06.27.2008 7:46 am
Burke leaving St. Louis for Rome; what’s next for the local Catholic church?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
After a relatively brief, and somewhat stormy tenure as archbishop of the Catholic church in St. Louis, Raymond Burke is leaving. He’s expected to remain until a bit later in the summer, when he moves to Rome for his position as “Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature.”
Burke’s time in St. Louis has been marked by a number of controversies. He has condemned the ordination of “women priests” by another faith community. He has been in a battle over control of St. Stanislaus Church in St. Louis. He said he would not offer communion to politicians who do not stand by Catholic church doctrine.
What does his departure mean for the church here now? What are the qualities you’d like to see in his successor?
Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
It was awful of Archbishop Burke to tell the Catholics of Saint Louis the official Church stance on important positions. Didn’t he know that we would much rather make up our own minds about abortion, stem cells, homosexuality, women priestess’ and the like?
Hopefully our next Bishop won’t take any stands that might upset anyone. Just a nice middle of the road person Bishop who doesn’t upset anyone with rules, dogma or doctrine.
In fact, we should just vote on what our faith will be. Majority rules. Of course, we still want to call ourselves Catholic, but be free to pick and choose what to believe and obey.
I’d write more but I’m on my way to the cafeteria.