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| Archbishop Dolan |
We were pleased to learn that a group of concerned New York State Catholics are petitioning New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, urging him to enforce Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law and deny Holy Communion to Catholic politicians who worked for the passage of the homosexual "marriage" law in that state, especially Governor Andrew Cuomo. Those wishing to sign the petition may do so here.
In a recent editorial for The Anchor, the official newspaper for the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, Father Roger Landry writes:
The Church exists as a hospital for the spiritually sick to bring them the Divine Physician’s healing, to help them become well, and ultimately to minister them the medicine of Christ in such a way that they may live forever. When the Church fails to do this, it fails in its mission. If doctors and nurses at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute were aware that a patient was chain smoking cigars and out of a desire not to displease him said nothing, they would be guilty of unconscionable neglect. If the patient was flaunting his cigar-smoking and attempting to persuade others that, rather than harmful, cigar-smoking was a great practice deserving of celebration instead of censure, the destructive consequences of their reticence would be magnified.
When the Church ignores the apostasy of prominent Catholic politicians, it sends mixed signals and falls short of its charitable obligation to provide, in the clearest possible terms, teachings that will assist all the faithful in realizing the salvation offered to them by Jesus Christ.
When Governor Cuomo receives Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament he is compounding sin by publicly stating he is in communion with and believes what the Church proclaims on the sanctity of marriage and the moral life. He clearly does not.
When Governor Cuomo receives Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament he is compounding sin by publicly stating he is in communion with and believes what the Church proclaims on the sanctity of marriage and the moral life. He clearly does not.
We believe that Archbishop Dolan will act as a good shepherd of souls must. Please sign the petition and encourage him to protect the Blessed Sacrament from sacrilege. For the sake of all souls entrusted to his care, ask that he proclaim the Church's teaching without equivocation.
Dan,
ReplyDeleteI'm so grateful for the rousing send-off to our appeal! Denying Communion to prominent dissident Catholic lawmakers might seen harsh and punitive but it is the best response for a number of reasons, primarily as a necessary wake-up call to their flagrant defiance of Church teaching and the admonitions of their bishops, but also as a message of hope for all their fellow Catholics who are scandalized by their example.
Thanks for the superb analogy by Fr. Landry. It was spot-on and explains clearly that this kind of disciplinary measure is like all judicious discipline a form of "tough love."
With you, I remain hopeful that with a little encouragement Archbishop Dolan will in the end decide to enforce Church law in this situation.
Julie Collorafi, Concerned Long Island Catholics