Bishop Alexander Sample, The Nation's Youngest Bishop, Condemns Obama's ND Invitation

I'll admit that I don't know much about this guy. However, I am impressed by the fact that he's 48 and yet still willing to throw his hat into a ring that involves criticizing the most powerful man in the world.

His Excellency presides over the Diocese of Marquette in Michigan, home to another prominent Catholic university. Perhaps he sees the danger in allowing precedents like this to be set with impugnity.

CNA has the details:

Bishop Sample called the university's decision to honor Obama is "unconscionable" and "completely out of step with the Catholic Church’s teaching."

In his statement, Sample said that Obama’s "campaign rhetoric" and the "actions he has taken since becoming president" have made it clear that he intends to fuel the Culture War and continue the "destruction of innocent human life."

Bishop Sample cited Obama’s "Mexico City Policy" executive order, approval of funding embryonic stem cell research, and "his pledge to sing into law a resurrected Freedom of Choice Act."

He concluded his letter by saying that it "saddens [him] beyond words that the great university name after Our Lady" would honor a politician "who would seek to expand threats to such innocent human life."

I have a radical idea. It used to be a fairly accepted practice for the calling of local synods for the purpose of dealing with local heresies/schisms/disciplinary problems/whatever. Even in America, we've seen similar animals in events such as the Plenary Councils of Baltimore.

Yes, yes. I know. The episcopal structure of the US is way different now. The bottom line is that the USCCB (or any other national conference) is not meant to handle these sorts of things. You need something a bit more formal with less emphasis on organization and such. If the denunciations of ND's actions continue, surely some measure of really organized response is available. Any canon lawyers know how this would work?