Jesus Christ could not please every one and neither could Archbishop Burke but like Jesus, he stood for truth. May he continue to seek God’s ways and follow Him. God Bless you Archbishop Burke.

Everyone on this blog needs to read Louis’s post. He is not a Christian and not pro-lfe, and yet he succinctly explains why Abp Burke and the Catholic Church don’t waver with the winds of changing culture! SIMPLY PUT, IF YOU DON’T LIKE THAT ARCHBISHOP BURKE UPHELD THE PERENNIAL TEACHINGS AND DOGMAS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, WHICH YOU CLAIM TO BE A MEMBER OF, THEN DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ALL ON YOUR WAY OUT!!!!! Also, good job, Carlos! Amen to your comment1

The people who lament Burke’s leaving are also the same people who still cannot imagine that a priest would molest a child, and hence enabled that problem in the first place. What is curious is that while people talk about Church teaching as it regards legalities and money, they forget one of the passages where Jesus was quite explicit about people who harm the most innocent: they should have a millstone placed around their neck and should be thrown into the ocean. Burke and any bishop who knowingly hid or moved a priest who molested children should be subjected to such a punishment in Dante’s Inferno.

The other aspect of Burke is that he is a throwback to a Church that will never return. The demographics are clear. We simply will not have enough priests in St. Louis in the next decade, and the crop of new priests seem to think that wearing French cuffs like Burke will earn them respect. Sorry guys, that train left the station a long time ago.

Parishes were closed because instead of following the mission of Christ and acting like missionaries to the poor and the immigrant communities of the city the leadership of the Church in St. Louis opted to follow the money to the suburbs. Sorry folks…but it is all about money.

And for as much as people talk about Burke following the “truth,” is that to say that all the bishops like Rigali, May, Carberry, Glennon, and Ritter did NOT follow the truth because they allowed St. Stans to retain a different system of organization that allowed them to retain control over their finances?

You people who talk about “truth” should study a little theology and history before you spout your sheepish ignorance.

So long. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

This is very exciting for St. Louis. Finally, the dictator will be gone. You definitely won’t be missed.

So many ignorant comments saying “it’s all about the money.”

The Church is NOT “about the money.” The work of the Church is to preach the Good News, to heal, to teach, and to reconcile. Remember the corporal and spiritual works of mercy?

The Catholic Church has done more to care for the poor than any other organization in the history of Western Civilization. For many hundreds of years, continuing today, there are Catholic hospitals, schools, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, adoption agencies, social services, and so on.

Guess what? All of those agencies that do so much to serve the people of God need MONEY to operate. How effective would a Catholic hospital be if they didn’t pay their light bill? Or if they didn’t build a new multi-million dollar Cancer center? How effective would a Catholic university be if they couldn’t pay the salaries of professors? Is it a good use of funds to keep open a parish that has only 10% of its former membership while the utility bills and maintenance costs go up and up?

Money is one of the necessary tools to carry out the mission of the Church - to serve God and God’s people.

Perhaps the new Archbishop will be more like Jesus Christ, who inspired us with His powerful example of love and compassion. I was present when the Archbishop visited a local Catholic high school. As a prank, one of the students put a “Save St. Stans” button in another student’s hand as the Archbishop walked by. The Archbishop saw the button, stopped, and demanded the name of the student who had been handed the button. Burke humiliated the student, who was not given the opportunity to explain he had the button by mistake. The Archbishop even got his assistants to call this innocent student’s home parish to request that he be refused Communion. I hope our new Archbishop is a more compassionate and understanding leader. More people are converted and won over by the powerful example of love and understanding than by a hard line approach like that of Burke.

No one can deny that the Church has done great things. But the underlying point is that Burke’s leadership, and the leadership of the American bishops, has been more about money and protecting the wealth of the church than anything else. Instead of admitting fault, guilt or responsibility for the child abuse crisis, they hid behind lawyers to protect the wealth of the church.

Instead of doing the right thing and pointing out that the white flight to places like St. Charles and JeffCo has more to do with racism than anything else, Burke and the bishops simply built more churches…and now their wont be enough priests to man them.

Suzanne,

I for one would like to know what high school graduate that was. I would like to know what school is producing graduates with such a great sense of humor.

That might be the funniest (craziest?) entry in this blog.

+1 to both cardsfan chicago and chris k - clayton. as a SLU grad, i’m happy to see AB Burke get “kicked upstairs,” regarding his stupdity regarding coach majerus. boy, didn’t Burke and Regali both seem to have it out for SLU, since they couldn’t control the university?

as a former STL Archdiocesan seminarian of nine years now residing in Chicagoland, i’d agree that folks back home don’t want any former chicago aux bishop as AB - their track record isn’t a pretty one (see: Bishop Braxton). also, as a graduate of now defunct Prep North, it’s great to see Bishop Hermann named temp archdiocesan administrator - he’s a holy man by word and example. hopefully, he’ll get the full-time gig.

regarding the posts by self-appointed “defenders of the faith:” how many of you were so quick to condemn other catholics with dissenting views, many of whom are in accord with legitimate catholic theology and social teaching! geez, are any of us going to pray to the Holy Spirit for more humility, patience, and charity today/tonight? for other folks - although AB Burke makes Cardinal George up here look good, I don’t think he ought to burn in hell. everybody, ease up on the caffeine, and everything will be OK.

hopefully, the Vatican sees the need for the new AB to have as his top priority pastoral care/”fence mending” - meaning, imparting Church doctrine (pro-life, anti-war, anti-death penalty, pro-immigration policies for the poor, empowering the poor, etc.) with compassion and care, you know, like AB May/Cardinal Ritter did. personally, i’m not too optimstic on that account….

selfishly, I know my mom in St. John is happy today!