Senator Byrd's in Heaven?

According to Bishop Michael Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston, that's exactly where the late Senator Robert Byrd is already. Safe in heaven. Nope, no need for prayers here, people, he's already there. Wow.

Is this how low we've come? That even a Catholic bishop declares a non-Catholic to be in heaven? It would appear that "social promotion", that great equalizer of the publik skools, has now worked it's way into the hierarchy of the American Church.

Puts a new, modern twist on "Whatsoever you bind on earth, is bound in Heaven", because if an authority in the Church says you've made it, then I guess they're duty bound upstairs to let you in, right? Right?

Read about it here:
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=6787

UPDATED:
Here's a nice piece on purgatory over at Bedlam or Parnassus:
http://bedlamorparnassus.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-nature-of-purgatory.html