The issue was theft. Some bishops, especially ones who view themselves as a corporation sole, don’t really believe that they’re stealing when they dip into Peter’s Pence, or hijack the Priest’s Pension Fund to pay off people who have dirt on bishops.
What is probably happening in Belleville is that people are starting to rethink giving to the Church. The crunch is on, but the bishop, with neary an apology, is still sending his bills to the parishes (Diocesan Stewardship) to pay up or else, and threatening to get rid of the guy who exposed the theft, and the priests have to get up there in the pulpit and tell people this is all on the up and up. They can’t do it anymore.
I’m glad the priests are fighting this, liberal or conservative. The alternative is that they can lay down and somebody else can board up their windows in a couple years.
I live in Belleville...this case is nothing less than a challenge by some 1970s left-overs to the authority of an orthodox bishop. They want the happy-clappy 70s back...and Bishop Braxton is an orthodox man...and the rebels don’t like it.
Liturgical abuse is rampant in this diocese...as is all sorts of heterodox hoo-hah. Between Sister-I-Don’t-Wear-Your-Patriarchal-Habit and Father listing the bishop’s “faults” during Holy Mass, there is a lot of work for His Excellency to do. Bishop Braxton has my full support.
1. Unless you are a Roman Catholic in communion with the Holy See, this controversy is none of your business. Are you a Roman Catholic in communion with the Holy See??? I did not think so. Being a disgruntled ex-Catholic does not count.
2. The issue, only according to the rebellious loudmouth priest faction (in violation of their massacred oaths of obedience to ecclesiastical authority) at Belleville and their supporters, is theft. The remedy for that issue lies with the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops which acts against the misbehavior of bishops with regularity. The unspoken issue of these rebellious vipers in Roman collars is that they are being expected for the first time in decades to act as though they were Catholic rather than as free-lancing, free-thinking "Enlightenment" philosopher kings organizing politically for the Demonrats which was the standard under the leftist predecessor of Braxton, Wilton Gregory. They are shocked, shocked (!!!) that reflexive Kumbaya is NOT Catholicism.
3. There is nothing wrong with the dissenting priests and their supporters that cannot be cured by the Congregation for Bishops (IF and only IF there was misconduct by Braxton) and (regardless of that issue) silencing and/or defrocking and/or excommunicating the rebel priests. Catholicism is not a democracy and, thank God, never will be. Of course, a restoration of the powers and methods of the medieval Holy Office would be icing on the cake.
4. When these rebellious priest trash are disciplined and hopefully excommunicated, you can recruit them to be clergy in whatever denomination, if any, you may belong to and Catholics can say good riddance to each and every one!
5. The purchase of vestments for the saying of Mass (allegedly the "wrongful" application of the funds) is certainly a legitimate function of the Church whose ordained priests in good standing say Mass at the specific instruction of Christ Himself, whether you think so or not.
6. There is no reason whatsoever for Bishop Braxton to apologize to anyone for buying liturgical vestments. Abny "catholic" who would violate the precepts of the Church by refusing the obligation to contribute to the support of the Church because (horrors!!!) the bishop has purchased liturgical vestments is not much of a Catholic, anti-Catholic opinions of the Church's enemies notwithstanding.
7. Long after the loudmouths have died and been buried, the Church will continue to the end of this world, as guaranteed by Jesus Christ Himself. Neither the very gates of hell nor these disobedient pipsqueaks will prevail against the Church.
8. If I am wrong in perceiving you as non-Catholic and you happen to be Catholic and happen to agree with these priests, no one is barring the exit door or forcing you to stay.
9. If, for any reason whatsoever, Braxton ceases to be bishop of Belleville, then the Vatican should let St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke choose the successor and choose someone as Belleville's next bishop one who can and will wield the power of bishop as vigorously as possible to crush such dissent and re-establish and vindicate the authority of the Diocese of Belleville and its ordinary. Of course, it would be just as worthwhile for Braxton to purge every one of these dissenters personally, silence them, defrock them, and excommunicate them. Whichever.
10. As you well know, there is no real danger that any of these rebels are conservative or that, like SSPX schismatics, make believe they are.
11. Hang 'em high!!!