Bishop Morlino vs. Platteville Catholics

[Matilda]

10. It's also reported in NCR

Link here: http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/wisconsin-bishop-threatens-denial-sacraments-rumors-and-gossip

If it's correct, it's very disturbing - to even think about excommunicating somebody for speaking their mind is an abuse of power. Excommunication is a terrible thing to threaten anybody with, and should only be used for the most serious offences, and then only when all mediation has failed. I don't think Christ was ever in a hurry to cut people off from God.

There is a move - and it comes from Rome - to bar altar girls and even lay Ministers of the Eucharist, except in cases where there is no alternative. Similarly, the Second Rite of Reconciliation is frowned on. In our church, all three are the norm (although we have few young altar servers of either sex these days - I guess it isn't cool), but I know of other parishes where the laity play a very passive role. I really can't see how anybody is harmed by having girls serve at the altar, or the laity giving communion. And I find it much more productive to sit down with a priest and discuss a problem face to face in an honest way rather than kneeling in a confessional and reciting a list of sins by rote. These things should be a matter of style and left up to the parishes to decide.