Catholic politicians who publicly support abortion or homosexual marriage and then seek to turn away from such “gravely sinful acts” must perform “public” actions of “repentance,” said Raymond Burke, the archbishop emeritus of St. Louis and the current head of the highest court at the Vatican, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
UPDATE 3/14/13: Pope Francis I Says Wayward Politicians Can't Take Communion
UPDATE 10/20/10: Pope elevates Burke to cardinal
-- From "Vatican's Chief Justice: Catholic Politicians Who Support Abortion or Gay Marriage Must Publicly Repent" by Michael W. Chapman, CNSNews.com 10/18/10
In remarks at the 5th Human Life International World Prayer Congress for Life in Rome, Italy, Arbp. Burke said that the culture today pushes a “cafeteria Catholicism,” whereby some Catholics pick and choose “what part of the deposit of faith to believe and practice.” As a result, “there has developed in places a false notion that the Christian or any person of faith, in order to be a true citizen of his nation, must bracket his faith life from his public life.”
“We find self-professed Catholics, for example, who sustain and support the right of a woman to procure the death of the infant in her womb, or the right of two persons of the same sex to the recognition which the State gives to a man and a woman who have entered into marriage,” said the archbishop. “It is not possible to be a practicing Catholic and to conduct oneself publicly in this manner.”
Arbp. Burke also said that Catholics in public life “who persistently violate the moral law” on abortion and homosexual marriage “lead many into confusion and or even error,” which does the “gravest harm to our brother s and sisters and, therefore, to the whole nation.”
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From "Archbishop Burke laments effect of dissenting bishops, pro-abortion politicians" posted at CatholicCulture.org 10/15/10
“When a person has culpably espoused and cooperated in gravely sinful acts, leading many into error and confusion over fundamental questions regarding respect for life and integrity of marriage and family, his repentance of such actions must also be public,” Archbishop Burke added, referring to Catholic politicians who support abortion and same-sex marriage.
The “perennial discipline of the Church [has] prohibited the giving of Holy Communion or the granting of a Church funeral to those who persist after admonition in the grave violation of the moral law,” he noted. “It is said that these disciplines which the Church has consistently observed down the centuries presume to pass judgment on eternal judgment of a soul, a judgment that belongs to God alone, and therefore can be abandoned.”
“On the contrary, [such] public action[s] of the soul are in violation of the moral law, and do grave harm to all who are confused and led into error by these actions.”
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Click headlines below for previous articles:
Vatican Stakes Position in U.S. Elections
Catholics Who Voted for Obama Cooperated With Evil
Archbishop Slams Obama For Anti-Life, Anti-Family Agenda
Cardinal Speaks Pro-life, whereas Catholic Scholars Support Obama
Faithful Priests Call on All Bishops to Back Archbishop Burke
