In this case in re: same-sex marriages and how (not) to minister to them. Advice sent to his priests and his rebuttal of comments by well-known gay-rights promoter Fr. James Martin SJ, who argued against such advice.

First, Fr. Martin, who

. .  . posted my decree on Twitter and said in a series of tweets, “If bishops ban members of same-sex couples from funeral rites, they must also ban divorced and remarried Catholics without annulments . . . women who have children out of wedlock, members of straight couples living together before marriage, anyone using birth control . . . members of straight couples living together before marriage, anyone using birth control. . . . To focus only on LGBT people, even those in same-sex marriages, without a similar focus on the sexual or moral behavior of straight people is in the words of the ‘Catechism’ a ‘sign of unjust discrimination.”

The bishop:

Father Martin gets a lot wrong in those tweets, since canon law prohibits ecclesiastical funeral rites only in cases of “manifest sinners” which gives “public scandal,” and something such as using birth control is a private matter that is usually not manifest or made public.

Moreover, my decree does not focus on “LGBT people,” but on so-called same-sex marriage, which is a public legal status. No one is ever denied the sacraments or Christian burial for simply having a homosexual orientation. Even someone who had entered into a same-sex “marriage” can receive the sacraments and be given ecclesiastical funeral rites if they repent and renounce their “marriage.

Boiler-plate stuff which Fr. Martin has to know. What he seems not to know is that he is going head-to-head with a very wise lawyer, both civil and church, who respects the law and expounds it with strength and clarity. And teaches at Notre Dame, by the way.

More that Fr. Martin should know:

Father Martin also misses the key phrase in the decree that ecclesiastical funeral rites are to be denied to persons in same-sex marriages “unless they have given some signs of repentance before their death.” This is a direct quote from canon 1184 of the Code of Canon Law, which is intended as a call to repentance. Jesus began his public ministry proclaiming the Gospel of God with these words: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

In other words, those living openly in same-sex marriage, like other manifest sinners who give public scandal, can receive ecclesiastical funeral rites if they gave some sign of repentance. This does not mean that unrepentant manifest sinners will simply be refused or turned away. Even in those cases where a public Mass of Christian Burial in church cannot be celebrated because the deceased person was unrepentant and there would be public scandal, the priest or deacon may conduct a private funeral service, for example, at the funeral home.

The issue, once again, being the public part and scandal, that is, not horror (!) at this or that transgression, but giving witness that condones it and leads people to think the church has changed its teaching. The teaching being what bishops as church leaders are supposed to preserve and protect, not flout.

This bishop has more to say as to private obligations in the matter, as regards the individual and the bishop, whoever he might be.

Read it at the link given above.

In for a dime, in for a dollar. What’s a church good for, anyhow? Or a bishop. What’s he supposed to do, wink?

The Bishop of Springfield, Illinois, has decreed that state legislative leaders may not be admitted to Holy Communion within his diocese, because of their work to pass the state Reproductive Health Act.

[He] also directed that Catholic legislators who have voted for legislation promoting abortion should not present themselves to receive Holy Communion until they have first gone to confession.

In detail:

“In accord with canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law…Illinois Senate President John Cullerton and Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan, who facilitated the passage of the Act Concerning Abortion of 2017 (House Bill 40) as well as the Reproductive Health Act of 2019 (Senate Bill 25), are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois because they have obstinately persisted in promoting the abominable crime and very grave sin of abortion as evidenced by the influence they exerted in their leadership roles and their repeated votes and obdurate public support for abortion rights over an extended period of time,” Bishop Thomas Paprocki wrote in a June 2 decree.

The latter offense, Reproductive Health Act, 2019, surely prompted the bishop of the capital city to make this public statement. It’s something that carves into legislative stone the fanaticism of the pro-aborts, declaring it to be a “fundamental right” and putting dragon’s teeth into a truly draconian law.

Among . . . provisions that the bill would remove are regulations for abortion clinics, required waiting periods to obtain an abortion, and a ban on partial-birth abortion. In addition, it would lift criminal penalties for performing abortions and would prevent any further state regulation of abortion.

The legislation would require all private health insurance plans to cover elective abortions, and eliminate reporting requirements as well as regulations requiring the investigation of maternal deaths due to abortion.

Open season on unborn, if not (because of the no-go-zone declared for investigation) the newly born who are not wanted.

Note: Durbin had already received notice from the bishop, in February, 2018, also with reference to Canon 915.

Had to leave a trifle early last night, but caught a lot that was very good. First, our new alderman, Andre Vasquez, was a huge success, and deservedly so. The questions of course were all about potholes and flooding etc. He was on top of every issue raised. Perfect delivery, even when asked about a political reality by an older person (am a bit sensitive about that) who allowed she was not “political” and he answered with crystal clarity and nary a note of condescension. How good that was.

On other issues, as I say, he was never at a loss, demonstrating wide, detailed knowledge that I found near astounding. Especially as he got it on his own with help of his staff. Quick study, he, which he has to be in view of his having spoken to his predecessor not at all since their last debate. Wow. No help from the grizzled veteran, which I found slightly sickening.

He went on a good half hour, maybe 45 minutes, got polite applause when introduced (and offered a chair, to which no thanks), and hearty applause at the end. The West Andersonville (W.A.N.T.) regular meeting followed, with intelligent complaining from the floor and response from the five-member board sitting in front of us in card chairs, 35 or so, I’d say. It was a place where you could learn a lot about the ‘hood — Foster to Bryn Mawr, Ravenswood to Clark — where the lady of our house and I have lived four years.

Moved from Oak Park, where I was a hound for meetings, mostly in the audience, often reporting on in the local paper and on my blog. Never sat through a better one than last night at Ebenezer Lutheran on Foster. Very encouraging all in all.

Truly music to worship by.

It’s a virtue, my friend Pat used to say in the novitiate.

I am not expecting anything like this from main-streamers.

How much stuff hit the fan? Lots.

Including:

• Illinois drivers will be left with the second highest total gas tax burden??in the nation as lawmakers voted to double the state’s??gas tax to 38 cents from 19 cents a gallon. This would??cost the average driver about $100 more per year. Additional??fee increases include those on??car registrations,??electric car registrations, motor homes, parking garages and diesel fuel.
• The budget relies on a number of gimmicks such as fund sweeping, overly optimistic assumptions that may not materialize, and one-time revenue sources from areas such as sports gambling licenses
• Lawmakers filled the budget with millions in wasteful spending for items such as decorative streetlights, construction for parks and gazebos, and exposing ???youngsters to the game of golf.???

Not to mention:

A proposal by Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi to reform the crooked and broken Cook County method for assessing commercial buildings failed after an??onslaught against it by special interests.

With governor one of theirs, the ruling party runs with it . . .

Something there is (in Wisconsin) that doesn’t like the world, or has a new way of showing it does like the world, enough to put all chips on living in or near it as something good for all concerned. (Something like that.)

As other religious communities face declining vocations and the need to downsize as a result, the Wisconsin Cistercians attribute their growing membership to young women seeking to live radically for God in a religious vocation, together with the community’s simple, centuries-old silent life of prayer and manual work. In another part of the Madison Diocese, set in the countryside where weather extremes can sometimes feel penitential, the community plans to build their new monastery that incorporates beauty, Cistercian architectural principles and modern environmental practices.

All in for prayer and the simple life for these ladies.