From CWN:
St. Louis, Apr. 26, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis has resigned from the board of a local charitable foundation, to protest a fundraising appearance by a performer who advocates abortion.All I can say is, go Abp. Burke! It's now our job as the laity to help the Archbishop both with public praise for his work and continued prayer that he may not waver. If we do a proper job of the former, just perhaps other Bishops in our country will get the message that their flocks will stand behind them and not pull a VOTF and stab them in the back.Archbishop Burke had asked the Cardinal Glennon Children's Foundation to cancel a scheduled performance by the singer Sheryl Crow at a fundraising even for the foundation. When foundation executives refused to do so, the archbishop announced that he was severing his connection with the group.
The archbishop said that the appearance of Crow at a fundraiser for a Catholic organization would be "an affront to the identity and mission of the medical center, dedicated as it is to the service fo life and Christ's healing mission." He noted that Crow has been "a high-profile proponent of the destruction of innocent lives," lending her celebrity status to the campaign for legal abortion on demand.
The St. Louis archbishop argued that by sponsoring a performance by Sheryl Crow, the Cardinal Glennon foundation was giving scandal. "When there is a significant risk that others could be led to evil," he said, "as the one responsible for the spiritual and moral well-being of the faithful entrusted to my pastoral care, I am obliged in justice to act."
And as for the Foundation who insists it's more important to raise money than to be faithful to the totality of life, Denise has some words for you:
I’m sorry. As soon as you put Catholic in your name, it is about ideology. If you want to raise money to help children without a concern for ideology, stop identifying yourself as a Catholic charity. Catholicism is not something we turn on and off. It should pervade every fiber of our being. An organization that claims to be Catholic must adhere to Catholic principles in every aspect. It is a scandal to distance oneself from Catholicism for financial gain. We should not allow the ends to justify evil means.Bingo.
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