Catholics who are refreshed by hearing orthodox Catholic prelates speaking plainly will surely appreciate the recent comments of Archbishop Raymond Burke, formerly of St. Louis and now Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura ("leader of the Church's supreme court"). These comments included statements that Canon 915 clearly forbids administering Holy Communion to those publicly and obstinately in grave sin ("The Canon is completely clear, it is not subject in my judgment to any other interpretations"), that laity should pressure their bishops and priests over the scandal of notorious sinners receiving Holy Communion ("I would encourage the faithful when they are scandalized by the giving of Holy Communion to persons [who] are publicly and obstinately in sin, that they go to their pastors, whether it’s their parish priest or to their bishop, to insist that this scandal stop"), that when a president promotes and implements anti-life legislation he could be "an agent of death", and that "President Obama uses this word 'hope' in a way that for us is very disturbing. We need to have hope, the hope that is founded in Jesus Christ, alive for us in the Church; Jesus Christ who gave His life for everyone without exception, and with a particular love for the suffering and for those who are the most defenseless." His comments were given in a recent interview with an anti-abortion activist & convert, Randall Terry, and shown to the National Press Club in Washington on March 25.
Update: Burke apologizes that comments were used to attack bishops, but not for substance of his comments (story here)
[3/26, updated 3/27]
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