Dolan's surprise victory comes at a time when church leaders are divided over how best to uphold Roman Catholic orthodoxy.

Kicanas has not denied Communion to any Catholic politicians and rejected calls to punish the president of the University of Notre Dame for honoring President Barack Obama, who supports abortion rights. Kicanas instead urged bishops and Catholic university presidents to start a discussion about their differences.

Partly because of Kicanas' approach, he was pilloried in the days leading up to the vote by right-wing Catholic bloggers, who urged readers to send protest faxes and leave messages for bishops at the hotel where they are meeting.

Dolan also does not outright deny the sacrament to dissenting Catholic lawmakers, but he is seen as an outspoken defender of church orthodoxy in a style favored by many theological conservatives.

A growing number of bishops have taken a more aggressive approach, publicly denying Holy Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, warning Catholic voters they should never vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights under any circumstances and reining in prominent dissenters in their dioceses.
Kicanas has not denied Communion to any Catholic politicians and rejected calls to punish the president of the University of Notre Dame for honoring President Barack Obama, who supports abortion rights. Kicanas instead urged bishops and Catholic university presidents to start a discussion about their differences.
Partly because of Kicanas' approach, he was pilloried in the days leading up to the vote by right-wing Catholic bloggers, who urged readers to send protest faxes and leave messages for bishops at the hotel where they are meeting.

Dolan also does not outright deny the sacrament to dissenting Catholic lawmakers, but he is seen as an outspoken defender of church orthodoxy in a style favored by many theological conservatives.

Canon 915 - Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to holy communion.

Sadly, Archbishop Chaput has indicated that it is the responsibility of the communicant to stay away from the Communion Rail. This is not correct. Rather, it is the responsibility of the Minister of the Eucharist to deny Holy Communion. This is a huge difference that goes against the Church's teachings regarding canon 915 as well as recent statements from the Vatican stating that the manifest pro-abortion politicians must be denied, and the burden IS upon the Minister to deny, NOT upon the communicant to stay away
. -- from the thread Will Denver Catholic Archbishop finally enforce Canon 915?

"...there's a question about whether this canon" – the relevant church law – "was ever intended to be used" to bring politicians to heel. He thinks not. "I stand with the great majority of American bishops and bishops around the world in saying this canon was never intended to be used this way." -- from the thread [Archbishop] Wuerl: Why I Won't Deny Pelosi Communion

"An archbishop who says nothing about these sacrilegious Communions is teaching his diocese that being pro-abortion is not sinful. By flouting Canon 915, he is also teaching his diocese that obedience to Canon Law is optional."
-- FReeper Arthur McGowan, September 17, 2009

Alex, your exhibit A speaks for itself. Thanks.

Catholics outside the state of Grace as you know, may appear in front of the priest holding the Precious Body and Blood, for the purpose of receiving a blessing, so, yes, the proximity to the Host will be quite close, but not to recieve more than the preist’s blessing.

I ask you, how did ArchBishop Weurel slip past Rome to recieve the Cardinal designation, given his blatant favortism, shown with the Communion, for those who are famously dissident to the Church Herself?

"Ping! You did your part!"

That is a generous comment to one who did as little as I did, but I thank you for it. For that matter, Alex did his part! ;o)

A round of beer for all the Christifideles!

Seriously, this is much better than I'd expected ---probably because I'd expected a Kicanas win, which would have had me bashing my head against a wall--- and I actually have a high opinion of Kurtz, former Knoxville bishop now doing, as I hear, a very good job in Louisville.

These are good Catholic men. They are men we can communicate with. That --- and the grace of God ---is all I pray for.

Well, in truth, I actually pray for more guys like Toribio of Mongrovejo (Link), lawyer, tireless missionary, model of meekness, and Inquisitor.

The U.S. church has seen a wave of retirements that has swept out leading liberals. The clergy taking their place are generally more traditional and willing to take a harder line against disobedient Catholics. The conference, once known for its sweeping statements on nuclear war and poverty, is now focused on abortion and marriage.

Good to see the leadership take a harder line against those who have encouraged vile behavior in the church and against God. Hopefully all houses of worship will continue to rid the body of Christ from the imposters who are wolves in sheeps clothing....allot more to be done but at least we are seeing a favorable change in leadership and hopefully the others will be outed completely...though I realize that's far easier said than done.

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