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. 
I’m always amazed at the “real” catholics vs cafeteria catholics. The “real” ones show no tolerance for debate. It’s their way or the highway. Pretty much the same guy as, “america, love it or leave it”.
Maybe you Burke worshippers should heed your own advice and follow him to Rome.
See you at St Cronans on Sunday!!!!
Archbishop Burke will contiue to be a true leader for the Catholic Church. He is a holy man who stands by the teachings of the Church and is not afraid to speak these teachings publicly. Many people in St. Louis will never truly understand what a strong leader we had for our Catholic Church. I wish him well in his new role. We should all continue to pray for the entire Catholic Church.
When will people understand that “Religion is a business”? They dont care about the less fortunate, the hungry or the homeless. Its ALL ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE. Think about this, churches are mult-million dollar buildings that pay it priests, pastors & other employess a tax-free income. Must be nice. Then the catholics try to tell people how to vote & what issues need to be addressed. If priests & pastors lived like Jesus they wouldnt be preaching in these million dollar palaces, instead they will take the “word” to the street. If the catholics sold off all its assests (as well as other demonations) they could take care of millions & millions of people in need. CORPORATE RELIGION IS A JOKE…. to me its about a “personal relationship with Christ” .. I dont need to listen to “corporations” tell me how to pray, how to vote & how to life.
Catholics are against abortions, but do you see those same people adopting unwanted kids, or kids with birth defects?
Start thinking for yourself for once & not what the church tells you…
Kurt Greenbaum, in his article, describes Burke’s tenure here as “somewhat stormy” - I’d say that’s “somewhat of an understatement.” The comments here have ranged from the highly supportive to the extreme in damning Burke’s time here as Archbishop.
For me, personally, he represents almost, if not all the reasons why I left the Catholic church many years ago. I consider myself a good Christian but found things so wrong about the Catholic Church, the worst being the covering up and virtually protecting of those priests who were molesting for so many years.
Burke himself crossed lines by condemning other religions - does he not remember the Second Vatican Council? Pope Paul VI and Cardinal Augustin Bea ensuring that the Council language was friendly and open to the sensitivities of Protestant and Orthodox Churches at the request of the late Pope John XXIII. Bea also was significantly involved in the passage of Nostra Aetate, which regulated relation of the Church with the Jewish faith and members of other religions. Burke obviously ignored all that which has been part of the Catholic religion since the late 1960’s.
No, I won’t miss his overbearing ways. He’s best to go back to Rome…
The divisions that AB Burke created in the STL Catholic community are evident on this forum. As others have alluded, Burke would not give communion to high profile politicians that supported abortion, but conveniently overlooked other politicians responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan (Democrats and Republicans alike). He didn’t say he would deny John Kerry communion because of his support for the war, but because of his support for abortion.
To all Catholics defending Burke, I encourage you to consult Catholic doctrine on what constitutes a “just” war. Make no mistake, the Iraq war is not justified by Catholic doctrine. If G.W. Bush was Catholic, would Burke deny him communion based on the war and his ardent support of the death penalty? If we Catholics truly believe all life is sacred, I would hear just as much about war, the death penalty, and poverty as I do about abortion. I am not a casual Catholic; I attend Church on a weekly basis and adhere to the teaching of Christ. AB Burke was misguided at best in his role in STL. Good riddance.
As a Catholic, I feel an enormous sense of relief that Burke will no longer be the Archbishop of St. Louis. He apparently lacked pastoral skills and was too quick to reach for the hammer of canon law. It gives me hope that the Church may again be known for compassion, not punishment.
You people in St. Louis don’t know what you’re losing. A great churchman who will in fact have more influence now on the Catholic Church than he did as AB in your little backwater burg. God Bless Benedict XVI on a great choice.
Alleluia! God has answeredg our prayers and we have been delivered! Burke closed our churches, he excommunicated faithful people in an effort to greedily wrest control of parish finances and property, he injected himself into politics and secular subjects in which he has no business - and he did all of this with the tact and delicacy of a bull in a china shop. Good riddance to bad rubbish. I pray that the Pope will appoint a more diplomatic and people-oriented archbishop, but almost anyone would be better.
Today is a good day! … AB Burke is leaving!!!! AMEN!!! I couldn’t be any happier!!
I will be the first to help him pack his bags and get him out of St. Louis… Nice knowing you, Burke! (Sarcastically) Thanks for coming into St. Louis and really stirring the pot! You left scars on St. Louis that will never heal… You turned many Catholics away from the church forever!!! But not me… you actually encouraged me to go to church… St. Stanislaus that is! Thank you! I have never enjoyed going to church more than I do now! I guess there is no such thing as bad PR.
Have a great trip to Rome! I feel pity on the next city or church you decide to pick on…
Of America’s 256 bishops, only 5 came out saying that it was “a sin” to vote the way Archbishop Burke did.
Little known fact: 4 years ago, the Archbishop asked a Republican leader in the state of Missouri to write his “election guidelines.” Surprise of surprise, it showed Carl Rove’s deft touch of going after the ‘morality of the mid-section:’ abortion, gays, birth control, and embryonic research.
Not a single mention about the war in Iraq, which Pope John Paul II damned time and time again. Not a single word about the environment, inner-city education, poverty in America, access to health care, or the exponentially growing gap between the glutunous rich and massive poor.
The poor guy from a rural, white, middle-class homogenous community and arcane academic background could not have felt any more over his head while here. I’m sure he’s relieved and happy to be able to make decisions without seeing the effects.
Holy Spirit, heal our wounds, and help the over 20% decrease in Catholic Mass attendance we’ve experienced since our AB was dumped here.