Archbishop Burke would refuse Communion to Kerry (Re: Abortion stance)

[LTR]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/St.+Louis+City+%2F+County/8660C57275E9D66B86256E2B006D5D83?OpenDocument&Headline=Burke+would+refuse+communion+to+Kerry

If Sen. John Kerry were to stand in Archbishop Raymond L. Burke's Communion line Sunday, Burke would bless him without giving him Communion.

Kerry, a Catholic, has voted to support abortion rights, contrary to the Catholic Church's long-held teaching of opposing abortion.

"I would have to admonish him not to present himself for Communion," said Burke. "I might give him a blessing or something," he said. "If his archbishop has told him he should not present himself for Communion, he shouldn't. I agree with Archbishop O'Malley."

Kim Molstre, a Kerry campaign spokeswoman, said Friday: "The archbishop has the right to deny Communion to whoever he wants, but Senator Kerry respectfully disagrees with him on the issue of choice."


FYI: Raymond Burke is the Archbishop of St.Louis who recently tried to strongarm three Wisconsin Democrats into changing their views on abortion. I am a Catholic, and I am appalled at Archbishop Burke's extortionist tactics. I assume that anyone who supports the bloodshed in Iraq would still be allowed to receive Communion, since I have not heard him express his views on this.

This is a bad, bad idea for the Catholic church to support. First, if indeed Kerry does get the Dem nomination and is elected president (of course, it is an 'if'), he would become only the second Roman Catholic president in US history after JFK. Can you imagine what good this would do for the church? Are they that insane to throw that away?

A better idea would be for the church to deal with thier own internal problems first, then try to play politics.

[ithacan]

1. test of hypocrisy

if he is really principled, he will also refuse communion to any politician who supports the death penalty. The Church and the Pope have come out very strongly against it.

Someone in this diocese needs to ask the Bishop that question. Publicly.

[leyton]

7. Yeah, I agree.

Also, I'm Catholic, and I personally don't think that it's the Archbishop's prerogative to deny communion to a man. It's really between Kerry and God, and the archbishop has nothing to do with it.

[Bronco69]

2. Kerry should tell him to

go f*ck himself. :-)

[lastknowngood]

3. I don't think I'll take moral teaching from a church that

passes a pedophile all around the country so he gets fresh victims
It's beyond bazaar that if you get one abortion your kicked out of the church but if you rape hundreds of children they keep you and protect you. There are some things in life I'm glad that I just can't understand.

[SeanQuinn]

4. The Catholic weighs in...

I am a Catholic. Devout. Go to a Catholic school. Brought up the issue of gay marriage and abortion to my teacher because I am a DEAD SERIOUSLY STRONG supporter of gay marriage. I respect the Church's right not to allow gays to be married because the point of marriage is to have kids and blah blah blah... my question... Why are they different than heterosexuals? Key, she said the point of marriage is to have children. I laughed softly on that one. I am also pro-choice and I have the right to the Eucharist as any other Catholic does. Though I do cringe when the priest talks about abortion.

[antipov1]

5. When is the church going to smarten up

This is just another case where all the Church is doing is further alienating itself from the common people by being petty to someone who is a follower of their faith, and that has done nothing but respectfully disagree with one of the churches many Paleolithic beliefs.

[Taeger]

9. ALL CATHOLICS ...

ALL Catholics are cafeteria Catholics. If their feelings matched their church 100%, they'd be protestant ;-)

I say this coming from a catholic family. I have an uncle who is the MOST conservative person you ever met. He believes that Rome is in apostasy and has abandoned the true faith. EVEN HE is a cafeteria Catholic ;-)

Beyond this, I'd like to point out that Catholocism can be quite progressive. They seem to have caved on evolution. They teach it at Catholic schools. They pardoned Galileo ;-) John Paul II even gave Steven Hawking permission to advance his comological theories provided he didn't try to look BEFORE the Big Bang.

Cool, John Paul II believes in the big bang as gods methodology for creation.

Nope, the world luddite awards have to go to the Southern Fundamentalists and the Muhabi Islamics.

[Straight Shooter]

6. I belong to the Church of the Lapsed Catholics

And sometimes I think there's more of us in the U.S. than the official Catholic Church

:eyes:

[polmaven]

8. Senator.....

You are welcome to receive Holy Communion at my church whenever your care to. Well, not whenever, exactly...but any first Sunday of any month.

You do not need to be a member of the church, or the denomination (United Methodist), or any church. All you need is a desire to be share the meal at the Lord's Table. As Lay Leader of the church,I will be pleased to assist our (female) pastor in serving the elements to you. It is the Lord's Table...not the Archbishop's..or the Popes.

Come anytime, Senator.