Burke declares two St. Stan board members excommunicated

stltoday ^

[7thOF7th]

Don't misunderstand me here. I DO NOT condone gay priests in any way nor do I condone the lifestyle. I was merely expressing my complete disgust of the whole situation. This is just another example of the hypocritical actions the church has been a part of in recent years. Let's face it, the actions of the church leadership in regard to child abusing priest has been woefully short of decisive and unequivocal condemnation. Boston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and on and on have known of these charlatans for many years and not acted. Saint Louis was no different. Another point here is to say that this is not just the US but international as well.

My original point is that the good people of this church should be permitted to continue to practice their faith in the church they have supported and grown for the last hundred plus years. It should not be taken by a tyrannical Archbishop who's lack of action caused a fiscal crisis.

[JosephW]

Thanks for the clarification.

Assuming the parish does own the church building, they can just start their own church. It won’t be one of the 27 Catholic ones, nor does it sound like it could ever be an Eastern Orthodox one.

Maybe Obama can join it if he needs to put more distance between himself and his paster.

[7thOF7th]

The whole of the Catholic Church Leadership is in schism for looking the other way while their abusive colleagues molested children! What a joke of an argument for the Archbishop to use for this parish's desire to be a congregation. Regardless of their actions they desire to congregate and worship their Creator, no organized religious hierarchy should interfere with that regardless of their hypocritical leanings.

[exit82]

It seems like this parish rejects the authority of their archbishop. They also reject the authority of Rome.

What’s next—A fax to Heaven? To see how Jesus weighs in?

This parish has not proven malfeasance by those in a position over them, accountable to Jesus for the souls of their flock, as bishops(elders to Protestants) are charged with.

Since they reject all things Catholic, why are they still a Catholic parish?

This parish is in a state of rebellion, without cause. Their case has been adjudicated, and they have lost. Any excommunication, which is the proper response by the church, is brought on by themselves. There should be no surprise here.

This is a case of the clay telling the potter what to make.

[Judith Anne]

The whole of the Catholic Church Leadership is in schism for looking the other way while their abusive colleagues molested children!

Wrong!

Regardless of their actions they desire to congregate and worship their Creator, no organized religious hierarchy should interfere with that regardless of their hypocritical leanings.

No problem. Show me ONE Christian/Catholic who has never been a hypocrite--sort of the way YOU are demonstrating here. And if you have a problem with an "organized religious hierarchy" that you regard as "interfering" with St. Stan's worship, then you are not a Catholic either.

[Alberta's Child]

The bishop of a diocese is the official temporal authority in the Roman Catholic Church, and is listed on the title of all parish properties.

This was done specifically to eliminate any question about legal ownership in the kind of dispute that we see here in this case.

Frankly, I don't see this as such a big deal.

[Judith Anne]

Agreed. Good post.

[Ingtar]

In his four years as St. Louis archbishop, Burke has publicly declared 12 Catholics excommunicated.

It sounds as if 12 is not enough. I've not seen one of these fights over the property issues for awhile. The locals lose every time as they have no legal standing. It doesn't stop them from trying.

Sadly, the excommunication will have little impact on those that are in this sort of rebellion.

[7thOF7th]

If I am wrong, how is it that the courts have adjudicated responsibility directly to the Archbishops for their responsibility in the molestation cases from around the Country? Millions of parishioners donations have been squandered by their inaction and obfuscation. Don't you think they bear responsibility and in fact are in schism for this?
For the record, I am a recovering Catholic and will never subscribe to human rules for the acceptance of my Creator's blessings. The kool-aid is to bitter for me!

[Judith Anne]

So, you have no problem with the hierarchy’s action toward St. Stan, you just want to excoriate the hierarchy some more for the priests who exploited adolescents.

You evidently know very little about the history of the church’s attempts to deal with the problem of ephebephiles, you just want to jump on the rainbow bandwagon (my irony meter is breaking here) supporting St. Stan’s against Rome, no matter what the cause.

You find yourself in execreble company, lining up with the gay priests and the “ordained” women against Rome.

And apparently you know very little about Abp Burke. Not to mention sexual exploitation of youth in other churches, and schools i.e. Jeffs, recent public school teacher cases, etc.

[Petronski]

I am a recovering Catholic . . .

Some of the most virulent anti-Catholic hatred in this world squirts from the festering pie-holes of self-identified "recovering Catholics."

[ArrogantBustard]

ROFL!!!!!!!

[7thOF7th]

And you call yourself a Catholic? What a card!

[misharu]

7 - Do you live in St. Stanislau Parish? Do you live in St. Louis? Do you know of all the ins and outs of the issues? Have you been following this story for, what is it now, two - three years?

[Petronski]

I do not merely “call” myself a Catholic. I AM a Catholic.

I’ve met your kind before: full of piss and vinegar about the Whore of Babylon, sympathetically quoting Marx (!) to attack Christ’s own Church.

[kidd]

“Religion is the opiate of the masses” Karl Marx

You better take this message bus to the nearest service station. Your credibility has dropped below an eighth of a tank, your arrogance is about to overheat, you have a flat message, your gestures have offended some of the other travellers and I think you're going the wrong way.

[7thOF7th]

Judith Anne,
I have followed this topic for years and if you read my previous posts, I do not align myself with the abhorrence of the homosexual priest but rather with the parishioners who are in jeopardy of losing the church they helped build. All for money to bolster the diocese. I also find it telling how you so called practicing Catholics are so quick to revert to personal condemnation and judgments. There was a time in my youth as an alter boy where the intrinsic good of a man was not espoused but rather displayed through action and example. You and your so called Catholic patrons who are attacking me should remember the tenants of the faith and not the vitriol of the religion. I am not a Catholic I am a child of God. Worldly actions are the product of humans and nothing more. The product of the divine creator is within all of us and it is within us to choose to follow it or not.

[phil1750]

Marek B. Bozek was the pastor in my parish for a time before defying the Bishop and moving to St. Louis. Thus, I have followed all the actions with great interest. He is no more Catholic than you are 7th, in that you should be pleased. Bishop Burke has done what he should have done.

[7thOF7th]

Never be afraid of words my friend but do pay attention to the message.

[Petronski]

You and your so called Catholic patrons who are attacking me . . .

How dare anyone attack your motives as aggressively as you attack Burke's!