Vatican Official Slams 'obstinate Betrayal ' Of Nuns, Cath. H

[laetitia crucis]

([url="http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10041201.html"]Source[/url].)

[quote][b]Vatican Official Slams 'Obstinate Betrayal' of Nuns, Cath. Health Assoc. [/b]
By Kathleen Gilbert

MUNDELEIN, Illinois, April 12, 2010 ([url="http://www.lifesitenews.com"]LifeSiteNews.com[/url]) - Catholic consecrated religious who openly dissent from the authority of Rome and the church's teaching on life are "an absurdity of the most tragic kind" and should cease identifying themselves as Catholic, said Archbishop Raymond Burke, the head of Rome's Apostolic Signatura.

Burke gave the remarks in his keynote address Friday at the Institute for Religious Life’s national meeting at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. The Institute also honored Burke with their Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award at a celebration of the legacy of Servant of God Fr. John Hardon, SJ.

In excerpts of the address published by Thomas Peters of the [url="http://www.catholicvoteaction.org/americanpapist/index.php?p=6825"]American Papist blog[/url], Burke took a moment to express his exasperation with the defiance of Catholic religious sisters in the U.S. who supported the federal health care bill - a measure dubbed the most pro-abortion piece of legislation since Roe v. Wade, thanks to its vast expansion of government abortion funding.

"Who could imagine that consecrated religious would openly, and in defiance of the bishops as successors of the apostles, publicly endorse legislation containing provisions which violated the natural moral law in its most fundamental tenets – the safeguarding and promoting of innocence and defenseless life, and fail to safeguard the demands of the free exercise of conscience for health care workers?" Burke questioned.

The Vatican official also severely criticized "public and obstinate betrayal of religious life by certain religious" towards Rome's ongoing apostolic visitation into U.S. religious orders.

After the visitation began last spring, Sr. Sandra M. Schneiders of the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary said in remarks [url="http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09030604.html"]published[/url] on the National Catholic Reporter that nuns should receive representatives of Rome "politely and kindly, for what they are, uninvited guests who should be received in the parlor, not given the run of the house."

"Who ever could have imagined that religious congregations of pontifical right, would openly organize to resist and attempt to frustrate an apostolic visitation, that is, a visit to their congregations carried out under the authority of the vicar of Christ on earth, to whom all religious are bound by the strongest bonds of loyalty and obedience?" he asked.

Abp. Burke indicated that the attitude of sisters towards the visitation represents "a growing tendency among certain consecrated religious to view themselves outside and above the body of Christ as a parallel institution looking in upon the Church with an autonomy which contradicts their very nature."

"Religious life lived in the heart of the Church, and for that reason religious congregations are, by their very nature, bound in strictest loyalty to the Roman Pontiff," he said. "It is of course an absurdity of the most tragic kind to have consecrated religious knowingly and obstinately acting against the moral law.

"The spiritual harm done to the individual religious who are disobedient and also the grave scandal caused to the faithful and people in general are of incalculable dimensions."

Burke also directly challenged Sr. Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association, as well as Network, a pro-abortion lobby group of U.S. nuns, whose support for the bill the Obama administration openly acknowledged as critical to its success.

"Was not the Speaker of the House [Nancy Pelosi] glowing to report that so many religious sisters were in support of her proposed health care plan?" he asked. "Was not a religious sister [Sr. Carol Keehan, President of CHA] one of the recipients of a pen used by the President of the United States to sign the health care plan into law?

"Now is the time for us all, and in particular for consecrated persons to stand up for the truth and to call upon our fellow Catholics and leadership to do the same, or to cease identifying themselves as Catholics."[/quote]

[size="1"]ETA: links.[/size]

Edited April 12, 2010 by laetitia crucis

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='laetitia crucis' date='12 April 2010 - 02:01 PM' timestamp='1271091708' post='2091550']
([url="http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10041201.html"]Source[/url].)
[/quote]
AMEN!!!

[Thy Geekdom Come]

Not that I want Pope Benedict to leave us anytime soon, but I do hope Burke is elected next.

[laetitia crucis]

This makes me want to send Archbishop Raymond Burke a massive box of chocolates or something equally delicious to say, "Thank you, Your Most Awesomeness!"

[Chiara_]

[quote name='Raphael' date='12 April 2010 - 01:17 PM' timestamp='1271092665' post='2091558']
Not that I want Pope Benedict to leave us anytime soon, but I do hope Burke is elected next.
[/quote]


Wait...is that possible? I thought he was still an archbishop and one had to be a cardinal tto get elected. (I completely agree, he would be an epic pope. Of course Benedict is epic as well.) Just wondering if that was possible?

Or maybe I'm being dumb and you're talking about the future in which he would (awesomely) be made cardinal?

Edited April 12, 2010 by Chiara_

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Chiara_' date='12 April 2010 - 02:38 PM' timestamp='1271101120' post='2091701']
Wait...is that possible? I thought he was still an archbishop and one had to be a cardinal tto get elected. (I completely agree, he would be an epic pope. Of course Benedict is epic as well.) Just wondering if that was possible?

Or maybe I'm being dumb and you're talking about the future in which he would (awesomely) be made cardinal?
[/quote]
I don't believe it's technically necessary. Just by far the norm. It might be the current discipline though, like the age of cardinal-electors, etc..
Some people around here can give a more official answer.
I believe in the past there was a lay person elected to the papacy, who was subsequently ordained and consecrated bishops after the vote.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='Chiara_' date='12 April 2010 - 03:38 PM' timestamp='1271101120' post='2091701']
Wait...is that possible? I thought he was still an archbishop and one had to be a cardinal tto get elected. (I completely agree, he would be an epic pope. Of course Benedict is epic as well.) Just wondering if that was possible?

Or maybe I'm being dumb and you're talking about the future in which he would (awesomely) be made cardinal?
[/quote]
In all likelihood, he will be created a cardinal. I believe there's a consistory coming up this fall.

Regardless, the cardinals in the conclave can elect any baptized male, regardless of his location. If he is not already a bishop (or priest, for that matter), he need only be ordained before he is inaugurated as pope.

[littlebreakdowns]

My own thoughts on him aside (I actually like him more than some of the more liberal Catholics in St. Louis), I thought I should point out that Burke was who did my baptism/confirmation/first communion back when he was our Archbishop here in St. Louis.

[Chiara_]

[quote name='Raphael' date='12 April 2010 - 04:11 PM' timestamp='1271103075' post='2091743']
In all likelihood, he will be created a cardinal. I believe there's a consistory coming up this fall.

Regardless, the cardinals in the conclave can elect any baptized male, regardless of his location. If he is not already a bishop (or priest, for that matter), he need only be ordained before he is inaugurated as pope.
[/quote]

Oh that's so great! I hope he becomes a cardinal anyway.

[Brother Adam]

Word. It's about time.

[CatherineM]

I could see Burke being elected, and then standing up on the balcony doing a good Moses impression. He'll call all those who want to truly be Catholic to one side, and the rest need to get marched out by the Swiss Guard.

[Marie-Therese]

It's so good to see faithful shepherds.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='CatherineM' date='12 April 2010 - 04:34 PM' timestamp='1271108060' post='2091856']
I could see Burke being elected, and then standing up on the balcony doing a good Moses impression. He'll call all those who want to truly be Catholic to one side, and the rest need to get marched out by the Swiss Guard.
[/quote]

On the other hand, I think it is a good Catholic witness that so many non-Catholics want to visit the Vatican and to try get a glimpse of the Pope. I know that I will never forget my visit to the Vatican (even though it was incredibly crowded). My ex and I wanted to get some souvenir of our visit that wasn't tacky, so we bought a new "Baby Jesus" for our creche. The creche had been in my family for years, and some of the camels had lost their legs, and our "Baby Jesus" had a hole in his rear end. The creche at the Vatican wasn't exactly like the one we had at home, but once we got home, the "Baby Jesus" fitted perfectly.

[Maggyie]

Regardless of the message, can I get an Amen for hating when the media takes the remarks of a single bishop and headlines it "The Vatcian says this" or "The Vatican says that."

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Maggie' date='12 April 2010 - 04:56 PM' timestamp='1271112987' post='2091975']
Regardless of the message, can I get an Amen for hating when the media takes the remarks of a single bishop and headlines it "The Vatcian says this" or "The Vatican says that."
[/quote]
Amen.

It should say something like "a Vatican official said that . . ." etc.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' date='12 April 2010 - 04:44 PM' timestamp='1271108677' post='2091869']
On the other hand, I think it is a good Catholic witness that so many non-Catholics want to visit the Vatican and to try get a glimpse of the Pope. I know that I will never forget my visit to the Vatican (even though it was incredibly crowded). My ex and I wanted to get some souvenir of our visit that wasn't tacky, so we bought a new "Baby Jesus" for our creche. The creche had been in my family for years, and some of the camels had lost their legs, and our "Baby Jesus" had a hole in his rear end. The creche at the Vatican wasn't exactly like the one we had at home, but once we got home, the "Baby Jesus" fitted perfectly.
[/quote]
I wasn't talking about non-Catholics. They are welcome, and I'm sure they always will be. I was talking about those who claim to be devout Catholics, but publicly live their lives otherwise.