The American Government

Miami Has a New Archbishop

As Rocco Palmo of Whispers in the Loggia has reported here:

And Tom Peters aka the "American Papist" reported last week:
and here

We have a new Archbishop Background on Bishop Wenski
Here are a few noteworthy examples of Archbishop Wenski's recent work in the defense of the faith.

When President Obama's transition team decided to meet with dissident Catholic organizations such as Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and the lobbying group “Network... Bishop Wenski responded forcefully to the President's "end run" around the magisterium.

"While the Obama transition team is free to meet with anyone they wish, and the various Catholic groups they met with have constituencies, albeit limited ones, the fact is that the only ones who speak for the Catholic Church are the bishops. If the transition team wished to telegraph a message that their intention is to marginalize the bishops then there is reason for some serious concern regarding the relationship between the future Obama administration and this nation's 60 million Catholics."

-- Bishop Thomas Wenski, the chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, on the 85-minute meeting between Barack Obama's transition team and two dissident Catholic organizations.

Following the Notre Shame debacle Bishop Wenski offered a Mass of Reparations

All are Invited to the Mass of Reparation

As Catholics we are aware of the many shortcomings and transgressions committed against the dignity and sacredness of human life in our world. That is why it is inconceivable that Notre Dame University, a Catholic institution of higher learning, should receive and honor anyone who promotes policies that are contradictory to who we are as a people of faith.

As our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI stated in his visit to the U.S. last year in reference to Catholic university presidents, "to justify positions that contradict the faith and teaching of the church would obstruct or even betray the university’s identity and mission."

Mass of Reparation
May 3 at 6:00 p.m.
Cathedral of St. James
215 N. Orange Avenue
Downtown Orlando

Come and pray with Bishop Wenski for all of our transgressions against the Gospel of Life. Reparation is the making amends for a wrong done or for an offense against God. By his death on the cross, the Son of God offered his life out of love for the Father to make reparation for our sinful disobedience (CCC #614).

We are obliged to make reparation for personal sins against justice and truth (CCC #2412 and #2487).

The highlights of his Pastoral Letter are presented below:

Faithful Citizenship: Abortion - September 2008

In late August, the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, appeared on Meet the Press. In order to justify her support of abortion as a Catholic, she misrepresented the history and the nature of the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church on abortion. On behalf of all the bishops, Cardinal Rigali, chair of our committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop Lori, chair of our committee on Doctrine, issued a statement refuting Ms. Pelosi’s attempt to justify the unjustifiable. No one can legitimately argue that support for abortion can be reconciled with the moral teachings of the Church. In their statement, the bishops quote succinctly from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 2271)

Last month, I too had to issue a clarification by means of a letter to the editor that appeared in the Orlando Sentinel on August 16th concerning an article in that same newspaper on August 13th that suggested that “Catholic leaders” viewed the Democratic Party Platform’s “abortion plank” in a positive light. In fact, many would argue that the plank this year was more extreme than the party’s previous endorsements of “reproductive rights.”

I wrote: “…(The bishops) are the ones who speak as the leaders of the Catholic Church in the United States—and not political operatives for one party or another who happen to be Catholic. In Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the bishops wrote that ‘opposing intrinsically evil acts has a special claim on our consciences and our actions…’ As we bishops wrote: ‘The direct and intentional destruction of innocent human life from the moment of conception until natural death is always wrong and is not just one issue among many. It must always be opposed.’ ”

Catholics in public life...must act seriously and responsibly on many important moral issues. Our faith has an integral unity that calls Catholics to defend human life and human dignity whenever they are threatened...Abortion is a grave violation of the most fundamental human right—the right to life that is inherent in all human beings, and that grounds every other right we possess.

As Pope John Paul II wrote in Christifideles Laici, “…(T)he common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights—for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture—is false and illusory if the right to life…is not defended with maximum determination…The human being is entitled to such rights, in every phase of development from conception until natural death; and in every condition, whether healthy or sick, whole or handicapped, rich or poor.” (#38)

Bishops do not endorse candidates or parties. We do not tell people for whom they should vote. We say that Catholics should vote their consciences—and public officials who are Catholic should always act in accord with their own consciences. But, we insist that one’s conscience must be consistent with fundamental moral principles. As members of the Church, all Catholics are obliged to shape our consciences in accord with the moral teaching of the Church. That so many Catholics in public life hold positions on human life—like Representative Pelosi and Senator Biden—not coherent with their Catholic faith and yet, at the same time, declare themselves to be “good Catholics,” is a scandal.

But the Democratic standard bearers—in reaction to the Sarah Palin nomination—are seemingly intent on making this election a referendum on defending abortion “rights.” If they do, a Catholic with a well formed conscience would be hard pressed to find any “serious” and “grave” reasons to justify voting for them."

Welcome (back) to Miami Bishop Wenski.