Meanwhile, Republicans — yes, the part of pro-life — had six years of control of Congress (both the Senate and House), 8 years control of the Presidency, and, what, six years of an overwhelmingly conservative court, and not a single piece of abortion legislation is passed? People, wake up. This is a party that ties to get by on a single issue, hoping people don’t probe too deep. If you’re pro-life, you should feel angry that a party has that much control and can’t even pass a simple pro-life bill. Ridiculous.

and the Republicans sending off innocent children to die in a war that should of never been started isn’t “disregard for human life.” I still don’t understand how people can be pro-life and pro-war at the same time. War is not pro-life. Save the children, just kill them when they are 18.

Burkes level of comic ability is quickly reaching that of the Glory Days of John Paul II. Can any of us forget John Paul’s declaration that the earth does indeed rotate around the sun?

Someone either needs to tell Burke to quit commenting on politics or pull the Catholic churches non-profit status.
Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. The prohibition applies to all campaigns including campaigns at the federal, state and local level. Violation of this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes. Those section 501(c)(3) organizations that are private foundations are subject to additional restrictions that are not described in this fact sheet.
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=154712,00.html‘

This guy finally leaves town and we’re still hearing his non-sense. Post, can you please stop putting this garbage in the news.

Burke is so typical of the catholic church in general. They are right, the rest of the world is wrong about so many things. The best thing to do at this point is to just ignore them. They are so full of themselves with their make-believe god and book of rules which were basically pulled out of their collective asses. “The party of death” will be an interesting one to quote when cures come from stem cell research and Burke and his hoards will have to obstain from using those cures because they were “obtained from death”. Something tells me they won’t do that.

Tom,
I must challenge you in your assertion: “No pro-life bills were passed”. Do you not recall the banning of partial-birth abortion? That has been instituted in the past few years, under a republican president, and leadership.

Maybe someday, if we’re lucky, he will be made to eat crow.

Bill Clinton was in office for 8 years and had numerous bills cross his desk to end abortion and he passed on the opportunity every single time. So, don’t tell people to wake up when you need to yourself.

So - it’s OK to molest Parishioner’s but not OK to support something that may save lives!!

Although I understand people’s disagreements with Burke, I feel that it is wrong for the entire Catholic Church to be criticized as being “full of themselves.” The Catholic Church in America and throughout the world is responsible for charity work that benefits all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity or creed. I think the criticism of the Church as a whole, which is specifically directed to its members, is unfounded. Burke, just like any other person, is entitled to his views just as you and me are entitled to our views.

My husband is a pro-life Democrat…so yes, they do exist.

Republican George W. Bush presided over how many executions while governor of the state of Texas? In addition to the thousands of lives lost for his oil war? And he is pro-life? What kind of logic is that?

How many executions has the Archbishop protested in the past month, year, decade?

Nice comments…They are extremely lame, have no point or meaning, and way off base. Especially the one that says “Save the children, just kill them when they are 18″. Seriously, I am not pro-war, but no one twists these “Children’s” arms to join the army, they sign up for a reason, and if they never go to war, then why even have an ARMY or any Militia for that matter. Lets just dis-member our entire military and have no line of defense. That is basically what you are arguing.

Burke is absolutely right by the way. Democrats are stupid enough to want to vote for Obama, they might as well be voting to for death to the United States. Anyone who thinks Obama will keep us safe is just plain out of their minds. He thinks people who disagree (Russia/Georgia) should “Just be nice to eachother.” Exactly the statement I want a potential president to say when his opinion really matters…. Get real. I Realize what anyone says on here means nothing because you will all say and think and vote the way you want. I just wanted you all to realize how insane you are though.

Yea, cause Burke has been quoted as saying its okay to molest parishoners!? See just what I said, insane and stupid people.

“Party of Death?” Disregard for Human Life? War is not “Pro Life.”

Insofar as the current Democratic nominee for president voted against preserving the lives of infants who survived abortions, the Democrat Party became Infanticide at Prayer a long time ago.

The man is gone, he doesn’t live in the US, who cares what he thinks. He’s the Vatican’s problem now, not ours.

stick to your new job and leave st louis to its own business

Is this really news? Burke is gone, there is no need to have stories about him as lead stories. Especially on a day like today when so many more important things are going on.

Todd, how can you be talking about lame comments by others when you say something like “Democrats are stupid enough to want to vote for Obama, they might as well be voting to for death to the United States.” That is a perfect example of the intelligence of Republicans in this area. It appears it is you who is way off base if you agree with an idiot like Burke.

I’m a pro-life Independent who votes Democratic a lot, but not exclusively. I just have a different vision of what is pro-life than Mr. Burke. To my way of thinking, adult women are alive and deserving of respect, too, not just fetuses. Mary wasn’t forced to have that kid. She was asked. She chose to. That makes her pro-choice, too.

If you are a Burke Catholic it is impossible for you to vote let alone participate in democratic discourse in America. The Republican party is just as politically motivated as the Democrats…make no mistake: it is not in their best interest to pass anti-abortion legislation, which is why they did not do it in the first six years of Bush’s presidency.

Additionally, Catholics are in a real pickle right now. If they vote for McCain/Palin, they are voting for a Vice Presidential candidate whose church leaders have stated in sermons that Rome is the Whore of Babylon. This woman is a radical Christian and is in no way compatible with the Catholic faith.

Bottom line is people should work towards reducing the number of abortions. Do the research and you find that when social services are there for women the number of abortions tend to go down. And you should also be working towards a more peaceful and just society that would bring justice to criminals who have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians, who have endorsed TORTURE, and who have run this country into the ground.

Amen Joe. The Repubs would rather do it through unjust wars (war makes them money after all). Burke will be the one judged harshly in the after-life for moving around and ignoring PEDOPHILE PRIESTS that destroyed children and sometimes ended up killing them! His sin is greater than any of Crows.

I wonder where Burke’s larger than life “pro-life” stance was when, as late as December 2006, he placed at my parish with a elementary school, a priest who had been accused of having child pronography on his computer. His reasoning was he was “accused but never convicted” so there was no need to say anything. So I suppose that made the untold truth perfectly within reason. As I see it, it is a grave sin for me to vote Democratic while I’m sure Burke can peacefully lay his head on his pillow every night after going to communion everyday knowing he his “prolife” in the very strictest sense of the word. I am anti-abortion myself but also am a middle class wife and mother trying to keep my head above water, keep my families health insurance and make a better life for my family but also a “grave sinner”. Oh well….. Burke and I will both meet our maker one day and answer for our actions in our lives. I personally have no worries.

Would that this self-appointed watchdog of morals held his Republican backers accountable for the untold numbers of deaths in their war launched on behalf of lies and money. How about a campaign to prevent unwanted pregnancies — other than abstinence, which clearly doesn’t work (ask Ms. Palin)? Or how about more assistance and/or broader adoption services for these so-called “unwanted babies”? And wasn’t it McCain who has voted consistently against funding for head start and related programs? It is shameful.

Give the past history of the Roman Catholic Church in their quest for wealth and power around the world I believe the Party of Death would be themselves.

Bottom line: What happened to separation of church and state?

To “I still don’t understand how people can be pro-life and pro-war at the same time.” - Because freedom is not free.

Now you tell me how people can be pro-choice and anti-war in this sense - you’re against the sacrificing of human life for our country - I don’t agree that life for oil makes any bit of sense, but the left are against war in a broad sense, not just the one that we’re currently involved - yet you support the termination of human life in its infancy.

The virulent hatred of Archbishop Burke by so many in St. Louis and elsewhere is sad, but it is really not that surprising. In fact, Jesus himself predicted it:

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master’. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

“But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.

“The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

I am tired of Burke’s “holier than thou” opinions as well and see no need to publish his thoughts and ultimatums in reference to all those who disagree with him and his church. What did happen to the separation of Church & State? Our constitution has no meaning to this meddlin’ old man apparently. When he was removed from St. Louis I was so glad we wouldn’t have to read his dogma and condemnation of all who do not agree with the Catholic church. And, yes there are pro-life Democrats–lots of them!

Burke notes that the Dems are not the same anymore. That is because people change with time, something the catholic church should try.

This comes from the Pedophile Party, right? What a fine regard they have for living children! That is well documented.

I’m a Pro-Choic Republican and I’m voting straight Democrat because it’s nobodies’ business what happens in the doctor’s office or in the confessional. N’est pas?

I think archbishop Burke is wrong about the reason he was appointed to the Vatican and I think the Pope appointed Burke simply to get him away from St. Louis and his silly, offending and antagonizing comments he has made here and elsewhere. The archbishop should take his head out of the sand sometimes and see the real world for a change. I’m a proud democrat who is also pro-choice and who doesn’t believe in the death penalty.

Valgard

“Life” extends to beyond birth. Too many Republicans are quick to condemn, quick to judge, and quick to take away any assistance that might be given to help a single woman deal with a child that they wouldn’t let her abort. They won’t support welfare payments to allow her to stay home with her infant, yet they won’t support child care that would let her go to work. They take away her ability to obtain medical care through Medicaid, yet they shout about how the “uninsured” drive up medical costs. They strip the public school system of money through their support of charter schools and voucher systems, yet they decry the poor quality of public schools. They tout law and order, yet want a system that leads to unwanted children to a parent who is unable to physically or financially care for that child…and that child often ends up as an inmate in one institution or another.

This is not the “life” our forefathers referred to and that is so often quoted by those who would outlaw abortions. Me think the varmints speak with forked tongue!

D - the Republicans no longer believe or support the separation of church and state. The past 8 years of this president’s administration have made that more than clear. *sigh*

Abortion is still killing and murder and not of GOD. (esp late term abortion that Obama is known for supporting)

Cathocism doesn’t condone abortion. So…how does Joe Biden get away with saying he’s a devout Catholic..Yet he supports abortion.

sure…makes sense…Same way that Obama says he’s a Christian.

Archbishop Burke speaks the Truth’s of the Catholic church. This is the church founded by Jesus with apostolic succession. If you don’t like the message, you have to take that up with Jesus. As far as Paul L’s comments “(Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office)”, he should become informed before he speaks. Any person, priest and bishop included, can speak about what the Catholic faith says and what is against the faith. They can even comment on the Parties. What they cannot do is to tell us specifically who to vote for. And AB Burke is not doing that. If you don’t want to be faithful to our Lord, that is between you and him. But know what you are saying first. And to Tom and Joe, without the right to be born (inalienable right to life), we don’t have to worry about the rest of our rights. It amazes me that you who have never served in the armed forces comment on the war. Those who serve know the good they are doing. Lastly where is the choice for us to speak. Those who are for choice (what a misnomer) only want themselves to have a choice, they want to take our choices away because they don’t agree with them. God said he knew each of us before we were even in our mother’s womb. So abortion is killing the children of God - it is not the mother’s choice. It is God’s choice.

I wish these churchmen would mind their own business and stop telling us which party is holier than the other! Apparently he prefers the party of war, capital punishment and social injustice.

Do you people really not get it? Seriously. The Church considers many issues to be important and one should always let one’s faith inform him on these issues. Those like abortion, war, immigration, death penalty, human rights are important to the RCC. But abortion is different. Abortion is FOUNDATIONAL. This is because the right to life is the FOUNDATION on which all other rights rest. Without it, the other ones matter little. The RCC considers abortion to be INTRINSICALLY evil. It does not so consider war (which can sometimes be justified), the death penalty (which can be justified in certain cases and is a matter of prudential judgment), poverty (there are many theories from smart people on both sides on how to reduce it) and so forth. Abortion is a dealbreaker.

BTW, I was against Iraq war from the beginning as unjust but war can be justified and there are arguments to be made on the other side. Abortion is in a league of its own.

Burke is not endorsing Republicans. He was speaking specifically of Democrats because the statement about Sheryl Crow performing at their convention was put to him. His observations are correct. When a party advocates the intentional killing of unborn, defenseless children in the womb, assisted suicide, the manipulation of human embryos for scientific studies to which those embryos are sacrificed and from which they will never benefit, then yes, it is a party of death.

To the IRS objector: He is no longer in the United States and now has Vatican diplomatic immunity. Therefore, the IRS could not punish him or any Church entity in the U.S. for his comments even if they were in violation of IRS rules, which they are not.

And yes, the archbishop did protest the death penalty. He led and joined his fellow Missouri bishops in a Lenten letter calling for its abolition there. Wisconsin doesn’t have the death penalty, so it was unnecessary for him to say anything when he was there.

There is general hatred against the archbishop here because, as the wicked said in the Book of Wisdom “Let us beset the just man for he is obnoxious to us; he is a censure to our thoughts and sets himself against our doings…the very sight of him is a burden to us.”

“I’d love to see a point where it is irrelevant and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary,” McCain told the editors of the San Francisco Chronicle. “But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to illegal and dangerous operations.”

McCain is hardly a strong pro-life candidate. He certainly offers more pro-life statements than Obama, but it is clear that a McCain presidency would not push for an overhaul of abortion laws. This effectively takes this issue off of the table, bringing Catholic voters down to “second tier” issues: poverty, war, capital punishment. No good Catholic or Christian can argue that these issues are not important moral issues that can be approached via the loving teachings of Jesus Christ. Some devout voters will place the importance of these issues below the sanctity of unborn life, but they are important nonetheless. These issues can now be elevated to the top of the list for 2008’s morality voters.

I really enjoy these blogs where the tried and true “Real Catholics” come out. They like to claim they have the exclusive hold on the truth (or Truth), and seem to think that the apostles all wore red gowns at Pentecost and that the deposit of faith was immediate and unchanging. Many are so ignorant of their own history it is amazing…they refuse to acknowledge that Christological doctrine was not resolved until the fourth century, or that there is a complete other church who claims the same apostolic succession. Its sad, really.

And how do all of these Catholics feel about voting for a snake handling, witch hunting Christian whose church believes that the Catholic faith is evil???

Amazing.

It’s easy to deny communion to pro-choice politicians.
If Burke really wants to make a statement, why doesn’t he
denounce his U.S. citizenship?
Those that agree with him that abortion is an abomination
(worse than war!), should follow him to Rome.
Pro-Choice America: Love it or leave it!

I’m a pro-choice Catholic. Biden is a pro-choice Catholic.
Most of my Catholic friends are pro-choice.
Could it be something in the communion wafers that makes one
pro-choice? Palin is an anti-choice Catholic…but I don’t think
she ever received communion. (She doesn’t consider herself to be
Catholic, but in the eyes of the church, once baptized Catholic…
always a Catholic.)

Stanger-

What makes a Catholic, well, Catholic? Unity in doctrine, in worship and in discipline. You are obviously missing two of the three. If you want to be Catholic you should correct your conscience. Otherwise, you could always adopt another religion.

A pro-choice Catholic doesn’t exist. If you think it does and you espouse it, you are committing sacrilege every time you take communion. That is not my opinion, but doctrine.

Wowee,

There are lots of pro-choice Catholics and I’m one of them.

Different pro-choice Catholics have different attitudes toward
abortion. (Surprise!)

Some believe that abortion is wrong/immoral…but they don’t believe
that ANY religious group has the right to force its beliefs on
others. (Against abortion? Don’t have one!)

I, on the other hand, see nothing wrong with abortion. If you think
that somehow erases my baptism, so be it. But according to Church
doctrine, you’re wrong.

Stanger-

I never said that your beliefs “erased your baptism”. Voting for a pro-choice candidate is against what the Church teaches. Doing so is being an accomplice to abortion, which is a mortal sin. Receiving communion, without first going to confession and being absolved of that mortal sin, is committing sacrilege.

Part of being a Catholic is unity in doctrine. You can disagree over many issues. However, according to the pope, “There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.”

Also, if your friends really believed that abortion was immoral, they would not want it to continue. Example: I am against racism, but I don’t mind if the government permits and condones it! Sounds pretty silly to me.

Why would you belong to an organization whose rules you don’t agree with and disobey?

Wowee,

Lots of Church rules have changed over the years.
Pro-choice Catholics can be a force for change within the Church.

America is pro-choice.
If you’re not, why don’t you move to a country that is?

PS Voting for a pro-choice candidate in NOT a mortal sin. Not even
Burke believes that!

Stanger-

If you vote for a pro-choice candidate because they are pro-choice it is formal cooperation in making abortion legal. How about you simply google pro-choice and mortal sin and find out for yourself what Pope JPII, the USCCB, and numerous priests have to say about voting pro choice and mortal sin. However, some would argue that it is a venial sin bordering on a mortal sin.

Just remember what a mortal sin is:
1. it concerns a “grave matter”,
2. it is committed with full knowledge
3. it is committed with both deliberate and complete consent.

You can vote for a pro-choice candidate, but the reasoning must be proportional. However, I have yet to read a Catholic opinion stating a reason that would be proportional to abortion.

Finally, your “Why don’t you leave the country” bit is silly. Laws can change. The Church has made its views on abortion and euthanasia very clear and those will never change.

Good luck this November.

Wowee,

Subscribe to Conscience: The Newsjournal of Catholic Opinion
if you’d like to be better informed on this issue.

I have many friends in the priesthood. I don’t know one who
voted for Bush in 2004…and I doubt any of them will be voting
for McCain. They’re far too moral to do such a thing.

Stanger-

That magazine is not the same thing as statements and opinions from the pope, papal encyclicals, or statements from the USCCB. It is run by some poorly catechized individuals that distort the clearly stated stance of the Church. That magazine is not Catholic and does not espouse Catholic teachings.

Many, many priests are liberal in faith and politics. For example, many allow hand holding during Our Father and say nothing about it. It is no surprise to me that many vote for for pro-choice candidates.

Wowee,

I agree with your first sentence. There has never been a female
pope or bishop. I’ve heard it said that if men could get pregnant,
abortion would be a sacrament.

You claimed it was a mortal sin to vote for a pro-choice candidate.
When I called you on that erroneous statement, you added qualifiers.

Have you heard of the group “Priests for Life”? According
to your statements, that group’s name would be redundant.
They call themselves “Priests for Life” to distinguish themselves
from the many, many priests who are pro-choice.

There is no evidence that making abortion illegal would reduce the
number of abortions. Especially now that we have better
pharmaceuticals. If abortion became illegal, RU-486 would be as
hard to get a hold of as marijuana.

Stanger-

Let me clarify. Voting for a pro-choice candidate BECAUSE they are pro-choice is what I am referring to. You can vote for a pro-choice candidate, it is advised against, but you can. However, when your vote is based upon their pro-choice stance, that is where you cross the line.

I assume that based upon your last statement, you want women priests and support legalized abortions. Hmmmm. You obviously don’t adhere to anything the current or previous pope have said on those matters. If you don’t believe in the pope’s guidance or the guidance of your (former) archbishop, why stay with the religion? The beliefs you hold are clearly against the Church’s stances.

Archbishop Burke had the wonderful effect of showing us who the true believers are and who are cafeteria Catholics. Again, good luck in November.

Wowee,

You are correct in your assumptions.
Pope John Paul II is dead. Pope Benedict XVI is 81 years old.
Church leadership will change, as will Church rules.
Change will take longer if those who disagree with the Church abandon it,
rather than sticking around to influence positive change.
At mass last week I was pleased to see that ALL four of the “altar boys”
were female!

“Anti-abortion Catholicism: Love it or leave it!”
is no less silly than “Pro-choice America: Love it or leave it!”

Republican leadership is keen on spreading the American form of government. They want to impose democracy on other nations…even if the
people of those nations don’t want it. Bombs for democracy!
(It’s for their own good.)

If the Church becomes more democratic, many of the old rules will change.
If the Church doesn’t become more democratic, let’s hope the Vatican
has a well-stocked bunker.

PS I would never vote for a candidate simply because he/she was
pro-choice. But I’d be VERY hesitant to vote for any candidate
who was anti-choice. God is pro-choice: She gave us free will!

For Burke to have resigned from the board of the only remaining Catholic children’s hospital of the U.S. over one woman’s political stance is a disrespect for all the lives that are affected at Cardinal Glennon. I applaud Sheryl Crow for continuing to perform and benefit the children. As a Catholic and an advocate for children, Raymond Burke lost my attention when he did that.