Vatican supports Bruskewitz on Excommunication of Call to Action Members

You may recall many years ago that Bishop Bruskewitz Excommunicated members of several organizations within his diocese, unless they disassociated themselves with them. He deemed them to support things that were harmful to one's faith and the Church. This included Call to Action which has dissented on many levels including abortion and homosexuality, among others.

H/T to Domenico Bettinelli Jr. for the lead to CWNews which covers the Vatican's support for Bishop Bruskewitz. This comes about after Call to Action - Nebraska Chapter appealed to the Holy See.

Here you get more background and the latest news. I pray that other dioceses will follow suit now that Bruskewitz has the backing of the Vatican.

Vatican confirms excommunication for US dissident group

Dec. 7, 2006 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican has confirmed an American bishop’s decision to excommunicate members of the dissident group Call to Action.

Call to Action is “causing damage to the Church of Christ,” wrote Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (bio - news), the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, in a letter to Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska.

In March 1996, Bishop Bruskewitz had announced the excommunication of all Catholics in his diocese who were members of Call to Action or several other dissident groups which he described as “totally incompatible with the Catholic faith.”

The Nebraska chapter of Call to Action appealed the bishop’s decision to the Vatican. In his November 24 letter to Bishop Bruskewitz, Cardinal Re reports that Vatican’s finding that the disciplinary action was “properly taken.”

The Vatican has determined that “the activities of ‘Call to Action’ in the course of these years are in contrast with the Catholic Faith due to views and positions held which are unacceptable from a doctrinal and disciplinary standpoint,” Cardinal Re writes. He concludes: “Thus to be a member of this Association or to support it, is irreconcilable with a coherent living of the Catholic Faith.”

The excommunication that Bishop Bruskewitz announced covered not only to Call to Action, but also to members of Catholics for a Free Choice, Planned Parenthood, the Hemlock Society, the Freemasons, and the Society of St. Pius X.

The excommunication order applies only within the Lincoln, Nebraska diocese. But the Vatican’s judgment against Call to Action raises clear questions about the status of the group’s members in other dioceses.