Polish parish board's appeal rejected

ST. LOUIS -- The Vatican has upheld Archbishop Raymond Burke's orders to excommunicate the lay board at a Polish-heritage parish that has been at odds with the archdiocese for years.

In a May 15 letter to Burke, Cardinal William Levada said the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has rejected the board's appeal challenging Burke's December 2005 decision to excommunicate them because they persisted in "schism," or breaking with the church.

The archdiocese released the letter Wednesday on its Web site.

The six board members refused to turn over church property and assets to the archdiocese. They later hired the Rev. Marek Bozek to replace a priest Burke removed months earlier over the assets disagreement.

The letter cited technical problems with the appeal, as well as evidence that the board broke with the church by independently appointing its own priest. Church law says only a bishop can appoint priests to parishes.

"In a gradual process," Levada wrote, "the parish has been removed from the jurisdiction of the local Ordinary. This can be seen as an expression of the refusal of the members of the board to subject themselves to the lawfully constituted Ecclesiastical authority."

Levada also asked Burke to offer the board members "special pastoral care and kindness" and urge them to reconcile with the church.

The board has 30 days to appeal the ruling.

Board chairman William Bialczak said Wednesday the Vatican never mentioned that the appeal had technical flaws. He also said "it doesn't smell right" that the letter coincided with a trip Burke made to Rome earlier this month. Burke's travel schedule could not be confirmed by The Associated Press.

"The congregation is aware of the fact that this is a losing battle," Bialczak said. "We support Father. There's only one God we pray to."

Burke was unavailable for comment Wednesday. But his regular Friday column for the archdiocesan newspaper, the St. Louis Review, addresses the matter. The archdiocese released it early.

Burke wrote that his actions "have nothing to do with any personal conflict, but, rather, with the integrity of the Catholic faith and its practice, which I have the solemn responsibility to safeguard and promote."

In his column, Burke said that the Vatican, in a separate May 15 letter, had determined that Bozek was guilty of celebrating sacraments with Protestant ministers.

Burke said he's been instructed to tell Bozek that he risks being defrocked by the Vatican unless he ends his "schism" with the church and sacramental affiliation with non-Catholic ministers in 30 days.

Bozek said Wednesday he does not perform sacred rituals with non-Catholic ministers, but he has received communion in non-Catholic churches. "It's not polite to go to dinner, sit at the table, and not eat," he said.

Bozek said if he is eventually stripped of priestly faculties, he will seek to work under a different bishop.

The Rev. Thomas Doyle, a church lawyer who represents the board and Bozek, said there's no reason why St. Stanislaus couldn't retain ownership of its parish. "They weren't schismatic, they disagreed with the bishop," he said.

He added that Burke has opted to use a "heavy-handed, vindictive approach" instead of working things out pastorally.

"He may win the battle but he'll lose the war," he said. "The reaction of these people is they just don't care.

"He loves robes, the Latin Mass and parading around like a pseudo prince, but there's no attempt to listen to the people of the parish."

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