[Apologetics] The Archbishop and the Governor

[Dianne Dawson]

The article below comes from one of my favorites blogs. - Dianne

http://amywelborn.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/the-archbishop-and-the-governor/


The Archbishop and the Governor
May 9, 2008 by Amy 
Archbishop Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, to Governor Sebelius, a Catholic:
Since becoming archbishop, I have met with Governor
Sebelius several times over many months to discuss with her the grave
spiritual and moral consequences of her public actions by which she has
cooperated in the procurement of abortions performed in Kansas. My
concern has been, as a pastor, both for the spiritual well-being of the
governor but also for those who have been misled (scandalized) by her
very public support for legalized abortion.
It has been my hope that through this dialogue the governor would come
to understand her obligation: 1) to take the difficult political step,
but necessary moral step, of repudiating her past actions in support of
legalized abortion; and 2) in the future would use her exceptional
leadership abilities to develop public policies extending the maximum
legal protection possible to the unborn children of Kansas.
Having made every effort to inform and to persuade Governor Sebelius
and after consultation with Bishop Ron Gilmore (Dodge City), Bishop
Paul Coakley (Salina) and Bishop Michael Jackels (Wichita), I wrote the
governor last August requesting that she refrain from presenting
herself for reception of the Eucharist until she had acknowledged the
error of her past positions, made a worthy sacramental confession and
taken the necessary steps for amendment of her life which would include
a public repudiation of her previous efforts and actions in support of
laws and policies sanctioning abortion.
Recently, it came to my attention that the governor had received holy
Communion at one of our parishes. I have written to her again, asking
her to respect my previous request and not require from me any
additional pastoral actions.
The governor has spoken to me on more than one occasion about her
obligation to uphold state and federal laws and court decisions. I have
asked her to show a similar sense of obligation to honor divine law and
the laws, teaching and legitimate authority within the church.
I have not made lightly this request of Governor Sebelius, but only
after much prayer and reflection. The spiritually lethal message,
communicated by our governor, as well as many other high profile
Catholics in public life, has been in effect: “The church’s teaching on
abortion is optional!” \
I reissue my request of the faithful of the archdiocese to pray for
Governor Sebelius. I hope that my request of the governor, not to
present herself for holy Communion, will provoke her to reconsider the
serious spiritual and moral consequences of her past and present
actions. At the same time, I pray this pastoral action on my part will
help alert other Catholics to the moral gravity of participating in
and/or cooperating with the performance of abortions.
By the way…Archbishop
Naumann was scheduled to be praying the rosary this morning with a
group in front of a Planned Parenthood in Overland Park. I’m sure there will be reports of how that went later today.
 Canonist Ed Peters comments.
Kansas City (KS) Abp. Joseph Naumann has met with Gov. Sebelius many times to dissuade her from machinating
against the preborn; failing to move her, and after consulting his
suffragans, he wrote to her in August 2007 “requesting that she refrain
from presenting herself for reception of the Eucharist until she had
acknowledged the error of her past positions, made a worthy sacramental
confession and taken the necessary steps for amendment of her life
which would include a public repudiation of her previous efforts and
actions in support of laws and policies sanctioning abortion.”
Abp. Naumann’s statement is model of pastoral sollicitude and
political savoir faire. I think it required reading for any one who
wishes to discuss this topic seriously, along with, say, Abp.
Raymond Burke’s “Canon 915: The discipline regarding denial of holy
Communion to those obstinately perservering in manifest grave sin”,
Periodica 96 (2007) 3-58, and my own “Denial
of the Eucharist to pro-abortion Catholic politicans: a canonical case
study”, Homiletic & Pastoral Review (Oct. 1990) 28-32, 48-49.

 
Like a deer that longs for running waters so my soul longs for you, O God.
Ps 42:1


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