Archbishop Burke excommunicates leaders of a defiant parish

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St. Louis archbishop excommunicates leaders of defiant parish

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke has excommunicated a priest and the board of directors of a traditionally Polish parish that resisted his efforts to put the parish’s property and assets under his control.

In an archdiocesan newspaper published Friday, Burke said the Rev. Marek Bozek and St. Stanislaus Kostka’s six lay directors committed an act of schism when the board hired Bozek, who Burke said left another diocese without his bishop’s permission.

continued…

Please pray for all of those involved
 
It was only a matter of time before this was going to happen. The hiring of Bozek was final piece for the excommunication to happen.

PF
 
Its a shame the problem couldn’t be worked out, but it had to be done.
 
It is sad, and we should pray for all those involved. The Archbishop is right in what he did. The lay board and Father Morek did not value the Church, its unique fulness of truth, and its life-giving Sacraments if they were willing to risk them over something so trivial as money. Great Saints in the past have been at odds with the Church but they never risked loosing her. And they had more important, and less selfish things on their minds. Saint Francis wanted to start an order. It took a while for the Church to approve it, but he waited patiently. He didn’t leave the Church and start his own, as many in today’s selfish world would have. Mother Theresa was at odds with her Bishop. She remained true to her faith. Why? Because they knew the Church founded by Jesus was so much biggert han themselves. This humility inspired them and millions of others throughout history to do great things. They also knew that to leave the Church would be spiritual suicide, and also spiritual murder for the example they would show those with lesser faith.
What is $9 million compared with eternity? Nothing. What is having control over your Church when compared with eternity? Nothing. What is self-righteous indignation of the lay board and Father Morek, one that leaves no room for faith in the Church Christ founded, compared with loosing their place in the Church? Nothing. They should hand their money over to the ArchBishop and use prayer and faith to ask God that their money will be used wisely.
 
Many people fall in their vocations and drag down many souls with them. Pray for this priest and for all those involved.
 
johnq said:
St. Louis archbishop excommunicates leaders of defiant parish

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke has excommunicated a priest and the board of directors of a traditionally Polish parish that resisted his efforts to put the parish’s property and assets under his control.

In an archdiocesan newspaper published Friday, Burke said the Rev. Marek Bozek and St. Stanislaus Kostka’s six lay directors committed an act of schism when the board hired Bozek, who Burke said left another diocese without his bishop’s permission.

continued…

Please pray for all of those involved
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Its a done deal alright.

Here is the official word from the man himself, stlouisreview.com/abpcolumn.php?abpid=9772

Sad as it is, I thougt this would be the outcome some day. It is where the pride of St. Stan’s lay board and the misdirected compassion of Fr. Bozek got them.

Lets all pray the Holy Spirit will enlighten their hearts and minds witha dose of reason so they will one day reconcile with holy mother Church.:gopray2:
 
johnq said:
St. Louis archbishop excommunicates leaders of defiant parish

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke has excommunicated a priest and the board of directors of a traditionally Polish parish that resisted his efforts to put the parish’s property and assets under his control.

In an archdiocesan newspaper published Friday, Burke said the Rev. Marek Bozek and St. Stanislaus Kostka’s six lay directors committed an act of schism when the board hired Bozek, who Burke said left another diocese without his bishop’s permission.

continued…

Please pray for all of those involved
Click to expand...

It’s not clear where the schism is​

 
I wonder how this will play as evidence against those dioceses which claim that parish property is not available for legal settlements.
 
Local Catholics React To St. Stanislaus Punishment
created: 12/18/2005 6:27:51 PM
updated: 12/19/2005 6:51:20 AM

By Alex Fees

(KSDK) - Sunday marks the first Sabbath Day since six board members at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church were excommunicated by Archbishop Raymond Burke. The action comes after years of wrangling over control of church assets between board members and numerous archbishops.

But while St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church has a unique Polish heritage, it is also unique in that it is likely the only ethnic, Catholic church in St. Louis that has not subjected to the authority of church officials.

continued (video included)…
 
As a resident of the fair City of St. Louis, it’s gotten to be interesting with this. Their dissident behavior over the last year or so attracted the local chapters of the Catholic Action Network, Call To Action, FOSSIL and other heretical movements. I wonder if they really want this kind of crowd hanging around??

MP
 
Sadly, St. Stan’s parish has now become basically another Protestant Church and it will very quickly fade into Catholic memory. It is very said for all the souls involved at the parish level. I pray the Lord will help them see the deep and grave error of the path they have chosen.

Money just is not worth risking eternity over. It would sacre me beyond words to be excommunicated and to have Holy Mother Church turn away from me.
 
The establishment of the Polish National Catholic church came about because the Polish immigrants in the United States, who in Poland owned and controlled their parishes (after all, it was by their efforts and hard work that the churches were built) did not have such control over the churches they built in the United States.
Here, the bishop controls the property in the diocese.

This is part of the reason.

These people can not be lumped in with the likes of Call to Action, etc. Their ancestors built that church and they do not want to surrender it. It is that simple.

This could have been avoided if - Archbishop Burke, whom I respect - would have let these people retain their parish, provided it was economically feasible.

I don’t know all the facts, but I know that Polish people are stubborn (I can say that, being Polish) and they will not back down.
 
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TPJCatholic:
It would sacre me beyond words to be excommunicated and to have Holy Mother Church turn away from me.
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I just want to clarify a bit: excommunication is less about the Church turning away from an individual than it is about the Church making it known tht an individual has turned away from the Church. Repent and ask forgiveness of the errors that led to it and they will be welcomed back joyously with open arms.
 
Rob’s wife,

I agree, and thank you for the clarification. Of course, the person does indeed turn away from God and His Church, yet the act of discipline is carried out by the Church–so from a certain point of view the Church was “forced” to turn away from the people until they repent.
 
JW,

If they remain stubborn, then they will remain in mortal sin. Pride us to very real eternal peril.
 
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TPJCatholic:
JW,

If they remain stubborn, then they will remain in mortal sin. Pride us to very real eternal peril.
Click to expand...
Sounds like the Archbishop has been a little stubborn himself. I also think “Pride” has been a problem on both sides.
 
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mikew262:
Sounds like the Archbishop has been a little stubborn himself. I also think “Pride” has been a problem on both sides.
Click to expand...
It doesn’t really matter how prideful the archbishop might be because the parish has been in violation of canon law for 88 years. The agreements that bishops make to not enforce the law cannot be binding on their successors since they are illicit. The parish was not “grandfathered in” by the law itself; rather, it maintained its status due to the indulgence of the bishops. When the parish was finally told to comply with the law, the only acceptable answer was obedience. They should consider themselves lucky that their disobedience to the Church was tolerated for so long.

So whether the bishop is motivated by pride or any other bad intention, the parish has no excuse for not obeying him. They are definitely in the wrong, even if the archbishop might be wrong in his own ways as well.
 
Andreas Hofer:
It doesn’t really matter how prideful the archbishop might be because the parish has been in violation of canon law for 88 years. The agreements that bishops make to not enforce the law cannot be binding on their successors since they are illicit. The parish was not “grandfathered in” by the law itself; rather, it maintained its status due to the indulgence of the bishops. When the parish was finally told to comply with the law, the only acceptable answer was obedience. They should consider themselves lucky that their disobedience to the Church was tolerated for so long.

So whether the bishop is motivated by pride or any other bad intention, the parish has no excuse for not obeying him. They are definitely in the wrong, even if the archbishop might be wrong in his own ways as well.
Click to expand...
So now we have lost a otherwise good priest and a church full of otherwise devout catholics. Gee, it sure sounds like this was handled properly. Maybe the former bishops realized keeping members of their flock was more important than enforcing some obscure rule. Things were fine the past 88 years. “If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.”
 
mike,

I disagree, I think Archbishop Burke has shown incredible patience and love towards the people of St. Stan’s. He was forced to take action after many, many attempts at reconciliation.
 
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