This is the best news I have heard in a while. Raymond Burke was a terrible bishop and did very little to promote healing and acceptance in the Catholic Church. His “my way or the highway” approach to catholicism was destructive and alienating to St. Louis Catholics.

Terry Dolan

If only every diocese and archdiocese could have a Holy man of the caliber of Archbishop Burke, we would all be better off. We love him in California!

All these references to “his flock” makes my stomach turn. You are PEOPLE, not sheep. Do you not have the freedom to think for yourselves? Do you really let one man tell you what to do, how to vote, how to worship and what to think? That is pathetic. What are you, a bunch of lobotomized zombies? “Flock”?????? Oh that is weird.

Ciao Ciao Burke. STL is better without ya.

As a jurist I’m sure he will be fine, as an Archbishop, he needed to take a Dale Carnegie course.

I agree with those who feel the church needs to show a softer, more compassionate side with the next Archbishop, as opposed to the “my way or the highway” approach Burke often has taken during his tenure here.

Glad to see the dictator go!

Thank God Archbishop Burke is gone, The prayers of many a St. Louis Catholic have been answered. Many think he was doing the right things but he was doing them in a ham fisted undiplomatic way. He came to one of the most Catholic cities in the U.S. and managed to drive good Catholics away from the Church. This new job is proably what he was going for. Now that he has got it maybe the wounds he inflicted can be healed.

There are many different types of spirituality - one size does not fit all.

Archbishop Burke’s spirituality focused on the “Pelvice issues” of abortion, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, and birth control. That is a type of spirituality for people who sometimes confuse personal piety with a more social view of sin.

I have no problem with someone trying to yell out Christian values in an age of moral relativism. But I would have loved to have him be consistent, which is why he has engendered so much animosity. He spoke as if he was pro-life, but his love of President “W” and agreement with the Iraq War, which has now killed over 2/3rds of a million Iraqi’s, is simply indefensible. Pope JP II decried the war - Burke’s silence screamed that he was a Cafeteria Catholic that was far more Republican than Catholic.

True prophets cause everyone, and I mean everyone, to feel challenged. The fact that many came to feel so self-righteous behind him and feel it was an “us verses them” situation is not prophetic whatsoever.

We see religious intolerance in certain Arab countries of the world and decry it. We have experience religious intolerance within our own Catholic Church, and some applaud while others feel alienated.

BTW, does he get to keep the $14,000 Capa Magna (the bejewelled train he wears in high pomp times) he bought for himself, or is that the property of the Archdiocese???

Look at how many times the dissenters mention compromise. There is NO compromise in your faith - it is what it is!!! No problem picking out the libs here. AB Burke fed us the truth and the real Catholics heard. The weak Catholics fled and forgot the religion they believed in involved them and Jesus. I feel sorry for them and hope they find peace.

“Woe to you Pharisees, who clean the outside of the cup but the inside is filled with sin and filth”. “Woe to you Phariseess (sic), who are like whitewashed tombs, clean on the outside, but inside filled with dead men’s bones.”

That’s just it, though…Burke could very well be that Pharisee. The Pharisees were judgemental and harshly punitive on their flocks, as was Burke. The Pharisees were flashy and full of bravado, making great shows of their so-called piety - so was Burke - as it was often noted about him, he has been causing a stir in the national media since his days in Wisconsin, it’s almost as if he loves the spotlight, and why not? He has clearly made a name for himself here in the states, and now, it seems, in Rome, with his talent for shunning, finger-pointing and punishing his own church members - sadly, most of whom wished to share in the love of God through things like the Eucharist, to enjoy the fellowship of their culturally unique church, those who wished to become part of the clergy, or take part in Catholic fund-raisers.

The Pharisees were too busy puffing themselves up with demonstrations of power and the church’s might to truly do the work of God, to welcome everyone who wished to know God to his table and teachings, to help others in the community. Jesus did not turn away people whose hearts were open, even if their shows of faith might not have been “perfect.” He knew that love and coming to him with an open heart was more important than doing everything by the rule book.

Instead, he turned his anger on those who loved to shun and punish others, he admonished them as he did his disciples when they verbally attacked the woman who wished to perfume his feet with oil. He dined with the lawyers, tax collectors and hated people of his time, he did not bless the powerful and mighty, he blessed the meek and humble, and the peacemakers.

Does he need help packing? I know a lot of folks who’d be happy to do it. And now that he’s up for the lacy red dress to go with his red beanie, maybe he needs a bishop “assistant” - I’ll drive Braxton to the airport!!