Examination of conscience

I wholeheartedly agree with Mary Ellen Halverson that we need to pray for Mr. Chauvin — and for the conversion of all perpetrators of violence. Let’s be careful about mixing metaphors, though. What Mr. Chauvin received is justice through our legal system. The whole point of the trial was that a knee on the neck is not justice, regardless of any suspected petty crime. Mr. Floyd was one of generations of Black Americans who have been denied access to our justice system by our lynching mentality. Both the active perpetrators and those of us who have silently benefited from this system need to undergo a major examination of conscience. Mr. Chauvin is not a victim here, and while his life absolutely matters as a beloved child of God, his life is not at risk.

Nicole Adams Blume
St Cecilia, St. Paul

COVID and caring

I think the Catholic Church should speak out on the importance and responsibility and caring for our fellow citizens to get vaccinated for COVID, if we can, to finally stop this epidemic. Those who are just not caring, think it won’t make a difference or think it’s somehow against nature or religion (fetal tissue, which it is not, or anti-Bidenism?) could use a nudge in that direction! Do they understand it will endanger the vulnerable and enable variants to develop?

Shirley Schoenbauer
St. Wenceslaus, New Prague

Where are the bishops?

Since 2006, the Catholic majority on the U.S. Supreme Court has endorsed the death penalty (at one point, Scalia wrote the deciding opinion). Now joined by two more Catholics (Kavanaugh and Coney-Barret), it is still legal in this country to put people to death, quite likely some innocent. With a majority on the Supreme Court, even with help from the liberals who favor abolishing the death penalty, those five, now six Catholics still endorse the death penalty, some in the final hours personally signing off on someone’s life, making us, the American people, murderers, killing men and women alike. Where is the outcry from the bishops? Why have those justices been allowed to receive Communion all these years? Why have we all been allowed to receive Communion, after murdering our fellow human beings?

Elizabeth Rosenwinkel
St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis

‘No’ to Biden

There should be NO Biden Catholic support! Please allow me, as a faith-based, Catholic, adoptive parent to cast the first and only stone of importance at our current “POTUS,” Joe Biden! He espouses abortion and should/would be excommunicated if it were not for the almighty dollar. He surely is not concerned for family life, our planet, or humanity for his support of past and present murders of 60+ million unborn babies in the U.S. alone.

Lynn Murray
Holy Trinity, South St. Paul

Cafeteria Catholics

I was very surprised, as well as very disappointed, with The Catholic Spirit, having printed the “Biden Support” letter in your April 15 issue. He hardly honors his faith (as mentioned) by being the most ardent supporter of abortion-on-demand who has ever occupied the White House. Had the Archdiocese of the Washington D.C. area and concerned employees of the Vatican been doing their jobs, he and others in D.C. would have been excommunicated many years ago. He is the perfect example of a “cafeteria-style Catholic,” taking and choosing only what they want to adhere to with our faith. If The Catholic Spirit continues to promote and publish such political trash, please discontinue cluttering my mailbox with it!

Conrad Haak
St. Joseph, West St. Paul

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