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Gerry_Hunter
Guest
Does this poor soul even know what excommunication is? One excommunicates one’s self. The Church merely points out, formally, the status that one has caused to exist.
Sure hope she knows the law better than she knows theology.
Blessings,
Gerry
Sure hope she knows the law better than she knows theology.
Blessings,
Gerry
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jilly4ski
Guest
I was going to say, maybe we should send her a letter and ask her to make sure she hasn’t already excommunicated herself. It could greatly put her mind at ease knowing she is already excommunicated. 
One would hope, but her lack of logical reasoning is quite scary in a judge, I hope she has good clerics.
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irishpatrick
Guest
I sent this response:
Hello,
I read the Tribune piece by Judge Sheila O’Brien on Wednesday, August 04, 2010. While the judge makes some valid points in her piece, it is beyond shocking to know that a person would ask to be separated from Christ’s Church. The judge demonstrates a serious lack of understanding of the faith when she asks for an excommunication. She also demonstrates the same lack of understanding when she attacks the Church for not being able to ordain women to Holy Orders (a topic that has been addressed thoroughly by the Church many times in recent years: the Church has no authority to ordain women).
Hello,
I read the Tribune piece by Judge Sheila O’Brien on Wednesday, August 04, 2010. While the judge makes some valid points in her piece, it is beyond shocking to know that a person would ask to be separated from Christ’s Church. The judge demonstrates a serious lack of understanding of the faith when she asks for an excommunication. She also demonstrates the same lack of understanding when she attacks the Church for not being able to ordain women to Holy Orders (a topic that has been addressed thoroughly by the Church many times in recent years: the Church has no authority to ordain women).
Code:
One must remember that the Church is not a club with a membership card that can be revoked. A person receiving an excommunication is barred from the Sacraments (except reconciliation) until they have been restored to grace through repentance and confession. A baptized Catholic is always a Catholic even if they have been excommunicated. The judge should know that, just as the judge should know that the Church has no Divine authority to ordain women.
Without doubt or question the church has fallen short in how it has handled the abuse crisis and it has been slow to respond. There is no defense or excuse for the horrible actions some Priests have committed against the young. However, the Church has taken action in many areas and abuse today is lower in Catholic institutions (in the USA), than in any other place. Helping victims still in pain remains a priority and insuring such horrors do not happen again is at the forefront of the Church's concerns...the judge, if she did proper research, would know that.
What is more troubling is that the judge claims to have had 22 years of Catholic education, yet she appears to not have a grasp on the nature of sin, and she certainly does not appear to understand the fallen nature of all humanity (as if Priests are somehow protected from their own fallen nature).
As Catholics, we believe with absolute conviction that the Roman Catholic Church is the one true Church that Christ founded and that it represents the fullness of the Christian faith. Never did Christ promise an easy journey for us or for His Church. In fact, Jesus once promised that the gates of Hades would not prevail against His Church, which means that the gates of Hades would constantly try to tear down His Church. Grave sinners have existed in the Church from the very beginning, the infamous Judas committed a most incredible grave sin when he betrayed Christ, yet the other Apostles and the other believers of that day did not walk away from Christ simply because Judas committed a heinous act.
As Catholics we believe that Christ is truly present in His Real Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the form of the Eucharistic species. Every time we receive communion in a state of grace we are flooded with graces from our Risen Lord. One would hope that it would be very nearly impossible to pull someone away from such an amazing gift, yet in the end people must have a proper understanding and formation to realize what they are receiving during communion, despite the existence of sinners all around us.
It is my hope and prayer that Judge O’Brien learns the faith at much more deep and personal level and that she chooses to remain with Christ and His Church. After all, getting to Heaven should be the goal for every person.
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kimmielittle
Guest
:clapping::clapping::clapping:
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irishpatrick
Guest
Thank you.
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Matrix_Refugee
Guest
You know, there’s an easier solution for her: she needs to stop watching the TV News and reading newspapers and watch EWTN or BCTV. I got sick of seeing us slammed left, right and center by the secular news outlets, so I just… stopped viewing them. No one is forcing her to watch them; if she could write this piece, I doubt someone has her strapped into a chair with her eyelids held open with a torturous-looking apparatus, ala the Malcolm MacDowell character in “A Clockwork Orange”.
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Nordar
Guest
:tiphat:
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irishpatrick
Guest
Thank you.
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irishpatrick
Guest
She comes across as desperate to me…as if she wants someone to tell her why she should not run from the Church. I hope a good Priest sees her article and has a loving talk with her…she needs it.
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Via_Dolorosa
Guest
About The_ScottGood grief, Judge.
That means you still have hope, Judge.
Really? Haven’t heard anything since April…of course, the media has decided to stretch that out for several months.
Individual bishop’s actions do not necessarily reflect the Church’s views.
To the extent that the accused is protected in name and privacy, yes. Does Rome protect them from legal actions? No.
It’s a crime to ordain women like you, Judge.
St. Teresa and Mother Teresa knew their place.
Key word: arguably. I can argue that, despite individual bishops’ actions regarding “shifting” the accused to other parishes, the Church and her hierarchy has done their best they can to stop such crimes.
Just decided to throw that in there, huh Judge? Another notch in your belt, I suppose? I haven’t heard this accusation before.
The U.S. will sentence both a murderer and a “drug kingpin” to life imprisonment. Does that mean that we hold these two crimes as equal in level of atrocity? Of course not!
Biography I’m a scholar, and a man who still upholds the law of chivalry About The_Scott
Biography I’m a scholar, and a man who still upholds the law of chivalry Stay classy…
Maybe when one graduates from school one can learn to be compassionate to others with whom you may disagree.
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The_Scott
Guest
I can’t tell if this is a snide remark towards me.
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Timothy17
Guest
“You know what the difference between me and you is? I make [publicity stunts] look good”Editorial by Illinois Appellate Judge Sheila O’Brien:
“Would someone in Rome formally excommunicate me, please? I want to be excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church because walking away will break my heart.”
“But, the headlines continue — more pedophilia, more stonewalling by the bishops, more “norms” from Rome protecting perpetrators. Now, it is a “crime” of the church to attempt to ordain people like Mother Teresa or St. Teresa of Avila — women. And, the hierarchy, who have arguably hidden crimes and criminals, who will not open the books so we can see where our money has gone and who always claim the moral high ground, have grouped ordaining women with pedophilia.”
chicagotribune.com/news/ct-oped-0804-excommunicate-20100804,0,2194848.story
Judge O’Brien is a Notre Dame grad and was elected to the court in 1994.
state.il.us/court/AppellateCourt/Judges/BiBrien.asp
- Will Smith, Men in Black
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Via_Dolorosa
Guest
You are the scholar. What do you think?I can’t tell if this is a snide remark towards me.
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The_Scott
Guest
I don’t see what you have against me. When you said “Maybe when one graduates from school one can learn to be compassionate to others with whom you may disagree” I said to myself, I agree.
But then your desire to copy/paste my short biography to it really turned my head. What, may I ask, was not compassionate about the Judge’s rude remarks?
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Via_Dolorosa
Guest
In picking your particular post to respond to, i felt that you were being snarky to this person who is obviously having a crisis of faith due to the sexual abuse crisis. Your post labeled #14 (I think,but I won’t bet my life on it) seemed snarky to me because you stated you hadn’t heard new news about the sex scandal in a couple of months and woman, like St. Therese of Avila knew their place. St Therese of Avila did not know her place and argued with the pope. In your original post your appeared to me to be very condenscending. when I looked at your profile which said your were a chivalrous scholar you appeared to be neither chivalrous nor scholarly.
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guanophore
Guest
I was listening to Catholic radio this morning, and father was saying that one way to tell where our gifts and calling lie is to notice what bothers us the most. It is likely that the area where we are highly provoked or disappointed is one that requires our attention and service. That is probably off the topic, but I was smartly reminded when I read this.
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CMatt25
Guest
I find it sad you have been driven away. But I understand. I know I’m not welcome either. Just remember God loves you as you are! I like your signature about an easy bearing yoke and a light burden. God bless you and peace to you always. :hug1:
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Annabelle_Marie
Guest
I hope you can look past the people…it’s about God. Is there someone you can talk to or a different parish you can go to?
We are imperfect people…we can be passionate in our beliefs…but sometimes we can forget not to wound the people in Mass with us worshiping God.
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1holycatholic
Guest
That’s not the impression I got. I see someone looking for an excuse.
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