Monday, May 12, 2008

Archbishop Naumann and Governor Sebelius



From a Catholic World News ARTICLE, courtesy of IC's MARGARET:

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City has announced that Governor Kathleen Sebelius should not receive Communion because of her support for legal abortion.

In a column appearing on May 9 in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Leaven, the archbishop said that Governor Sebelius has sent a "spiritually lethal message" by implying that she could remain a Catholic in good standing while supporting abortion on demand.

Of particulary interest to me was the Archbishop's account of the "pastoral" approach he'd taken to the matter:

He reported that he had met with her "several times over many months to discuss with her the grave spiritual and moral consequences of her public actions." Because the governor has now rejected his pleas and her public stand constitutes a scandal to the faithful, the archbishop said that he has now directed her to refrain from receiving Communion. Archbishop Naumann reported that he has asked Governor Sebelius to accept this directive, so that she will "not require from me any additional pastoral actions."
Another key point:

The governor will be welcomed back to Communion, the archbishop wrote, if she acknowledges her error, goes to Confession, and makes "a public repudiation of her previous efforts and actions in support of laws and policies sanctioning abortion."
THIS is the article that "started it all."  (And HERE'S a sample of the "reasoned response" it's generating.)
 
Posted by Father Barry at 12:00:00 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |