New AP Article on the Excommunicated Fr. Bozek

From the full article by the Associated Press:

Polish priest at St. Stan's under further scrutiny by archbishop

Jan 15, 2008
By CHERYL WITTENAUER, AP

ST. LOUIS - A popular Polish priest who's helped to double attendance at his Roman Catholic parish could be stripped of his clerical status if Archbishop Raymond Burke has his way.

Last week, Burke sent the Rev. Marek Bozek, 33, a letter ordering the priest to appear before the archbishop for "canonical admonition." It is the latest step in a years-long dispute between Burke and the lay board that appointed Bozek two years ago in defiance of the archbishop.

Burke said in the letter that he'd initiated the process of laicizing Bozek, or stripping him of his clerical status. Though Burke began the process, the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy ultimately would decide.

[...]

"I love my mother church," he said, "but since mother church is becoming abusive, for the sake of my (parishioners), there might be a moment when I am forced to say, 'I will not allow you to continue to abuse me and my family any longer.'"

[...]

Bozek is under fire for allegedly breaking with the church, and more recently for endorsing and participating in an ordination ceremony for two Catholic women in November.

[...]

The letter to Bozek calls upon him to renounce his position at St. Stanislaus, apologize, do public penance, and return to his home diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.

Bozek said he and his canon lawyers are still formulating a response.

"I am proud to be a man of dialogue," he said. "I will be happy to listen."

He described past meetings with Burke as "very much a 16th-century conversation," in which the archbishop used language of the Counter-Reformation.

Bozek believes Burke is a "man of good will and good intention," but lacks experience dealing with people.

"He is a well-educated canon lawyer, who never was a pastor," he said.

[...]

Bozek said to his knowledge, he would be "the first priest to be laicized against my will for something else other than the terrible crimes of pedophilia."

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Words cannot describe what I feel when I read the insipid arrogance and stupidity of this priest's remarks. He ought to be ashamed, but then he freely associates with a crowd for whom shame is a nonexistent state. These people absolutely revel in thumbing their noses at the Archbishop, the Pope, the Church, and Christ Himself, all while grasping the title "Catholic" in their little fists. The intellectual undergirding of this crowd would embarrass a pre-schooler.

Grow up, already!

It seems to me that there is a lot of "coincidental" connection among the persons and events of dissent in this town of late. It is as though St. Louis, and our beloved Archbishop, are the special targets of a planned campaign. Well, if the fight is on, we rally to the Church and our Archbishop.