I stand with Fr. Gabriel Burke who denied communion to TD Colm Burke who voted for abortion 14-07-24

I stand with Fr. Gabriel Burke who denied communion to TD Colm Burke who voted for abortion (Robert Nugent-Determined to be Catholic) 14-07-24

From Mary Fitzgibbon:

Dear Deputies, Senators, and MEPs,
In presenting for reception of the Eucharist Catholics are required to be in a state of grace. "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" (No. 2271). https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/abortion/respect-for-unborn-human-life

Pope warns Catholic politicians who back abortion

Catholics who openly express support and vote for abortion are acting contrary to the teaching of the Catholic Church. Fr. Gabriel Burke knows Deputy Burke's voting record and support for abortion and could not in good conscience give the Deputy Holy Communion. Fr. Burke, it would seem, is not aware of any statement where Deputy Burke has changed his mind on the issue of abortion. The deputy is aware of the teaching of the Catholic Church on abortion and must surely have known how this situation would unfold. He could instead have approached the altar for a blessing out of respect for the Priest and the family of the deceased.

In Dignitatis Humanae it states "He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters."

Some political parties allow their members to vote in accord with their conscience on certain matters but others don't. Recently we saw where Fine Gael would not allow a free vote.
FINE GAEL TDS CIARÁN CANNON AND JOHN PAUL PHELAN DENIED CONSCIENCE VOTE ON ABORTION ZONES LAW

Politicians would do well to heed the words of St. John Paul II and given the catastrophic rise in the number of abortions in Ireland (10,033 in 2023), brought about by its legalisation in 2019, abortion continues to be a very grave issue for the whole of humanity and most especially for all those babies who have their lives ended by legal, taxpayer funded abortion.

from 2018:

Dermot Martin did this after he had forbidden priests to host pro-life campaign speakers coming up to the referendum ("too political" he said). The priest was removed from Rathfarnham Parish and appointed a chaplain to the Loreto Sisters - where he could presumably do no more harm among the non-pregnant! (pity the nuns who had to take in this reprobate!)

Irish Priest: Punished After Pro-Life Homily
07/18/2018 at 5:05 PM Posted by Mary Anne Hackett
Dublin archbishop removes Fr. James Larkin from parish after he told pro-abortion Catholics to go to confession

by David Nussman • ChurchMilitant.com • July 16, 2018

DUBLIN (ChurchMilitant.com) – An Irish priest was abruptly transferred from his parish, and some say he is being punished for upsetting people with a pro-life homily.

Father James E. Larkin is a priest in the archdiocese of Dublin, headed by Abp. Diarmuid Martin. Formerly of the parish of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Clonskeagh, Larkin was unexpectedly reassigned last week to a chaplaincy with the Sisters of Loreto in Rathfarnham.

Sources say that backlash against Fr. Larkin’s pro-life advocacy is what led to the change in assignment. A local pro-life canvasser who wished to be called “Anne” told Church Militant in an email that Fr. Larkin spoke against the results of Ireland’s abortion referendum, in which Irish voters in May voted to legalize abortion, rejecting the constitutional right to life of the unborn in Ireland’s Eighth Amendment.

After the referendum, he asked the congregation to consider going to confession if they had voted ‘Yes.’

According to Anne, Fr. Larkin warned that voting in favor of legalized child killing is a grave sin and that repentance and confession are needed for anyone who voted for abortion.

“After the referendum, he asked the congregation to consider going to confession if they had voted ‘Yes,'” she explained.

“It appears this is the reason he has been moved,” Anne said, adding that the “speed and unfairness” of his removal “upset many people.”

Church Militant called Miraculous Medal Parish for comment on Monday. A staffer there confirmed that Fr. Larkin recently left the parish but declined to give comments or further details, although he did call Fr. Larkin “a pre-Vatican II priest.”

Anne said she attended Fr. Larkin’s last Mass at Miraculous Medal on July 13.

“He read out the letter from Archbishop Diarmuid Martin which said that ‘he was delighted to appoint him as Chaplain to a Loretto convent in Rathfarnham in Dublin,'” she explained. “This was with immediate effect and he was to start this new job on Saturday 14th. He was to have no public Masses and to have no contact with his old parish or parishioners.”

She added that the priest did say the transfer was “not just.”

“The congregation gave him a standing ovation and it went on for quite a while. He was very moved,” she added. “The pro-life people lined up after Mass to shake his hand and promised to write to the archbishop about it.”

The congregation gave him a standing ovation and it went on for quite a while. He was very moved.

Church Militant reached out to the archdiocese of Dublin, but received no comments as of press time. Church Militant also contacted the Loreto sisters in Rathfarnham hoping to get in touch with Fr. Larkin, but received no response.

The archdiocese is claiming that Fr. Larkin is merely “being retired,” and remains a priest in good standing. But the sudden assignment change has been veiled in silence. The archdiocese “has been totally silent apart from concerned Catholics who fought to stop abortion,” Anne commented.

Archbishop Martin is hosting the World Meeting of Families in Dublin, embroiled in scandal for pushing a pro-LGBT message, and which is featuring pro-gay Jesuit Fr. James Martin as keynote speaker.

Archbishop Martin can be contacted here: JOSEPH@ABHOUSE.ORG

HTTPS://WWW.CHURCHMILITANT.COM/NEWS/ARTICLE/IRISH-PRIEST-PUNISHED-FOR-BEING-PRO-LIFE

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