January 05, 2005

Archbishop threatens to withhold sacraments

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Post-Dispatch

By Tim Townsend
Of the Post-Dispatch
01/04/2005

St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke has threatened to withhold the sacraments of the Roman Catholic church, including Communion, from board members of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in a dispute over control of the church.

"I warn you that your refusal to comply with the legitimate directives of the Holy See and me, your Archbishop, carries with it, the punishment of 'interdict or other just penalties,'" wrote Burke in a letter to the board members. The archbishop set a date of Feb. 4 for the board to comply with his directives.

Monsignor Thomas J. Green, professor of canon law at Catholic University, described interdict as a "mini excommunication." ...

"I consider it a badge of honor," said board member Robert Zabielski. "I'm sticking up for what is right. Pedophiles in this church are transferred from diocese to diocese while good, faithful people are excommunicated." Zabielski said he was not surprised to receive the letter. "It was only a matter of time before something like this came," he said.

Posted by kshaw at January 5, 2005 12:28 PM