Vatican confirms excommunication for US dissident group

[Jon_S]

Dec. 7, 2006 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican has confirmed an American bishop’s decision to excommunicate members of the dissident group Call to Action.

Call to Action is “causing damage to the Church of Christ,” wrote Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (bio - news), the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, in a letter to Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska.

In March 1996, Bishop Bruskewitz had announced the excommunication of all Catholics in his diocese who were members of Call to Action or several other dissident groups which he described as “totally incompatible with the Catholic faith.”

The Nebraska chapter of Call to Action appealed the bishop’s decision to the Vatican. In his November 24 letter to Bishop Bruskewitz, Cardinal Re reports that Vatican’s finding that the disciplinary action was “properly taken.”

The Vatican has determined that “the activities of ‘Call to Action’ in the course of these years are in contrast with the Catholic Faith due to views and positions held which are unacceptable from a doctrinal and disciplinary standpoint,” Cardinal Re writes. He concludes: “Thus to be a member of this Association or to support it, is irreconcilable with a coherent living of the Catholic Faith.”

The excommunication that Bishop Bruskewitz announced covered not only to Call to Action, but also to members of Catholics for a Free Choice, Planned Parenthood, the Hemlock Society, the Freemasons, and the Society of St. Pius X.

The excommunication order applies only within the Lincoln, Nebraska diocese. But the Vatican’s judgment against Call to Action raises clear questions about the status of the group’s members in other dioceses.

cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=48072

 

[Benedictus]

Wow, that was over 10 years ago. Somebody sure took their sweet time with this one.

 

[system]

But the Pope has been trying to setlle the differences with the Piux X group, correct? Aren’t many waiting to hear his final word on this?

Or is the judgement limited to a sub-goup in Nebraska?

 

[PauloFreire2]

Nail’m Nail’m hard.

 

[PauloFreire2]

Nail’m. Nail’m hard.

 

[Genesis315]

Sometimes, as St. Paul says, you have to purge the leaven from your midst. Hopefully, after having been turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, they will return repentent and humbled in the spirit.

 

[Genesis315]

Sometimes, as St. Paul says, you have to purge the leaven from your midst. Hopefully, after having been turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, they will return repentent and humbled in the spirit.

 

[Dale_M]

Wow, that was over 10 years ago. Somebody sure took their sweet time with this one.

Apparently Cardinal Re’s letter was in response to a letter written on February 19, 2006 by Mr. John McShane, on behalf of “Call to Action Nebraska” asking for authoritative judgement of the Holy See about" the excommunication.
link

10 months seems a reasonable delay for a Vatican decision. But what else has been happening behind the scenes to make it drag on for 10 years is a mystery to me.

 

[UKcatholicGuy]

I find it misleading to lump the SSPX together with all those other groups.

 

[Genesis315]

I find it misleading to lump the SSPX together with all those other groups.

I don’t. The sophistry they employ to justify their position is no different than that the liberal modernists use. I used to sympathize very much with the SSPX, and their arguments seemed to make sense to me. I was your usual angry trad. That was until I studied Church teaching for myself as a whole–and not the little snippets they present completely out of context. I literally read hundreds of papal encyclicals, constitutions, bulls, epistles, etc in full from around 60 popes and counting from the past 2000 years–not to mention all 21 Councils, the Fathers, most of the Doctors of the Church, and the Scriptures plus I studied the history surrounding the issues. It has taken me years. The more I read, the more I saw the things the SSPX say were not taught in the past being taught in the past, and the things they claimed being taught now, not actually being taught now. Not just teaching, but pastoral policies as well.

Either the SSPX are truly ignorant, or they are misleading people on purpose. Sadly, the results of their campaigns against the Church result in absolutely nothing positive but devout people losing faith and either joining them or leaving all together for Eastern Orthodoxy or other schismatical sects or nothing at all.

Instead of constructively helping to build back up a Church in dire need of help, they help the liberal modernists tear her down even more.

St. Pius X himself sums up the main error of the SSPX:

“They err greatly, therefore, who lose faith during the storm, wishing for themselves and the Church a permanent state of perfect tranquillity, universal prosperity, and practical, unanimous and uncontested recognition of her sacred authority.”

 

[JKirkLVNV]

I find it misleading to lump the SSPX together with all those other groups.

Whether one falls out of the left side of the boat or the right side of the boat, one is still outside the boat.

 

[UKcatholicGuy]

The more I read, the more I saw the things the SSPX say were not taught in the past being taught in the past, and the things they claimed being taught now, not actually being taught now. Not just teaching, but pastoral policies as well.

Can you provide some concrete examples of this?

 

[JKirkLVNV]

St. Pius X himself sums up the main error of the SSPX:

“They err greatly, therefore, who lose faith during the storm, wishing for themselves and the Church a permanent state of perfect tranquillity, universal prosperity, and practical, unanimous and uncontested recognition of her sacred authority.”

Thanks for the above, Genesis! I’m going to be using it!

 

[UKcatholicGuy]

Thanks for the above, Genesis! I’m going to be using it!

How has the SSPX lost faith? That quote in no way applies to them. Pius X is essentially saying that the gates of Hell will not prevail, so those who lose faith during trials are wrong to do so. I don’t see how this applies to the SSPX.

 

[Jeffrey]

Its about time!!! Yeesh. Good job getting it done tho.

Dec. 7, 2006 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican has confirmed an American bishop’s decision to excommunicate members of the dissident group Call to Action.

Call to Action is “causing damage to the Church of Christ,” wrote Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (bio - news), the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, in a letter to Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska.

In March 1996, Bishop Bruskewitz had announced the excommunication of all Catholics in his diocese who were members of Call to Action or several other dissident groups which he described as “totally incompatible with the Catholic faith.”

The Nebraska chapter of Call to Action appealed the bishop’s decision to the Vatican. In his November 24 letter to Bishop Bruskewitz, Cardinal Re reports that Vatican’s finding that the disciplinary action was “properly taken.”

The Vatican has determined that “the activities of ‘Call to Action’ in the course of these years are in contrast with the Catholic Faith due to views and positions held which are unacceptable from a doctrinal and disciplinary standpoint,” Cardinal Re writes. He concludes: “Thus to be a member of this Association or to support it, is irreconcilable with a coherent living of the Catholic Faith.”

The excommunication that Bishop Bruskewitz announced covered not only to Call to Action, but also to members of Catholics for a Free Choice, Planned Parenthood, the Hemlock Society, the Freemasons, and the Society of St. Pius X.

The excommunication order applies only within the Lincoln, Nebraska diocese. But the Vatican’s judgment against Call to Action raises clear questions about the status of the group’s members in other dioceses.

cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=48072

 

[Nohome]

The excommunication order applies only within the Lincoln, Nebraska diocese.

Can someone help me understand this? I very much understand what excommunication is and isn’t, but I fail to appreciate how the actions of an ordinary effect only his diocese.

To put this in as simple terms as possible, does this mean there are two ways to reconcile with the Church? Repent or leave the Lincoln Nebraska diocese?

Surely, if other bishops make the same decleration it will apply without an appeal, but it still lacks the central authority that I thought I understood to exist.

I appreciate any comments.

Thanks,

Nohome

 

[Maranatha]

Can someone help me understand this? I very much understand what excommunication is and isn’t, but I fail to appreciate how the actions of an ordinary effect only his diocese.

To put this in as simple terms as possible, does this mean there are two ways to reconcile with the Church? Repent or leave the Lincoln Nebraska diocese?

Surely, if other bishops make the same decleration it will apply without an appeal, but it still lacks the central authority that I thought I understood to exist.

I appreciate any comments.

Thanks,

Nohome

The excommuniation applies to thoes who remain members of the groups listed:

catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=22281
He said Catholics who wish to return to full communion with the church must repudiate their membership in the groups by sending a letter to the organization and having their names removed from any rosters or mailing lists. Then they can seek out the sacrament of reconciliation, where their priests can guide them in confession and penance.

 

[Richardols]

Can someone help me understand this? I very much understand what excommunication is and isn’t, but I fail to appreciate how the actions of an ordinary effect only his diocese.

A bishop’s authority in such matters extends only to the boundaries of his own diocese.

A bishop elsewhere may decide not to make any fuss over folkks like Call To Action. It’s the individual bishop’s call.

 

[MichaelTDoyle]

But i think excommunication extends to the church as a whole, not just the diocese.

 

[gilliam]

A bishop’s authority in such matters extends only to the boundaries of his own diocese.

A bishop can only excommunicate someone in his diocese and cannot excommunicate someone outside their diocese. However the excommunication holds true for the person’s entire association with Christianity, inside and outside the diocese.

The bishop of Rome can excommunicate any Catholic.

A bishop elsewhere may decide not to make any fuss over folkks like Call To Action. It’s the individual bishop’s call.

The 2nd bishop has to recognize the excommunication of the principal bishop, however he does not have to excommuncate someone in his diocese.

Again, the bishop of Rome can excommunicate any Catholic.

For more information see:
newadvent.org/cathen/05678a.htm