Posted on 02/18/2019 8:38:54 AM PST by ebb tide
VERONA, New York, February 15, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — A New York priest is asking his bishop to “be a man and not a mouse” and excommunicate pro-abortion Catholic politicians under his jurisdiction.
Namely, that’s Democratic U.S. Congressman Anthony Brindisi, who as state representative co-sponsored New York’s extreme abortion bill that allows abortion right up to birth, and abortion by non-doctors.
In the wake of the bill’s passage last month, Fr. Edmund Castronovo published a strongly worded personal email to Bishop Robert Cunningham of Syracuse in his February 3 parish bulletin, he told LifeSiteNews.
“Do you sense the utter anger, exasperation, disgust and revulsion that we who are pro-life are experiencing after the enactment of the Reproductive Health Act by Andrew Cuomo?” wrote the pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Verona.
“We are sick and tired of words, words, words out of our Bishops and no action. We are revolted by the sheer insouciance of Timothy Cardinal Dolan’s ‘excommunication is not appropriate in this instance,'” wrote Castronovo.
“Excellency, it is time to be a man and not a mouse. It is time to be a true High Priest of Jesus Christ.”
Castronovo’s letter echoes the cry by many Catholic leaders that New York’s bishops respond to the state’s extreme abortion law by excommunicating Catholic Gov. Michael Cuomo.
Adding to his distress after the bill passed, Castronovo caught an interview on local television with an elderly Catholic couple going into Mass, the priest told LifeSiteNews.
“They both thought that abortion was between the woman and God. The woman said it’s a woman’s choice and she should do what she thinks is best for her body,” he said.
A week later, Bishop Cunningham released a public letter stating he has had “numerous” communications from Catholics “expressing your grief, anger and frustration” over the state’s “horrific” abortion law.
However, along with the outcry, “I have heard also the cry for retaliation,” Cunningham wrote.
Abortion is “deplorable” but “to alienate those who publicly disregard the sanctity of life is contrary to a Church that should always be open to receive the repentant sinner,” he wrote.
“Pope Francis reminds us often that we are called to extend Christ’s love and mercy to all, especially those on the fringes.”
The bishop’s response “disappointed” him, said Castronovo.
“Nobody is calling for retaliation, that’s unChristian,” he told LifeSiteNews.
“My whole point in this whole thing was that excommunication is for the salvation of the soul of the person who is committing the sin,” Castronovo said.
“And it’s also a way of educating those Catholics who think that you can do these things and there not be any consequences.”
As for consequences to Castronovo, the bishop emailed to say he “wouldn’t respond to a letter that was put on social media,” and “to tell me he was trying to reach me from phone,” the priest told LifeSiteNews.
The rectory phone was out of order at that time, “wouldn’t you know,” Castronovo said.
“He tried several times, wasn’t getting any answer,” and “I never heard from him after that.”
Cunningham was “disappointed that the letter showed up on social media, and that really was my mistake,” added Castronovo, explaining he should have made clear his email published in the bulletin was an open letter to the bishop.
And while the bishop “might have been a little startled by my language,” Castronovo doesn’t regret his wording.
“I didn’t feel it was offensive, I felt it was like being encouraging, you know. Stand up, we’ll support you. We’ll back you,” he said.
“Bishop Cunningham is a good man, he really is,” added Castronovo.
“He let this parish stand.”
Our Lady of Good Counsel was slated to close when the former pastor “either retired or died,” but that pastor “went to Bishop Cunningham and pleaded with him” to keep it open.
The bishop agreed to let Castronovo, then in the Fraternity of St. Peter, come and serve as parish priest.
In the eight years since, the “very, very traditional parish,” where all Masses is celebrated ad orientem and parishioners receive Communion kneeling at a communion rail, is brimming with young families, Castronovo said.
The bishop “also has a policy that nobody who promotes abortion is to be given any kind of honor or any kind of role to play or liturgical function,” he said.
“The important thing, he doesn’t say that they can’t receive communion.”
Read the full text of Fr. Castronovo’s letter here.
Read the full text of Bishop Cunningham’s statement here.
Ping
The Democrat policy of open borders is more important to the Catholic Church than standing for life.
News flash to LifeSite News:
Women were getting abortions long before Cuome was even in politics. Even before RvW.
Nobody forces these women to kill their children. They go to the butcher and willfully authorize execution. In fact it is hard to stop them from committing premeditated murder if they don’t want to.
Governor Cuomo can be ex communicated from the Church and thrown out of politics forever, but that will not stop the killing. Maybe it’s time for LifeSite to concentrate their focus where it belongs.
The “retaliation” will come in the form of the Bishop acting against the priest for speaking out.
I seems it is a cash cow for the various diocese.
“Excellency....?”
I thought that shit went out with the Middle Ages. How about “Mediocrity”?
Absolutely.
It amazes me how these Bishops intend to hold average lay Catholics accountable to Church teachings when the wealthy and powerful are always getting a pass.
There, fixed it. There are lots of us laity and even some bishops working and praying hard for life (and who embrace the biblical virtue of patriotism). We are the Catholic Church, not the weak bureaucrats that are shaming the name of Christ. It is our Church, not theirs. We and our children will outlast them, and Christ will triumph in the end.
Dolan is the top guy and he already gave them a pass. He’ll be sitting between Hillary and Cuomo at the Al Smith dinner laughing up a storm.
I gave up on it over 30 years ago when they rotated a known predatory pedophile priest into our parish.
Amen, Brother! Preach it!
some women may think twice about their behavior that puts them in situation of wanting abortion if it wasn’t so easy to get abortion.
No excommunicating cuomo wont stop it all but it may stop some if officials who claim christianity in any amount were to be called out on their un biblical ways as the bible tells us to.
maybe look at the big picture, not just this one incident/person. God is looking to use any person willing - this priest is willing to speak up, hope the bishop is willing to be used by God too, not just “rule” by his own power.
Where exactly would that be for LifeSite News?
It seems to me that an organization with a name like LifeSite would have a mission to fight abortion and promote the Life option.
Calling out hypocrites like Cuomo, Brindisi and pushing the Bishop to do his duty seems to me to be consistent to their mission.
I'm 61 years old and I lived half of my life under the terrible LA Archdiocese of the notorious Cardinal Mahoney. I didn't give up then, and I won't give up until they throw dirt on my coffin. It's my Church not theirs and I'll spend my last breath praying, fasting, educating and speaking out so that generations after me will know the truth. If the Church in America completely collapses into a decadent mass, it won't be because I quit or kept my mouth shut. Like Cardinal Vigano and Cardinal Mueller, I'm not getting any younger and I want to face my God knowing I did everything I could to help save Christs Bride, the Church, even if it ends in failure.
Church teaching is that homosexuality is against natural law and inherently a grave sin, yet homosexuality is rampent among the clergy and even at the highest levels of the Vatican. Cardinal Mc Carrick, who was a sexual predator for decades and used his high positions in the Church to feed his homosexuality was but reluctantly defrocked while excommunication would have been more appropriate if the Church had any consistency with its teachings.
Given this record it is no surprise that the Bishops, who relish hobnobbing with liberal politicians, can only bring themselves to no more than writing tepid letters of admonishment to erstwhile Catholic politicians who are now openly pushing infanticide.
Where was the repentance? This is nonsense.
Amen.
Excellent! Good on Father Castronovo! These wishy-washy Bishops must be called on the carpet. It is partly because of them that abortion flourishes...even in Catholic communites.
Amen! The faithful who love life must speak out louder and clearer, even if it means some relatives and friends may disown them. Always do the right thing...not the popular thing!
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