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	Priest to Propose Reconciliation to St. Louis Archbishop Burke Has Begun the Process of Defrocking Pries Belleville News Democrat February 3, 2008 http://www.bnd.com/news/state/story/245831.html ST. LOUIS -- The priest at a Roman Catholic parish involved in a long-running dispute with the St. Louis archdiocese will propose a plan of reconciliation at a meeting this week. But because the meeting was called as Archbishop Raymond Burke has begun the process of defrocking the Rev. Marek Bozek, it's unclear whether church leadership will consider Bozek's ideas. Bozek plans to release details of his proposal after his meeting at archdiocesan headquarters last week. Bozek wasn't certain whether he would meet with Burke or a representative of the archbishop. "I am nervous, of course," Bozek said of the meeting. "I am human. I respect the seriousness of the situation." Bozek, 33, is pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka, a historically Polish parish in St. Louis locked in a feud with the archdiocese over control of its assets. In 2005, the lay leadership at St. Stanislaus appointed Bozek after the archdiocese removed its priests during the dispute. Both Bozek and the lay leaders were then excommunicated, accused of breaking with the church. Bozek also participated in an ordination ceremony for two Catholic women in November, thought the Vatican does not allow women to become priests. Burke said in the letter to Bozek that he had started the process of laicizing Bozek, or stripping him of his clerical status. Though Burke began the process, the Vatican ultimately would decide. A spokeswoman said the archdiocese doesn't publicly comment on the archbishop's private correspondence or meetings. Bozek said he will offer a brief prayer before the meeting, and asked supporters to come and pray the rosary outside the archdiocesan headquarters while he's inside. In an e-mail to supporters, he wrote: "It will give me strength of spirit to know that you are praying for me right there, just outside the windows, while I face my accusers." Bozek hopes his situation will encourage Catholics who disagree with the positions of church leadership to speak up. He said he knows his stance makes him appear to defy church leadership, but he remains resolute. "Most decisions we make, we have to reconfirm every day," Bozek said. He compared his relationship with his parish as akin to a marriage, where a person chooses every day to love the other. When he celebrates Mass and ministers to people, he doesn't doubt his decisions. "I know this relationship is a long-lasting relationship," he said.
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