Archbishop denies sacraments to leaders of St. Louis parish

ST. LOUIS -- Declaring his "extraordinary patience" had run out, St. Louis' archbishop said Tuesday he is moving to deny Roman Catholic sacraments to leaders of a largely Polish parish at odds with him over control of the parish.

A St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church spokesman fired back, accusing Archbishop Raymond Burke of using the sacraments as a "bargaining chip" in a dispute the parish considers about "greed and not about the teachings of Jesus Christ."

"The directors, unanimously and with clear consciences, refuse to recognize any validity to such an immoral, unjust and inequitable sanction," Roger Krasnicki said.

Burke's announcement came four days after the passing of a deadline he set for St. Stanislaus' six-member board to turn over control of the parish.

The archdiocese has insisted that the archbishop -- not the lay board of the parish dating to the late 19th century -- should control St. Stanislaus. The parish has argued that Burke has tried to take control of its estimated $9 million in holdings.

Fed up with the delays, the archdiocese announced the push for censure in a one-sentence statement, saying only that Burke's "extraordinary patience in dealing with the Board of St. Stanislaus Kostka has officially evaporated."

Burke had warned the parish's board members of the possible "interdict," which could bar them from receiving the sacraments anywhere if the parish governance does not conform with church law.

Jamie Allman, the archdiocese's spokesman, said Burke would begin drafting his decision on the interdict that the archbishop has insisted was meant to promote a change of heart, not be punitive. St. Stanislaus' board "will know when the interdict is imposed when they receive it in the mail," Allman said.

Bob Zabielski, a six-year St. Stanislaus parishioner serving as the board's secretary, said he has not received any sacraments since Burke pulled the parish priests last year.

As for Burke's interdict, "I'm not accepting it because we've done nothing wrong, nothing against doctrine," said Zabielski, 64. "This is nothing more than a conflict about money."

The archdiocese has insisted that the parish needed to change its bylaws to reinstate the authority of the archbishop, the parish pastor and the Catholic church.

The Rev. Thomas Reese, a Vatican expert, said Burke may impose the interdict on his own, though St. Stanislaus would have the right to appeal to the Vatican.

Reese said such censures are extremely rare -- "we're talking about a handful of cases in the United States that people can point to" -- and may be pursued after due warning and with "just cause."

"The whole idea is to encourage them to get in conformity with the instructions of the bishop," Reese said.

St. Stanislaus was established by Polish immigrants, and in 1891, an archbishop deeded the property to a civic corporation of parishioners.

The way the property and assets are governed -- by the laity and not church leaders -- created the standoff between Burke and the parish. The archdiocese maintains it should have had final decision-making authority throughout the parish's history.

St. Stanislaus parishioners last month voted 299-5 not to surrender control of the parish's assets to the archdiocese.

---

On the Net:

Archdiocese of St. Louis, http://www.archstl.org

Church group: http://www.saveststans.com