Kansas City, KA Archbishop Shows Some Backbone

With the backing of his fellow Kansas bishops, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, KA has again told Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius that she should refrain from receiving communion. & he has spoken out publicly, writing a column in the Archdiocesan newspaper, The Leaven, explaining exactly why.

He starts out with his comments on her recent veto of the Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act (HS SB 389). "From her veto message, I received the impression the governor considered it a waste of the Legislature’s time to pass a statute that attempts to protect some women by making certain they have the opportunity to be well-informed: 1) about the development of their unborn child; and 2) about abortion alternatives available to them. Evidently, the governor does not approve of legislators devoting energy to protecting children and women by making it possible to enforce existing Kansas laws regulating late-term abortions."

The Archbishop goes on to say: "The governor’s veto message demonstrated a lack of respect to the members of the Kansas General Assembly who had carefully crafted and resoundingly passed the Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act, as well as to the many Kansans who find it more than an embarrassment, in no small part due to several previous vetoes by Governor Sebelius of earlier legislative efforts to regulate abortion clinics, that Kansas has become infamous for being the late-term abortion center for the Midwest."

Not surprizingly, Gov. Sebelius has accepted campaign contributions from the infamous late term abortionist Dr. George Tiller as well as some PACs he has founded.

The Archbishop decries her support for legal abortion saying: "What makes the governor’s actions and advocacy for legalized abortion, throughout her public career, even more painful for me is that she is Catholic. Sadly, Governor Sebelius is not unique in being a Catholic politician supporting legalized abortion."

This isn't the 1st time the Archbishop has dealt with this problem. "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."

"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."

Unfortunately, like Mayor Rudy Giuliani with Cardinal Egan, she has ignored what the Archbishop has said. "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."

Like many a Catholic, the Governor uses the excuse of state & federal laws as well as court decisions to justify her actions. The Archbishop's comments on that: "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." Apparently she has more respect for man that God. (I remember back in the 70s when former Iowa Governor & US Senator Harold Hughes opted not to run for president because he couldn't use nuclear weapons if he had to. He showed a moral backbone she is sadly lacking.)

The Archbishop concludes by saying: "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." (Emphasis mine)

Strong words. Nothing wishy-washy. What she is doing is wrong. It is causing harm. Here is a Bishop who takes seriously his call to be a shepherd, a good shepherd. He is teaching, correcting & guiding as he should. Archbishop Naumann is to be applauded.

Between this, Cardinal Egan's recent calling of Rudy Giuliani to task & Archbishop Burke's excommunications, it is refreshing to see that some bishops are doing what they should. Archbishop Donald Weurl of Washington, DC could learn from them. As could all the home town Bishops of those politicians that Archbishop Weurl won't take on. It strikes me that Archbishop Naumann's concluding comment could be seen as a subtle J'accuse! to these other Bishops for not doing as he did.

Speaking of Archbishop Burke, Papa Benedetto recently appointed him to the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, which interprets canon, or church, law & the Congregation for the Clergy, which regulates the formation and training of clergy. (Pope names Archbishop Burke to 2 offices) Archbishop Burke currently serves on the Vatican’s Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, the Roman Catholic church’s supreme court and its highest judicial authority.