My friend in the battle for truth, Diane M. Korzeniewski, posts on Te Deum laudamus! this morning (a great blog) her dismay over Randall Terry's (picture at right) manipulation of Archbishop Burke interview to criticize American bishops who do not abide by Canon 915.My post about the original interview, also with YouTube embeded clips is HERE.
Her dismay comes even as Archbishop Burke issued a statement, also available on Diane's blog, about his dismay at being "used" by Randall Terry.
I say: The Holy Spirit used Randall Terry to get the bishops out of their comfort zone and into the fight, where they should have been all along. That it
takes a country western rocker (Randall is very talented in that arena) and layman who has risked all to lead the fight should shame the bishops far more than what Ab. Burke is upset about. Good Grief! They should read Terry's HUMBLE PLEA (available at Nineveh's Crossing's home page for free). Until Ab. Burke has spent as many nights in jail as Mr. Terry in the ProLife battle, Ab. Burke should laugh it off and publicly admit he needs more experiences like this to learn a few things. His position does not make him infallible or above reproach.Here's my comment on Diane's blog.
Consider this: What will it take for the bishops to grow some backbone? Do we hide the truth, and their cowardice to practice the teachings of Mother Church (e.g. Canon 915), or do we hide behind political correctness, politeness, and the false need to convey "nice" feelings when "guilt" is the virtue needed. I say CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. Terry. He's clever and wise, and yes he's manipulative in the cause of life and truth. I say BRAVO! Ab. Burke would do well to read Mr. Terry's HUMBLE PLEA in which Mr Terry suggests that they might be more ProLife if bishop's lives were being murdered instead of little, helpless babies. And finally, Mr. Terry's tactics are WELL known by ANYBODY involved in the ProLife movement. That Ab. Burke (an American who has been around all the time of Mr. Terry’s trials and tribulations and battles in the ProLife movement) would chastise Mr. Terry over this is clear evidence that Ab. Burke is naive of the struggle and those involved. Finally, let's not blame Mr. Terry for the typical incompleteness of the mainstream press. But then, just perhaps, the Holy Spirit knows what needs to be done. Shame on the bishops who don't follow Canon 915, and shame on Ab. Burke for putting their feelings and his political statue ahead of holiness.
Stan,
ReplyDeleteI added another comment leading to my post in response to yours. I added this in the comment box there, and will here, as well:
Randall Terry did not get people talking about Canon 915. He got them talking about how Archbishop Burke criticized specific fellow bishops in public. Yet, it was not Burke who criticized them in the interview, but Terry. This is where I wondered if the archbisohp heard Terry Randall fully, or if the jab those bishops was missed.
Further, I don't think being thrown in jail is a good measure of one's worth as a pro-lifer. I know pro-lifer workers who are on the front line almost daily, who turn more people from abortion than anyone with "in your face" protest methods.
People headed into abortion clinics are often being forced, or made to believe that they must do this. They are misled into believing it is nothing more than tissue.
That is why I support methods used by Helpers of God's Precious Infants and Priests for Life. They use love and education to drive change, not militancy.