Pop singer Sheryl Crow is coming to St. Louis on Saturday to perform at the Fox Theater in a benefit concert for the Bob Costas Cancer Center at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, who is chairman of the board of governors of the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation (which raises money for the Medical Center), has resigned from the board in protest of Crow’s participation in this event. Because Crow is an abortion-rights supporter, and because the other members of the board would not accede to his request to cancel her appearance, Burke felt that he could not in good conscience remain on the board.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue defended Burke today:
“Once again, practicing Catholics who do not live in St. Louis are envious of the privileged position that Catholics in that wonderful city enjoy. Time and again, Archbishop Burke has proven to be one of the most prominent voices of moral clarity inside and outside the Catholic Church in the United States.
“For a Catholic leader to give cover to someone who is not just incidentally pro-choice, but is a rabid abortion-rights activist would be morally unconscionable. To wit: Crow recently campaigned in Missouri for the right to clone human beings and destroy nascent human life, thus making her presence at a Catholic event morally incoherent. Those who are now criticizing Archbishop Burke—saying he should demur given the money being raised for a worthy cause—should explain how they would react if David Duke were scheduled to speak at a fundraising event to fight sickle-cell anemia in East St. Louis.
“What Archbishop Burke has done is unfortunately controversial. It is unfortunate because his courage stands in stark contrast to the moral lassitude that is exhibited on a daily basis by religious and secular leaders throughout the nation. It is so ironic to note that the very ones who are already blasting him for being too judgmental have absolutely no qualms about condemning him. Three cheers for Archbishop Burke.”
