Wisconsin Bishop Raymond Burke has ordered priests in the Diocese of LaCrosse to refuse to give communion to any Roman Catholic state or federal lawmakers who support abortion rights, according to a decree made public on Thursday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (Harris, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/9). The decree requires priests of parishes where lawmakers attend mass to withhold communion until the lawmakers agree to publicly renounce their support of abortion rights (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1/9). The decree says, "A Catholic legislator who supports procured abortion ... after knowing the teaching of the church, commits a manifestly grave sin, which is a cause of most serious scandal to others. Therefore, universal church law provides that such persons are not to be admitted to Holy Communion" (AP/Yahoo! News, 1/9). Burke issued the decree on Nov. 23, 2003, 11 days before newspapers revealed that he had sent letters to three Catholic lawmakers in his diocese (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/9). The letters said that the lawmakers "risk[ed] their spiritual well-being" if they did not vote according to the Catholic Church's position on issues such as abortion. Burke, who has since been appointed archbishop of St. Louis, said that the letters tell the lawmakers that if they continue to vote against the church's teachings, "I would simply have to ask them not to present themselves to receive the sacraments because they would not be Catholics in good standing" (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 12/9/03).

Similar Decree in St. Louis?
It is not clear whether Burke plans to issue a similar decree after he is installed as archbishop of St. Louis on Jan. 26, the Post-Dispatch reports. St. Louis Archdiocesan Administrator Joseph Naumann said he does not expect Burke to do so immediately, adding that Burke will "have to evaluate the situation here, as it is" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/9). Father Richard Gilles, a canon lawyer and Burke's chief of staff, said that priests "have an obligation to not give [politicians who support abortion rights] Holy Communion. But I think any pastor who has any sensitivity or common sense would sit down in private with these people and dialogue and talk to them and ask them not to come to Holy Communion" (Heinen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/8). State Sen. Julie Lassa (D), one of the lawmakers who received a letter from Burke, on Thursday issued a statement saying that she would not allow the bishop's actions to determine how she votes. "I hold Bishop Burke in high regard; however, I believe any effort to pressure legislators by threatening to deny them the sacraments is contrary to the principles of democracy" (Associated Press, 1/9). American Life League President Judie Brown in a statement thanked Burke for "using the authority of his office to deal with a grave public scandal," adding, "By issuing a formal decree ... Bishop Burke is not only enforcing church law but is courageously stepping forward in defense of innocent human beings" (American Life League release, 1/8).