More confusion re: the Archbishop Burke article

Here are a couple of a recent letter to the editor:

Burke explains
In attempting to clarify his prior comments on the voting controversy he has created, Archbishop Raymond Burke seems to speaking with forked tongue.

In legalistic terminology, he defines voting decisions based on "proportionate reasons" and those based on "formal cooperation." A voting decision based on the former would allow a Catholic to vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights but based on the latter would, in the archbishop's words, result "in an intrinsically evil act."

However, in his final statement, he says, "It is difficult to imagine what that proportionate reason would be."

This implies to me that he does not believe conscientious Catholics could adopt the proportionate-reason defense in exercising their voting rights in the election. Consequently, it appears Catholics will continue to hear highly charged rhetoric from the pulpit on this issue until Election Day.

Rosalie M. Laune
New Haven
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I think it would be wise to determine just who is speaking with a "forked tongue" - I am certain that it is not the Archbishop.

Secondly, how one understands (or fails to understand) 'legalistic teminology' is not as much the issue as is the issue of obedience to the Church in matters of the moral law. One has a duty to learn and try to understand so that one's conscience may be rightly formed in moral matters.

Finally, the Archbishop makes it quite clear that there are no proportionate reasons for which one could vote for a pro-abortion politician whose successful election would result in furthering the crime of the murder of innocent unborn children - unless the opposing candidate would do likewise AND cause even more harm to society. There are no other issues which rise to the level of importance today as that of protecting 4000 children per day. If these innocent children are deemed expendable at will, then other rights mean absolutely nothing. A truly "conscientious" Catholic will understand this. A confused Catholic will not.

The "proportionate-reason defense" is a misnomer - there is no such thing. Proportionate reasons may allow one to vote for a pro-abortion candidate - but this does not apply in the current presidential race.

Move over, Sen. Kerry. You have competition with another flip-flopper. Archbishop Raymond Burke now says it is OK for Catholics to vote for an abortion-rights candidate if his other moral issues outweigh the abortion-rights stance.

Margaret L. Young
St. Louis

It is amazing how some people fail to understand what is being said. It is a certainty that Archbishop Burke has not 'flip-flopped', despite the wishes of so many that he will.


Source.