Here is an article from a recent issue of the Sacramento Bee (CA) that may
warm
the hearts of those who think that bishops should actually act like bishops!
(i.e., teach the true Christian faith, etc.). Please note that the bishop was
criticized for doing his job.



Bishop challenges Davis on abortion

Oppose it or stop taking Holy Communion, Weigand says.

By Pamela Martineau, Jennifer Garza and Christina Jewett -- Bee Staff Writers
Published 2:15 a.m. PST Thursday, January 23, 2003
Sacramento Bishop William K. Weigand, leader of 500,000 Catholics in
Northern California, called on Gov. Gray Davis on Wednesday to
renounce his support of abortion rights or stop taking Holy Communion.

Speaking at a morning Mass on the 30th anniversary of the landmark
U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, Weigand told
congregants at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament that Davis
should refrain from taking communion while he continues to support
abortion rights.

"As your bishop, I have to say clearly that anyone -- politician or
otherwise -- who thinks it is acceptable for a Catholic to be
pro-abortion is in very great error, puts his or her soul at risk,
and is not in good standing with the church," Weigand said. "Such a
person should have the integrity to acknowledge this and choose of
his own volition to abstain from receiving Holy Communion until he
has a change of heart."

Receiving Holy Communion is one of the most sacred rites in the
Catholic faith. Weigand said afterward that "in general, we do not
refuse communion to anyone; we try to instruct people as to when it
would not be appropriate."

Russ Lopez, a spokesman for Davis, said the bishop was "trying to
make an example and that's sad. But Governor Davis has said
repeatedly that he is proud of the legislation he has signed giving
women the right to choose. He will not back down."

Lopez criticized the bishop for "telling the faithful how to practice
their faith."

Lopez said that Weigand's comments could alienate members of the
Catholic Church who support abortion rights. "There are a lot of
Catholics who are pro-choice. Does the bishop want all Catholics to
stop receiving Holy Communion?" asked Lopez. "Who's going to be left
in church?"

Weigand said Wednesday evening that he did not contact the Vatican
before deciding to publicly chastise the governor. He acknowledged
that he was motivated by Davis' response to a challenge by a
Sacramento parish priest before Christmas, and by a doctrine by Pope
John Paul II criticizing politicians who say they are good Catholics
but support abortion rights.

Weigand's homily quoted from the papal doctrine released in advance
of the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. "Those who are directly
involved in lawmaking bodies have a grave and clear obligation to
oppose any law that attacks human life," he said.

The cathedral is a short walk from the Capitol, where abortion-rights
supporters held a daylong conference. At UC Davis, students rallied
in support of abortion rights, while opponents shouted at them.

Demonstrators on both sides of the issue spoke of a new urgency to
the debate, saying the election of George W. Bush to the presidency
and a GOP majority in Congress could swing the pendulum toward
judicial appointments and laws that restrict abortion. In Washington,
thousands of anti-abortion activists marched to the steps of the
Supreme Court, where they called for the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

At the morning Mass, Weigand praised Monsignor Edward Kavanagh, who
last month told Davis' staff that the governor was not welcome to
deliver gifts to St. Patrick's Orphanage. (The children received
their gifts from Davis at the Capitol.) Kavanagh asked Davis to
renounce his abortion-rights views before visiting.

The governor's response to Kavanagh was blunt: "I'm unapologetically
pro-choice and I'm not changing my position."

Weigand said Wednesday evening that the confrontation forced him to
confront Davis.

"Ever since the little incident last month, people have been asking
questions. They asked "how can a Catholic be in good standing and
still hold that point of view? I'm saying you can't be a Catholic in
good standing and hold that point of view. The governor's position is
very public and contrary. ... You can't have it both ways."

In a press release Wednesday marking the anniversary of Roe v. Wade,
the Davis administration claimed credit for California being "the
most pro-choice state in America."

It cited laws Davis signed that require HMOs to cover Food and Drug
Administration-approved methods of contraception, and that crack down
on those who threaten the safety of pro-choice clinics. He signed
legislation last year that ensures women will continue to have the
right to an abortion, regardless of whether the U.S. Supreme Court
continues to uphold Roe v. Wade.

The governor attended a Planned Parenthood event Wednesday in Los
Angeles, issuing a proclamation acknowledging Roe v. Wade. "During my
entire career in public service, I've supported a woman's
reproductive freedom. When it comes to a woman's right to choose, as
long as I'm governor, California will not concede one inch."

The governor is an active Catholic. He and his wife, Sharon, attend
Mass in Southern California. The Davises, who were married originally
in a civil ceremony presided over by former state Supreme Court Chief
Justice Rose Bird, were married again in the late 1990s in the
Catholic Church for their 15th wedding anniversary. The ceremony
recognized the marriage in the church's eyes and allowed Davis to
resume taking communion.

"He goes to church and he says his prayers and that's good," said
Weigand. "But he's been aggressive on this issue, even boastful. I'm
just trying to clarify that he is not in line with the Catholic
Church on an issue that the Pope has said is the most important issue
of our day."