Judge Anne Burke Quits Order of Malta Over Sex Abuse Gag Order

Church Militant ^ | 10/2/18 | David Nussman

[marshmallow]

Cuts ties with lay order after instruction to keep silent on sex abuse scandal

CHICAGO (ChurchMilitant.com) - A top judge in Illinois says she left the Order of Malta because leaders were trying to silence her criticism of the Pope on sex abuse.

Justice Anne Burke currently serves on the Illinois Supreme Court. In 2002–2004, Burke acted as interim chair of the U.S. bishops' independent Review Board charged with scrutinizing the way dioceses handled allegations of priest sex abuse.

Chicago Sun-Times writer Michael Sneed reported on Sept. 24 that Burke had resigned from the Order of Malta after the lay order's leadership told members not to criticize the Church's handling of the sex abuse scandal.

Peter J. Kelly, president of the Order of Malta's U.S. branch, had said in a letter to members, "It is not the mission of the Order of Malta to participate in the debate concerning the current crisis. Therefore, official participation of members in the public debate regarding the aforementioned issues — beyond condemning abuse in general — is not helpful and could interfere with our work."

Burke's response was to cut ties with the Dames of Malta — the female counterpart of the Knights of Malta. She said in a letter to Kelly, "I feel that I cannot remain silent and I no longer wish to be a part of a Catholic organization that is unwilling to take a stand on these issues."

[Bonemaker]

She’s the wife of one of Chicago’s filthiest, slimiest democrat politicians.

[dominic flandry]

What she said is true. She was right to criticize the Dames and Knights of Malta.

[Romulus]

Irrelevant. Her decision to resign from SMOM is principled and commendable.

[morphing libertarian]

bttt

[mosesdapoet]

I watched the 14th ward (Ed Burke’s) which was once upon a time was the area known as “Back of the Yards” quickly dissolve from a cohesive neighborhood of a centralized collection of frame single family one and two story dwellings mainly settled by Eastern Europeans and Hispanics employed by the meat packing industry,into a ghetto.

Its disintegration began when the major food processors began to leave the fabled stock yards and was spurred on by the no money down housing payment policy which created the market crash.

To accommodate Burke his ward was redistricted to include stable areas of other wards with pieces of the 11th,12th and 23rd wards on the near mid south and west sides on the city.

This type of remapping should be an issue because it rips up
a community identity and forces the citizens and small businesses in them to go through multiple politicians when local problems occur.