Archbishop Burke says Democrats may become “party of death”
In comments published over the weekend in a daily Catholic newspaper sponsored by the Italian bishops’ conference, former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke said the Democratic Party “risks transforming itself definitively into a ‘party of death.’”
According to a Catholic New Service story, Burke - now the head of the Vatican’s version of the supreme court - was told that musician Sheryl Crow played at the Democratic National Convention last month.
“That does not surprise me much,” the archbishop said. “At this point the Democratic Party risks transforming itself definitely into a ‘party of death’ because of its choices on bioethical questions as Ramesh Ponnuru wrote in his book, ‘The Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts and the Disregard for Human Life.’”
Archbishop Burke said the Democratic Party once was “the party that helped our immigrant parents and grandparents better integrate and prosper in American society. But it is not the same anymore.”
Pro-life Democrats are “rare, unfortunately,” he said.
In 2007, Burke resigned from the foundation board at the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center after the rest of the foundation’s board refused to replace Sheryl Crow as the musical headliner benefiting the hospital’s Bob Costas Cancer Center. Crow is a supporter of embryonic stem cell research, which the Catholic church considers akin to abortion.
The newspaper also asked Burke “for his reaction to reports that his Vatican job was designed to get him away from St. Louis.”
“I have too much respect for the pope to believe that in order to move someone away from a diocese he would nominate him to a very sensitive dicastery like this one,” said the archbishop…”
Tim Townsend has been the religion reporter at the Post-Dispatch since June 2004. He previously covered personal finance and consumer news for The Wall Street Journal. He holds master's degrees from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Yale Divinity School. In 2005 he won the Templeton Religion Reporter of the Year Award, given by the Religion Newswriters Association. 
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.