Pontificia Academia Pro Vita

If my analysis so far is correct, the question arises: What should the leaders of the Church do about people like Cuomo and his successor as New York’s Governor, Republican George Pataki who evidently takes the same position? What should they do about those who claim to be in full communion with the Church yet promote gravely unjust and scandalous policies that expose the unborn to the violence and injustice of abortion? In the run up to the last election, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke offered an answer. He declared that public officials who support abortion and other unjust attacks against innocent human life may not be admitted to Holy Communion, the preeminent sacrament of unity.The speakers also addressed the issue of "the intollerance of tollerance", which obviously ties into the Holy Father's frequent references to "the dictatorship of relativism." A paper by the Most Rev Anthony Fisher on conscience went rather deeper than my mind could take in during the lecture, particularly after a pleasant Italian lunch(!) but I plan to print it out to read later. AND THEN we had an audience with the Holy Father. The address he gave is currently only available in Italian, but some online news articles have discussed it in varying depth: CNS, EITB, and SperoNews.
Pro-life citizens of every religious persuasion applauded the Archbishop’s stand. Critics, however, were quick to condemn Archbishop Burke. They denounced him for “crossing the line” separating church and state. But this is silly. In acting on his authority as a bishop to discipline members of his flock, who commit what the Church teaches are grave injustices against innocent human beings, Archbishop Burke is exercising his own constitutional right to the free exercise of religion; he is not depriving others of their rights. Freedom is a two way street. No one is compelled by law to accept ecclesiastical authority. But Archbishop Burke—and anyone else in the United States of America or other freedom respecting nations—has every right to exercise spiritual authority over anyone who chooses to accept it.
There is a name for people who do accept the authority of Catholic bishops. They are called “Catholics.”

We spent time at St Peters, visited the tombs of the Popes, including our beloved JP, and before we left yesterday morning went to (very early) mass with the Missionaries of Charity. Coincidentally yesterday's Gospel was Mt 25:31-46, "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." which so sums up the MCs... so that was lovely.
Should make a new lenten resolution to blog more :) Bless you!
Mx