Recommended by Father Pisut

Catholic Gov. of Illinois supports unnatural unions bill. Bp. of Springfield warns him.

Posted on 2 December 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From CNA:

Bishop calls out Catholic governor in Illinois for approving civil unions
By Benjamin Mann, Staff Writer

Springfield, Ill., Dec 2, 2010 / 08:13 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Illinois legislaturepassed a bill on Dec. 1 that will establish same-sex civil unions in state law. While the state’s Catholic governor Pat Quinn said his faith prompted him to support the bill, [?!?] his bishop has warned that the governor’s actions clearly contradict Church teaching.

“If the Governor wishes to pursue a secular agenda for political purposes, that is his prerogative, for which he is accountable to the voters,” said Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Ill., after the contentious vote.

[Here it comes...] “But if he wishes to speak as a Catholic, then he is accountable to Catholic authority,” he continued, “and the Catholic Church does not support civil unions or other measures that are contrary to the natural moral law.” [Clear enough?] In the governor’s case, the local “Catholic authority” is Bishop Paprocki himself. [OORAH!]

The Springfield Journal-Register quoted the governor as saying, “My religious faith animates me to support this bill.”

“He did not say what religious faith that would be,” Bishop Paprocki noted. “But it certainly is not the Catholic faith.” [I would like to remind the readers at this point that Bp. Paprocki was, while an official in the chancery of Chicago and then an auxiliary bishop, a supporter of the older, traditional form of Holy Mass and was not rarely at St. John Cantius.  I not absolutely saying that there is a connection between this bishop' clarity and his liturgical foundation.  But... ]

To read the entire article click here:  WDTPRS