Editors Note: Shocking. Tragic. Why Catholic statues weep… I have no problem passing this commentary by Judie Brown on. Please follow the directions below (following the article) and don’t forget to pray for this spouse of Christ…
GOD IS PRO-CHOICE ACCORDING TO NUN
I couldn’t believe the e-mail that I recently received from a pro-life friend living in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She told me about a letter written by a nun to the archdiocese.
My friend told me she was “disturbed” to read this letter. She said, “I cannot fathom how a religious sister could not only advocate abortion, but also place her pathetic, misguided ideas into print! What a disgrace! And why would our archdiocesan newspaper even print such garbage?”
The Milwaukee archdiocese published this letter in its newspaper, The Catholic Herald. I also answered my pro-life friend on the EWTN web site.
GOD IS PRO-CHOICE
Even though Catholic bishops are already pressing President-elect Barack Obama on the issue of abortion, it is time they begin to realize that 54% of Catholics who voted for him do not agree with the bishops telling people how to vote.
Obama may be pro-choice, but so is God. God gave everyone a free will and he does not pressure people into using that free will to do what is right. Obama promised to do what he can to prevent abortion. What more need he do when so many other pressures to make changes are upon him?
Yes, abortion is the killing of an innocent life. So is war and violent killing on the street. I have often seen many starving babies in hospitals in Honduras and witnessed their pain. In these cases, abortion might have been the lesser of two evils, and even the most merciful alternative.
I challenge our bishops to dwell more on unjust economic issues that both create and perpetuate the need for children to die of starvation, and for women to choose abortion. It would be better to aim at eliminating poverty rather than focus only on abortion. Poverty in our country and the world at large is a disgrace that cries to heaven for vengeance.
Sr. Arlene Welding, SSSF; Campellsport, WI
Well, I am as upset by this as anyone who reads it should be, and on several levels, it contributes to the ongoing confusion that reigns within Catholic circles across this nation. The first and perhaps most obvious problem with this nun’s letter is that she is clearly not only pro-abortion but feels fine attributing her views to God, the Author of Life!
To suggest to the readers of a Catholic newspaper that the Catholic bishops are out of line for standing up for the innocent preborn child is ludicrous. But it certainly is not as ludicrous as her comments about the number of Catholics who voted for Barack Obama, as opposed to the opinions bishops might have on the direct murder of preborn children by abortion!
To equate the direct murder of a preborn baby with the “lesser of two evils,” thus suggesting that some preborn children would be better off dead than to have to be born into poverty, is about as misguided and ill-conceived a notion as I have ever seen in print. It tops many of the comments I have seen from pro-abortion leaders.
It is astounding to me that a Catholic newspaper would print such garbage and expect silence from all those in the Catholic community who know the truth, defend the truth, and expect to read the truth in a newspaper labeled Catholic! So here is an assignment for you.
First: contact Sister Arlene Welding’s religious congregation and demand an apology from them for her public dissent from the truth of Catholic magisterial teaching.
School Sisters of St. Francis
http://www.sssf.org/
Central Offices of the U.S. Province
1501 S. Layton Boulevard
Milwaukee, WI 53215
You can also e-mail, though I think letters are best. The e-mail address is generalate@sssf.org.
The phone number is (414) 384-4105
Second, please contact the Executive Editor/General Manager of the archdiocesan newspaper and let him know how shocked you were to read this screed in his newspaper.
Brian T. Olszewski
The Catholic Herald
3501 S. Lake Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53235-0913
The phone number is (414) 769-3466
Mr. Olszewski’s e-mail address is olszewskib@archmil.org.
Finally, it would be a very good idea to send copies of your e-mails and/or your letters to the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, whom I honestly believe would be as shocked as you and I about what was published in his newspaper.
Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan
3501 S. Lake Dr.
P.O. Box 070912
Milwaukee, WI 53207-0912
Phone: (414) 769-3497
Email: archbishopdolan@archmil.org
May you find peace of mind and joy of soul by writing your messages, and feel comfort in knowing that no matter how clearly wrong some things are, even when labeled Catholic, they are all a part of living in a world steeped in the culture of death. Be of good heart, for we are assured of God’s love, regardless of the muck in our midst.
fratres.wordpress.com 
This nun, Arlene Welding, happens to be from the small town in which I now live (where my husband grew up.) She is a frequent letter-writer to our small local newspaper. Let me just say that all of her letters are similarly cringeworthy.
One of the related posts that is automatically generated at the bottom of yours is titled “Hell’s Bells, Sister!” That is mine, written a couple of months ago about this very same nun after she wrote one of her letters fo our paper. (It’s all rather ironic to me, just had to point it out.)
Hi Lindy,
Thanks for responding…
I looked over your blog and find it amazing.
After being present for all 5 of my kids birth’s, and just recently at the birth of my first grandson, I certainly had no problem with the women problems page. In fact, I can relate. Excellent work here–and needed.
On subject–After reading your comment I was bent over in laughter by the term “Cringeworthy.”
After 12 years (convert) of watching the precious saving faith of too many Catholics endangered by error–either intentionally or by victimization–I’ve finally found the perfect term for this feeling in my gut…
“Cringeworthy” is the new “dissent”.
I’m adding your great blog to my blogroll, and your welcome to do the same if you find mine worthy.
May God continue to bless your beautiful family…
jme
Well, I’m honored to be on your blogroll, and would be happy to add another Truth-seeking, Catholic blog to mine. (I always feel rather high-schoolish when these exchanged take place…”Would you sign my yearbook?”) : )
Anyway, we converts get so upset at stories like this b/c it’s like we’ve finally found Home, only to discover the maid dousing it with lighter fluid while brandishing a large torch. It’s quite disturbing.
You have one of the more unique avatars I have ever seen, BTW.
Ah, the Avatar!
That would be one “Rainbow Crawdaddy” around these parts… Long story short:
We have the best (river) swimming hole in Southern Oregon next door. Deep pools, a walk bridge and cliffs to dive from and crawdad’s galore in the shallows! During the summer I take the little ones down and we play “Rainbow Crawdaddy”. I mesmerize them by throwing large rocks in the river causing mist, which creates rainbows in the sun. In order to see the rainbows the kids need to draw close to me, (Snapper Man), as soon as the rock plunges it’s up to them how long they want to view the rainbow before I turn into Rainbow Crawdaddy and commence chasing and snapping at them… Some never get away in time….
One of my more, shall we say, creative friends worked the image up and presented it to me at my 50th surprise b-day party.
And that’s the way it is… snap! snap!
Thank You so much for the article on Prof. Groome of Boston U. After reading about the excommunication of the priest involved with women’s ordination (sic), couldn’t your article be sent in to the Vatican and it be asked that this professor also be excommunicated?
I am was a victim of apostate professors at the Seminary i attended back in the early 80’s for my Master’s in Religious Education – Professor Father Anthony Koznik was teaching us all sorts of things in contradiction to the True Faith concerning morality. “Homosexuality is fine as long as it’s faithful” = one partner; “Masterbation is fine, as long as it doesn’t become neurotic and takes the place of normal sexual relations”, and in general that “the Bible is not to be taken verbatim, but we need to look at the overall teachings and apply them to modern life.” The Vatican dismissed him from teaching, then all the campus including nuns went on strike – he was reinstated, but forbidden to teach morality. Years later he dropped out of the priesthood and got married.
He was a nice, quiet “gentlemanly” type of man – everybody loved him. My parents invited him to dinner twice before the scandal broke. And back then, we were all uneducated about our Holy Faith, and being young students, we assumed our professor – a priest – was teaching us what was True.
Now, Koznik’s name is found in many books about apostasy and modernism. And i think about how many of us went on to teach students, and how those went on to influence others…. .
The overall sense which i was being taught at that Seminary, SS Cyril and Methodius in Orchard Lake, MI, was that “we have been being taught prehistory fallacy and need to unlock it and find the truths hidden within.” None of the Bible was written by the Apostles, none of the Bible means what the words say, the higher level of education you receive, the more you will understand about what the Bible is really trying to teach; Christianity is a primitive, archaic religion with questionable origins. Our articles which we had to read and listen to were such things as, “DOES IT MATTER IF THE TOMB WAS EMPTY?” which went on to enfold other topics like a toxic octopus, “DOES IT MATTER IF MARY WAS A VIRGIN?”, etc., ad nauseum.
The hermeneutic of doubt, of suspicion, as you say, infected the “Semper Fi” of innocent students, honing them into weapons against the Faith without their realizing it. God help us, please! Our Lady help us!
So, thank you very much for all you do, and for this article. What can be done about Boston U???
I was in Washington DC before the presidential elections, and stayed at Trinity College – mainly all black girls’ college. Everywhere there were “elect Obama” posters, and there was a huge dance held “with doorprize” to get people in the mood to “go vote for Change!”. I was sickened by it.
God Bless You. I wish you a Blessed Advent and Christmas.
Pax Christi,
maria in detroit