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Sunday, June 3, 2007

Motu Proprio News and Archbishop Burke in the News

Yet another interview out of a high-ranking Vatican official, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who is saying "it won't be much longer". Fr. Zuhlsdorf has translated the question and answer from Avvenire - the official newspaper of the Italian Bishop's Conference




[Q]And the long-anticipated Motu Proprio which would derestrict the use of the so-called Missale of St. Pius V, at what point is it?

[Bertone]I believe we won’t have to wait much longer to see it published. The Pope is personally interested that this happen. He will explain it in his accompanying letter, hoping for a serene reception.
Also of interest, and the subject of many Catholic blogposts, are some forthcoming ordinations of men from the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest at the Cathedral-Basilica in St. Louis. What is of interest here is that these are the first from this order to be ordained in the US, and it will be done at the Cathedral by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke.



First Priestly Ordinations of the Institute in the United States

On June 15th, 2007, His Grace Archbishop Raymond Burke will ordain two deacons of the Institute to the priesthood. The ordination will take place at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis at 1:00 pm. This will mark the first priestly ordinations of the Institute to be conducted in the United States. All are invited to attend.


In other news about Archbishop Burke, is a pretty good rebuttal for an article in the Washingtom times which had the Archbishop looking like some kind of fanatic. I was disgusted with the article myself and did not post it here because it was typical mainstream media disinformation and distortion of Catholicism.

The article is by Michael Chapman and was carried on Lifenews.com on May 28, 2007. It is appropriately entitled:


Washington Post Displays Anti-Catholic Bias Slamming Bishop on Abortion

It never ceases to amaze me to see how ignorant The Washington Post is about Catholic teaching---the latest example being staff writer Peter Slevin's liberally biased slam against Archbishop Raymond Burke on p. A2 of the May 29 edition.
The ignorance (or anti-Catholicism?) is clear in the very first sentence, which is false, in the first paragraph.

"When it comes to expressing his views of church values, Roman Catholic Archbishop Raymond Burke has a habit of making headlines, not always to the satisfaction of his flock," writes Slevin.

These are not, of course, "his views." They are the views and stipulations of the Catholic Catechism, the Code of Canon Law, and numerous papal encyclicals that often teach definitively on certain matters. Slevin apparently never cracked the Catechism, and he apparently never Googled it becasue it is online, as is the Vatican, with all the relevant documents.

Archbishop Burke has spoken out against abortion; against politicians who support abortion; against entertainers who support anti-Catholic teachings but also want to perform at Catholic functions; against using embryonic stem cells for research; and so on. And this is what apparently ticks Slevin and his editors off: A Catholic Bishop who actually tells his flock the Truth about Catholic teaching and how Catholics must strive to seek holiness and save their souls.

Slevin further reveals his ignorance and liberal bias by relying on several liberal and wayward Catholics to comment on Archbishop Burke.

For instance, Slevin calls on Geri Redden, "a pro-choice former Catholic" to tell Post readers that Burke is "archaic and kind of an embarrassment. He seems to think he is back in the old days when he could really tell people how to live their lives."

Hmm. It seems that the same could be said of Jesus Christ; he was "archaic ... old days" and He actually did "tell people how to live their lives." Sorry to disappoint Redden and The Post but that is what Christianity is all about: following the teachings of Jesus Christ as given to the world by Him, the apostles, and the Bible.

Slevin also relies on wayward Catholic Rep. David Obey (D-WI), who, in one of his essays, says that Archbishop Burke threatened "to use his ecclesiastical authority to punish me if I did not conform my voting record to his view of what Catholic dogma required." Again, "his view"? Apparently, the fine Congressman Obey doesn't know his basic Catechism either.

Slevin and his Post editors could have easily found many solid, faithful, honest and straightforward bishops and priests and laity to comment on Archbishop Burke and the Church's moral teaching. But they didn't.

They went the liberally biased route and left the false impression that religious figures are somehow not supposed to speak about public policy issues--------a long-held liberal view in direct contradiction to the Founding Fathers and to the precedent set by Christ Himself and the apostles.

Raymond Burke is a bishop, a shepherd. He has to tell his flock the way it is. He has to try to bring the lost sheep home. That is his duty. He cannot remain silent. The Washington Post and the liberal media don't like that, but they shouldn't expect Christians to shut up anytime soon---go ask the martyrs of the Coliseum.

So much disinformation is spread by the ignorance of basic catechism, and Chapman nails it. The Archbishop is not expressing his views. The Archbishop did not write laws which are unpopular to secular society. He is merely taking proper steps to not only teach his flock right from wrong, but holding himself accountable for the souls in his care, by not neglecting this part of the job. God gave us the 10 commandments, which many treat as the 10 suggestions. Jesus challenged us to be counter-cultural and when a bishop is acting against popular culture with Church teaching leading the way, we know he is doing his job. It's when bishops are silent and not wanting to make waves, that things get scary.

This would be a good time to review the recent sermon by Fr. Perrone which I have entitled, "Whose Church is it anyway?"

Deo Gratias!

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