Episcopal Spine Alert!

Archbishop John Nienstedt, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

2008-06-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

MINNEAPOLIS - ST. PAUL, Minnesota, June 24, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The new Catholic archbishop for the Twin Cities has told a parish that it can no longer hold prayer services celebrating the homosexual lifestyle and that parishioners ought to pray for peace instead if they want to remain in conformity with Catholic teaching.
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, led by its new administrator, Archbishop John Nienstedt, informed parish staff members of St. Joan of Arc church that their annual homosexual pride prayer service planned for Wednesday - an event that has been held for several years in conjunction with the annual Twin Cities Pride Celebration - must come to a permanent end.
Dennis McGrath, a spokesman for the archdiocese, told Pioneer Press that the archdiocese had suggested to the parish that they hold a "peace" service instead. The diocese insisted that the parish cannot advocate special rights to legitimize the "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender" lifestyle because it is a rejection of Catholic moral teaching.
"That descriptor (LGBT) was not possible on church property. We suggested they shift it, change the nature of it a little bit, and they did," said McGrath.
"The reason is quite simply because it was a LGBT pride prayer service, and that is really inimical to the teachings of the Catholic Church."

SOURCE: Twin Cities Catholic Archbishop Nixes Gay Pride Service June 24, 2008.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, Archdiocese of Kansas City

2008-05-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

TOPEKA, Kansas, May 10, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann has directed Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to refrain from presenting herself for Holy Communion until she takes "the necessary steps for amendment of her life which would include a public repudiation of her previous efforts and actions in support of laws and policies sanctioning abortion."
The Archbishop made the directive public by writing about his actions in his archdiocesan newspaper The Leaven. "Having made every effort to inform and to persuade Governor Sebelius and after consultation with Bishop Ron Gilmore (Dodge City), Bishop Paul Coakley (Salina) and Bishop Michael Jackels (Wichita), I wrote the governor last August requesting that she refrain from presenting herself for reception of the Eucharist until she had acknowledged the error of her past positions, made a worthy sacramental confession and taken the necessary steps for amendment of her life which would include a public repudiation of her previous efforts and actions in support of laws and policies sanctioning abortion," he wrote.
He explains his reason for making the directive public as Sebelius went against his directive not to receive Communion. "Recently, it came to my attention that the governor had received holy Communion at one of our parishes," he wrote. "I have written to her again, asking her to respect my previous request and not require from me any additional pastoral actions."
Sebelius is known as an aggressive supporter of radical abortion rights and has vetoed a number of pieces of common-sense legislation over the years that would have reigned in an out-of-control abortion industry in Kansas.

SOURCE: Archbishop Publicly Tells Pro-Abortion Kansas Governor Not to Receive Communion LifeSiteNews.com May 10, 2008.

Archbishop Raymond Burke, Diocese of St. Louis, MO

2008-03-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Archbishop Raymond L. Burke has issued the following statement regarding Patricia Fresen, Rose Hudson, and Elsie McGrath:

As Archbishop of St. Louis, it is my responsibility to safeguard the unity of the Catholic Church and protect the souls of the faithful.
I have communicated with Ms. Fresen, Ms. Hudson, and Ms. McGrath, and informed them that if they participated in an attempted female ordination, they would be excommunicating themselves from the Catholic Church. In the apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Pope John Paul II reaffirmed that the Catholic Church has no authority to confer priestly ordination on women. This teaching is to be held definitively by all the faithful as belonging to the deposit of faith. Because they participated in the attempted ordination, Church law requires me to publicly declare the excommunication.
The situation is sad for the whole Church. It is cause of great concern for me as archbishop. Please join me in praying that both will be reconciled with the Church and that the great harm which has been caused to the Church, with the help of God's grace, will be healed.

Archbishop Jose Gomez, Archdiocese of San Antonio

2008-02-18T23:46:00.000-08:00

CNSNews.com) - A statement by the Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas, criticizing Hillary Clinton's speech and rally on a Catholic college campus because of her pro-abortion stance is being cheered by some Catholics and dismissed by others.
In a Feb. 12 statement about Clinton's campaign stop at St. Mary's University, Archbishop Jose Gomez, said: "The Catholic bishops of the United States, in their 2004 document Catholics in Political Life, affirmed that when dealing with political candidates and public office holders, 'The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.'"
"Our Catholic institutions must promote the clear understanding of our deep moral convictions on an issue like abortion, an act that the church calls 'an unspeakable crime' and a non-negotiable issue," Gomez said.
"I think Archbishop Gomez is a courageous shepherd," the Rev. Terence Henry, president of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, told Cybercast News Service.
Henry said Catholics must support politicians based on what the politician believes.
"Clearly, promoting abortion is contrary to Catholic teaching," Henry said. "A Catholic must order their values according to a hierarchy of values and at the top of that hierarchy is the dignity of human life."

SOURCE: Catholics Can't Support 'Pro-Choicers,' Church Leaders Say, By Penny Starr. CyberCast News Service. February 18, 2008.

Archbishop Raymond Burke, Diocese of St. Louis, MO

2008-01-23T21:15:00.000-08:00

ST. LOUIS, January 23, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Tuesday, Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, Missouri, urged St. Louis University to discipline its basketball coach for public statements in support of abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
"I'm confident (the university) will deal with the question of a public representative making declarations that are inconsistent with the Catholic faith," Burke told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "When you take a position in a Catholic university, you don't have to embrace everything the Catholic Church teaches. But you can't make statements which call into question that identity and mission of the Catholic Church."
Coach Rick Majerus attended Tuesday's St. Louis rally for presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton and told television reporters that he advocates abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
St. Louis University president Rev. Lawrence Biondi, S.J., has shied away from reporters, but a university spokesman has said that Majerus was voicing personal views, and he would not confirm that any disciplinary action will be taken.
"We are grateful to Archbishop Burke for his example and leadership," said Patrick J. Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. "His call for disciplinary action is entirely consistent with Vatican principles for Catholic universities. Sadly, St. Louis University has repeatedly violated those principles."

Source: Archbishop Burke Calls on Catholic University to Discipline Pro-Abortion Coach January 23, 2008.

Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli, Diocese of Paterson

2007-06-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

PATERSON, New Jersey, June 19, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pro-choice Catholics, not just Catholic politicians, must not receive Communion if they knowingly support legalized abortion says an American Catholic bishop.
"By steadfastly choosing to be pro-choice, a Catholic -- politician or not -- excludes himself or herself from communion," wrote Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli in the June 7 edition of the Beacon, the Paterson diocese newspaper.
In his column Serratelli rebuked "pro-choice" Catholic politicians and those who "arrogantly insist that the Church does not have the right to her own teaching" and who claim a right to Communion at the same time. In particular Serratelli went after the 18 Democratic Congressmen who lashed out at Pope Benedict XVI for stating that supporting abortion is "incompatible with receiving communion"

Source: American Bishop: Pro-Choice Equals No Communion For Catholics June 19, 2007.

Archbishop Raymond Burke, Diocese of St. Louis, MO

2007-05-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

St. Louis Roman Catholic archbishop criticizes charity for supporting Planned Parenthood, stem cell research International Herald Tribune April 27, 2007:

ST. LOUIS: Archbishop Raymond Burke approved a letter that criticized a charity for supporting Planned Parenthood and stem cell research just weeks before he resigned from the board of a second charity for similar reasons, the Archdiocese of St. Louis confirmed Friday.
Burke made headlines Wednesday when he announced his resignation as chairman of the board of directors for the Cardinal Glennon Children's Foundation, saying he could not tolerate the foundation's decision to let abortion rights advocate Sheryl Crow headline a benefit concert Saturday night. . . .READ MORE

Bishop Stephen Chmilar, Ukrainian Bishop of Toronto and Eastern Canada

2007-04-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Toronto Catholic Bishop Reprimands Priest over Political Support for Pro-Abortion Politician LifeSiteNews. April 4, 2007:

LifeSiteNews.com reported yesterday that on Sunday, March 25th, a Liberal Party meeting to nominate Michael Ignatieff was held at the Christ the Good Shepherd Parish St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Etobicoke. Ignatieff, whose stands in favour of abortion and same-sex 'marriage' are well known had his nomination seconded by the pastor of the church Fr. Terry Lozynsky.
In a press release today, sent to LifeSiteNews.com, Bishop Stephen Chmilar, Ukrainian Bishop of Toronto and Eastern Canada acknowledged the incident and noted that "As a direct result of Fr. Terry's actions, numerous e-mails regarding the propriety of that action came to our office."
The release notes that "Fr. Terry was called into our office to explain his actions and we pointed out to him that based on Canon Law, at no time is any of our clergy to be part of, or deemed to be associated with, any political party except in the judgement of the Eparchial Bishop, if a particular law so states the need to protect the rights of the church or to promote the common good requires it."
Moreover, the Bishop Chmilar writes: "It was also acknowledged that by promoting Mr. Ignatieff, that indirectly he was promoting the political stance on abortion and gay rights legislation that the candidate has."
"As a direct result of this breach," said Bishop Chmilar, "Fr. Terry has been reprimanded and a letter to all clergy informing them of the current statutes and regulations regarding involvement in any political process will be sent and reinforced."

Bishop David Choby - Diocese of Nashville, TN

2006-10-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

Citing conflict with Church teaching, the local Catholic Diocese has for the second time in six months rescinded an invitation—made by one of it own Catholic clergy members—to a local interfaith group to meet in one of its churches. Father Patrick Kibby invited a group hosting a four-week discussion about the intersection of religion and politics, jointly sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance of Middle Tennessee and the Tennessee Alliance for Progress, to use facilities at the Cathedral of the Incarnation for this week’s meeting. Instead, the group—whose series is titled “Doing Justly: Integrating Our Deepest Spiritual Beliefs Into Our Professional Lives”—received word late last week that Diocesan Bishop David Choby objected to the positions of the Interfaith Alliance on abortion and same-sex marriage and that, therefore, the group would not be allowed to gather on church grounds. It will meet instead at Belmont United Methodist Church. . . .

Source: NashvilleScene.com (Liz Garrigan). October 19, 2006.

Bishop Gerard Paul Bergie - Diocese of Hamilton (Canada)

2006-08-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

A Hamilton bishop wants Catholics to stay away from a Kitchener fundraiser starring former U.S. president Bill Clinton.
Clinton will speak Nov. 8 at a fundraising luncheon for the Catholic Family Counselling Centre.
The appearance was widely seen as a coup for the agency. But Clinton's support for abortion, his marital infidelity and his promotion of condom use for AIDS prevention in Africa have angered some Catholics.
"We felt it wasn't appropriate to have Mr. Clinton as a speaker, based on the fact that they were a Catholic counselling centre," said Most Rev. Gerard Bergie, the auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Hamilton.

Source: Boycott Clinton: bishop The Hamilton Spectator August 24, 2006.

Bishop Thomas Doran - Diocese of Rockford, IL

2006-08-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

The United States, with its vast abortion industry, will soon rival the Nazis, who were responsible for about 50 million deaths during the Second World War, said Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford, last week.
Americans are appalled by the Nazi regime, “and yet in our country we have, for the most part, allowed the party of death and the court system it has produced to eliminate, since 1973, upwards of 40 million of our fellow citizens without allowing them to see the light of day,” the bishop wrote in the diocesan newspaper.
“No doubt, we shall soon outstrip the Nazis in doing human beings to death,” he stated.
In his Aug. 10 column, the bishop said the “seven sacraments” of secular culture—abortion, buggery, contraception, divorce, euthanasia, feminism of the radical type, and genetic experimentation and mutilation—are “a clear and present danger to our survival as a nation.”

Source: Americans to ‘outstrip’ Nazis in taking human life, says bishop Catholic News Agency. August 21, 206.

Meet Bishop Doran [Diocese Website].

Bishop Victor Galeone - Diocese of St. Augustine, FL

2006-08-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Rev. Rouville Fisher, a priest of the Diocese of St. Augustine, has been formally excommunicated by Bishop Victor Galeone. Father Fisher was excommunicated because he has publicly joined the “Rent a Priest” organization and is offering his priestly services outside of, and apart from the Diocese of St. Augustine, and in violation of the directives of the Bishop. The faithful are advised that any knowing support of or participation in the schismatic ministry of Father Fisher is gravely sinful.

Bishop Victor Galeone [memo in the August 6, 2006 bulletin of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Palm Coast, FL]

See also: Bishop excommunicates defiant priest The Associated Press. August 22, 2006.

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan - Archdiocese of Milwaukee

2006-03-17T15:40:00.000-08:00

An appearance by Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton of Detroit has been moved from an atrium attached to Milwaukee's cathedral to another site, reportedly because Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan did not want it to appear that the archdiocese endorsed the agendas of the Catholic reform group that is holding the event. . . .
Lois Ahlhauser, a past president of Call to Action Wisconsin, and her husband, John, said they had arranged with Father Carl Last, rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, for their group to hold its annual meeting from 9 a.m. to noon April 8, with Gumbleton as one of the speakers.
The Ahlhausers said that on March 6, after publicity for the meeting went out, Last told them that Dolan had informed him that the event could not be held in the cathedral, which serves as the archbishop's parish, because Call to Action is a dissident group.

Source: Dolan booted event from cathedral, couple say, by Tom Heinen. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel March 17, 2006.

Bishop Robert F. Vasa - Diocese of Baker, OR

2006-02-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

Christ is reassuring and humble, as well as powerful, mighty The Catholic Sentinel Feb. 17, 2006:

We live in an age which places a very strong emphasis on tolerance, mutuality, and acceptance. I have heard repeatedly over the years that “Jesus never judged, condemned or excluded anyone.” I wonder if Peter would agree as the words of Jesus, “Get behind me you Satan,” rang in his ears. I wonder if the Scribes and the Pharisees would agree as they rankled at being called whitened sepulchers or broods of vipers. I wonder if those who heard Jesus say, “Whoever leads one of these little ones astray, it would be better if he had a millstone tied around his neck and be cast into the sea,” nodded approval and said, “He is so tolerant and accepting.” . . .
In our “compromising age” we are loath to name something too strongly. If we do, we are accused of harshness, judgmentalism, perhaps arrogance, certainly intolerance and possibly pharisaism. While it is always necessary to speak the truth with love, the Church also believes and teaches that it is also necessary to speak the truth with strength. It is necessary to defend truth and not be too quick to rationalize, justify or excuse misleading teachings or teachers. There is a point at which passive “tolerance” allows misleading teachings to be spread and propagated, thus confusing or even misleading the faithful about the truths of the Church. There is a very strong word, which still exists in our Church, which most of us are too “gentle” to use. The word is “heresy.” We perhaps think that heresy is a thing of the past. We think perhaps of the Arian heresy or the Pelagian heresy or the Manichaen heresy. We might even maintain that there are no longer any heretics because that conjures up images of inquisitions and burnings at the stake. I do not, in any way, seek to validate or justify any kind of “vigilante” theology, but we do need strong words to combat erroneous and fallacious teaching. . . .
There is some question, for instance, about whether those who openly profess to be “pro-choice” are, in fact, holding to a heretical position. The teaching of the Church in the area of life is clear and unequivocal. Human life must be respected and protected from conception to natural death. Those who maintain that any and all decisions about the disposition of pre-born human beings are exclusively the right of the mother or the parents, at least implicitly, reject the clear and consistent teaching of the Church.

Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo - Diocese of Richmond

2006-02-03T21:44:00.000-08:00

The Rev. Thomas J. Quinlan Jr. famously loves to jar congregations with bluntly worded homilies, but he went too far when he mentioned the Virgin Mary's birth canal during a Christmas Eve service – a Catholic bishop has banned him from performing any priestly function in public.
"Your shock content was crude, offensive and disturbing," particularly to families, youth and visitors, Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo of the Richmond Diocese told Quinlan in a Jan. 17 letter. The bishop cited a sermon that Quinlan, known as "TQ," gave at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Virginia Beach.
DiLorenzo said Quinlan's record of similar behavior "engenders such anxiety and emotional upset that it interferes with the pursuit of the individual's religious experience." . . . READ MORE

Source: Retired priest reprimanded after ''offensive'' sermon, by Steven G. Vegh. The Virginian-Pilot Feb. 3, 2006.

Catholic blogger Bill Cork has more on Thomas J. Quinlan.

Archbishop Raymond Burke, Diocese of St. Louis, MO

2006-01-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

What first began as a parish property dispute in northwest St. Louis has led to excommunication for the six members of the board of directors of the civil corporation of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish and the diocesan priest whom they hired. In a column written in the December 16 issue of the archdiocesan newspaper, St. Louis Review, Archbishop Raymond Burke declared that the board and the suspended priest were in schism and therefore incurred the penalty of excommunication.
The battle began long before Archbishop Burke was appointed. Archbishop Burke inherited the crisis after his installation in January, 2004. The conflict arises from an 1891 agreement that deeded the church property to the parish board. Prior to Archbishop Burke’s appointment, then-Archbishop Justin Rigali made attempts to have St. Stanislaus conform with universal Church law by bringing the parish under the archdiocese’s auspices. In response, the St. Stanislaus board of directors altered their by-laws, eliminating any recognition of the authority of the archbishop and pastor. . . . READ MORE

Source: Excommunication in St. Louis, by Tim Drake. CatholicExchange.com. January 28, 2006.

Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley - Diocese of Boston, MA

2005-11-24T22:01:00.000-08:00

Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley has canceled plans to attend the annual Christmas dinner for Catholic Charities next month because the event is honoring Mayor Thomas M. Menino, a supporter of Catholic Charities who has also been an outspoken advocate of abortion rights and same-sex marriage.
O'Malley's decision came after a conservative Catholic group, the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, called on Roman Catholics to boycott the fund-raiser to send a message that Catholic leaders in public office should not be honored if they ignore the Vatican's teachings on major social issues.

Source: O'Malley won't attend charities' dinner, by Michael Levenson and Charles A. Radin. Boston Globe Nov. 24, 2005.

Bishop Robert McManus - Diocese of Worcester

2005-09-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

WESTBOROUGH -- Some parishioners at St. Luke the Evangelist are angry their pastor was yanked from Mass and publicly scolded by the bishop of the Worcester diocese for opposing church efforts to ban gay marriage in Massachusetts.
"Bishop (Robert) McManus told us that Father George (Lange) 'made a mistake' and 'should not have done that,'" said parishioner Cindy Hodgdon. "Our church leaders' hands were slapped very publicly."
McManus took over two Masses after Lange and his associate pastor, the Rev. Stephen Labaire, printed a short item in a recent church bulletin snubbing the Massachusetts bishops for supporting an amendment to the state Constitution that would define marriage as between a man and a woman only.
"The priests of this parish do not feel that they can support this amendment. They do not see any value to it and they see it as an attack upon certain people in our parish, namely those who are gay," the item in the bulletin said.
McManus, bishop of the Diocese of Worcester, took over the two Masses, the 5 p.m. Mass Saturday and 10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday, to state that Lange's position about gay marriage was wrong and that Lange and Labaire mishandled the issue.

Source: Bishop scolds Westborough priests for announcement supporting gay rights, by Sarah Menesale. MetroWest Daily News Sept. 29, 2005.

Bishop Michael Saltarelli - Diocese of Wilmington

2005-09-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

Bishop Michael Saltarelli is outspoken in witnessing to the Gospel of Life to his diocese and to the politicians in the Diocese of Wilmington–particularly those who call themselves pro-choice and Catholic. In Delaware, that includes two nationally prominent figures, U.S. Senator Joseph Biden, a Democrat, and U.S. Representative Michael Castle, a Republican.
Bishop Saltarelli believes in the power of prayer. During the month of October–which is Respect Life Month–he is asking Catholics in his diocese to pray for a conversion of all politicians, statesmen, and lawyers to an respect for life. He has composed a Litany to St. Thomas More, which will be distributed to all the churches in the Diocese of Wilmington for the first weekend in October. The Litany was first distributed to the diocese in October 2004. The diocese comprises 57 parishes, 19 missions, and 40 schools in the State of Delaware and the nine counties of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. There are over 220,000 Catholics in the diocese.
In June 2005, Bishop Saltarelli led several dozen Catholics in praying the Rosary outside the Delaware State House while state House lawmakers inside debated the merits of the Delaware Regenerative Medicine Act, SB 80, which had already passed the state Senate. The embryonic stem cell bill was postponed until January 2006. . . .

Interview with Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli, Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, by Valerie Schmalz. Ignatius Insight Sept. 28, 2005.

Archbishop Alfred Hughes (New Orleans); Bishop Robert Muench (Baton Rouge)

2005-09-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

New Orleans, Sep. 01 - Armed with only two changes of clothes, New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes joined hundreds of thousands of refugees, most likely now homeless, after the scourge of Hurricane Katrina.
The archbishop spent Wednesday in ministry to the frightened and devastated evacuees of the city of New Orleans. The Baton Rouge Advocate reported that he and Bishop Robert W. Muench of Baton Rouge spent Wednesday visiting Louisiana’s packed makeshift shelters. . . .

Source: New Orleans archbishop joins Katrina refugees Catholic World News. Sept. 1, 2005.

Archbishop Raymond Burke, Diocese of St. Louis, MO

2005-08-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Correspondence between Archbishop Burke and the "Catholic" Action Network for Social Justice Circa April 2004 - August 25, 2005, containing in part:

. . . I have received your letter of June 1 last, with which you enclosed two admissions for the film screening and reception, “In Good Conscience: Sister Jeannine Gramick’s Journey of Faith.” I could not accept the admissions, or use them, because the work of Sister Jeannine Gramick, with regard to persons who suffer from same-sex attraction, has been judged by the highest authority of the Church to be seriously defective. I enclose for you a copy of the Notification published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis of May 31, 1999.
I invite you to give careful study to the Notification in order to understand why it is not possible for Catholics to promote the work of Sister Jeannine Gramick as it pertains to persons who suffer from same-sex attraction. . . .
With regard to the Catholic Action Network for Social Justice, I do not believe that it is proper for the Network to use the titled “Catholic.” I have reviewed the materials on the website for the Catholic Action Network, and find several of them to be contrary to Church teaching and discipline. If it is the intention of the Network to remain Catholic, then the mission of the Network must be purified of those elements of dissent from Catholic teaching and practice.

Hat tip: Archbishop Burke's Responses to Catholic Action Network & "Holy Families" Ad Majorum Dei Gloriam [blog].

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted - Diocese of Phoenix, AZ

2005-08-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

Phoenix, AZ (LifeNews.com) -- If you're an elected official or political candidate in Arizona who backs abortion, don't look for a speaking engagement at a Catholic church in Phoenix. The diocese there has decided to disallow giving a platform to any political figure who supports abortion, which is contrary to church teachings.
Thus far, Gov. Janet Napolitano is the only one who has been affected by Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted's decision. . . .

Source: Arizona Catholic Diocese Bans Politicians Who Support Abortion Lifenews.com. August 4, 2005.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput - Denver CO

2005-05-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON - Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput on Friday reignited his heated criticism of Catholic politicians who "don't conform" their lives to their religious beliefs.

"When public officials claim to be Catholic but then say they can't offer their beliefs about the sanctity of the human person as the basis of law, it always means one of two things: That person is either very confused or they're very evasive," he said.

Chaput made his remarks at the second annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, where President Bush also spoke.

During last fall's campaign, Chaput criticized Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., a Catholic who says he personally opposes abortion but believes a woman should be able to make her own choice. . . .

Source: Chaput targets Catholic politicians: hits on abortion theme, by Kara N. Edgerson, Scripps Howard News Service. May 21, 2005.

Cardinal William Keeler - Diocese of Baltimore, MD

2005-05-20T04:53:00.000-07:00

BALTIMORE - Cardinal William Keeler will not attend a Jesuit university commencement because keynote speaker Rudolph Giuliani, a Catholic, supports abortion rights, an official said Wednesday.

Giuliani, the Republican former New York City mayor mentioned as a possible candidate for president in 2008, is expected to award some 1,600 degrees and certificates at Friday's commencement at Loyola College of Maryland.

He also is to receive an honorary degree. . . .READ MORE

Source: Md. cardinal to boycott Giuliani speech Associated Press. May 18, 2005.

Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes - Diocese of New Orleans

2005-05-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

NEW ORLEANS -- The archbishop of New Orleans on Thursday rebuked Loyola University over an honor for the family of Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and her brother, Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, obliquely criticizing them for supporting abortion rights.
Loyola announced Wednesday it would award a collective honorary doctorate to the Landrieus for their public service - that of former Mayor Moon Landrieu, his wife and their nine children, including the senator and lieutenant governor.
Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes said he had told Loyola's president Rev. Kevin Wildes of his disappointment over the honor, and indirectly criticized the abortion stance of the senator and her brother.
"Not all members of the family have been faithful to the church's teaching regarding public policy," Hughes said in a statement. He added that he would boycott commencement exercises because he didn't want to "confuse the faithful" by giving the "impression that it is appropriate to include in an honor anyone who dissents publicly from Church teaching."

Source: "Loyola criticized over Landrieus honor" Seattle Post-Intelligencer / The Associated Press. May 5, 2005.