In his June 11 commentary (“Keep Holy Communion out of the abortion debate”) regarding Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki’s decree that Communion should be denied to politicians who promoted Illinois’ radical new abortion bill, the Rev. Stan Chu Ilo essentially accuses Paprocki of “(using) draconian and punitive measures and threats of hellfire to compel the minds and hearts of Catholics.” The Rev. Ilo grossly mischaracterizes Paprocki’s actions. As the bishop stated in an interview shortly after issuing the decree, his hope is that these lawmakers reconcile themselves to the Catholic Church so they can be restored to Communion. His radical decision to deny Communion is a pastorally appropriate response designed less to punish the offending politicians than to jolt them into an awareness of the grave peril into which they put their immortal souls by supporting legislation so entirely at odds with the law of God.
The only thing worse, perhaps, than the destruction by abortion of the mortal life of an unborn child is the loss of an immortal soul for eternity. As Cardinal Henry Newman said in his spiritual autobiography, “(t)he Church … regards this world, and all that is in it … as dust and ashes, compared with the value of one single soul … (the Church) holds that it were better for sun and moon to drop from heaven, for the earth to fail, and for all the many millions who are upon it to die of starvation in extremest agony, so far as temporal affliction goes, than that one soul … should be lost.” Bishop Paprocki remains the spiritual shepherd of these Catholic politicians and of all Catholics in his diocese, and his action ought to be seen as ordered to the salvation of the souls of all Catholics including those currently in a state of grave sin.
— Madonna Muscarello, Burr Ridge
Illinois Dems’ helter-skelter pursuit
While neighboring Iowa’s pork industry stalls because of Chinese tariffs, Illinois’ own pork, of the political variety, is enjoying revived demand. The people of Illinois buy their pork from lawmakers in that giant slaughterhouse-cum-countinghouse called Springfield.
This was inevitable. The General Assembly and all six statewide offices are controlled by Democrats. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, ever jovial, signs all the goodies into law while Speaker Michael Madigan, ageless, sits stone-faced in the shadows.
The goodies are all there in the government’s 362-page capital budget; everything from pickleball courts, arts programs and innumerable “member initiatives” totaling $45 billion. I’m not sure what pickleball is, but I know only too well what “member initiatives” are in Illinois’ legislative jargon — pork.
Pension reform? Its year-old limits have been eliminated; now only the sky serves as a barrier between the public sector’s greed and outer space.
Roads and bridges? Pave them in yellow brick. The Scarecrow and the Tin Man will have abundant company, waving to folks exiting the state.
The gas tax and vehicle registration fees have been hiked. A political party’s reach should exceed its grasp, or (paraphrasing Robert Browning) what’s a supermajority for?
Yet it isn’t just their ambition that’s showing. Democratic politicians are nearly irrational in their helter-skelter pursuit of revenue, on the one hand, and of virtue signaling, on the other. Thus, the cigarette tax has been raised, along with the smoking age, yet marijuana use will become legal. Conflicting smoke signals? Who can tell — when you’re stoned?
— Alexander Lee, West Chicago
Lighten burden of day care costs
Some candidates are proposing free tuition for college students. A far better plan would be to offer free “tuition” to children in day care. College students are able to work summers or part time during the academic year to pay for some of their expenses, but the full burden of expensive day care for children falls totally on the shoulders of young parents. Once relieved from the expense of day care, young couples will be able to better their lives and deposit money in college bank accounts for these children to tap into when they are of college age.
Don’t pay it back. Pay it forward.
— Mary Ann McGinley, Wilmette