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A priest no more: Bozek laicized
Deacon's Bench ^ | March 10, 2009 | Deacon Greg

Posted on 03/10/2009 6:12:58 AM PDT by NYer

The priest who has been at the center of a firestorm in the Archdiocese of St. Louis has been officially stripped of his faculties, according to the Associated Press:

A priest who defied his Roman Catholic bishop in 2005 to become pastor of a largely Polish-American parish at odds with the archdiocese has been stripped of his priesthood.

The decision by Pope Benedict XVI to return Marek Bozek from priest to lay person came a year after the move was recommended by former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke.

In 2005, Bozek was serving in southern Missouri's Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese when he accepted the pastorship of St. Stanislaus Kostka parish in St. Louis at the invitation of parishioners. Only bishops can assign priests.

Burke had removed the Polish-heritage parish's two priests over a long-festering dispute over control of parish assets. Parishioners then took it upon themselves to hire the Polish-speaking Bozek.

Bishop James Johnston said the Vatican's decision resulted from Bozek abandoning the assignment in Springfield-Cape Girardeau.

But Bozek said Monday he will not leave St. Stanislaus and will take his orders from a reformed Catholic bishop, who granted him temporary priestly faculties last year in anticipation of the Vatican's decision.

That bishop, Phillip Zimmerman, is affiliated with the late 19th century reformed Catholic church movement which rejected the declaration of papal infallibility, he said.

Bozek said he was read the formal pronouncement in Springfield late Monday but that he learned the Vatican issued the decision Jan. 31. He said he was not given a copy.

At a Monday night news conference at St. Stanislaus where he was joined by dozens of parishioners, Bozek said he was disappointed by the move but will continue his ministry and offer valid Catholic sacraments.

There's more at the link.


TOPICS: Catholic; Ministry/Outreach; Moral Issues
KEYWORDS: bozek; catholic; pope; stl; vatican
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1 posted on 03/10/2009 6:12:58 AM PDT by NYer
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To: Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; nickcarraway; Romulus; ...

He’ll probably join the other dissenters at one of the Old Catholic Churches.


2 posted on 03/10/2009 6:14:15 AM PDT by NYer ("Run from places of sin as from a plague." - St. John Climacus)
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To: NYer

The often forgotten third vow; obedience.


3 posted on 03/10/2009 6:17:31 AM PDT by incredulous joe
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To: NYer

Seems he’s been stripped of his OFFICE, not his faculties. Around here, faculties refers either to academic staff, or one’s mental abilities.


4 posted on 03/10/2009 6:19:44 AM PDT by knittnmom (FReeper formerly known as 80 Square Miles)
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To: NYer

Really he already has. At least he has admitted that he is talking to them and the wacko outfit led by Milingo.


5 posted on 03/10/2009 6:23:48 AM PDT by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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To: knittnmom
No ... the term is used correctly. From "www.dictionary.com"

fac⋅ul⋅ty

7. a power or privilege conferred by the state, a superior, etc.: The police were given the faculty to search the building.

8. Ecclesiastical. a dispensation, license, or authorization.

6 posted on 03/10/2009 6:24:40 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: ArrogantBustard

Thanks for the clarification. Guess I should have used onelook.com before posting.


7 posted on 03/10/2009 6:26:31 AM PDT by knittnmom (FReeper formerly known as 80 Square Miles)
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To: knittnmom
Dear knittmom,

In Catholic terms, “faculties” refer to the things one may do with the permission of the ordinary of the local diocese. Thus, the bishop grants permission to say Mass publicly, to hear confessions, etc. Without those faculties, a priest still may validly say Mass, and in dire emergency, hear confessions, but those actions would be illicit, that is, against the (Church's) law.

With laicization, the priest not only loses his faculties in all Catholic diocese (in fact, he loses the capacity to receive faculties from diocesan ordinaries), but he is no longer a member of the clerical state. Although he remains an ordained priest forever, he is no longer part of the hierarchy of the Church, and can no longer act in anyway in that capacity.


sitetest

8 posted on 03/10/2009 6:28:30 AM PDT by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: sitetest

Thanks.


9 posted on 03/10/2009 6:36:35 AM PDT by knittnmom (FReeper formerly known as 80 Square Miles)
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To: NYer

Buh-Bye


10 posted on 03/10/2009 6:41:13 AM PDT by mockingbyrd (patriotic dissent is a luxury of those protected by men and women better than they)
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To: NYer

The way I see it, the Priest is no longer a Priest and his followers are no longer Catholic.

They can call themselves anything they like, but if they arent recognised by the Church they arent Catholics.

As for the Property I believe all Churches belong to the Diacese and although they may inhabit that Church it wil eventually be decided in court that they will have to find a new place to worship.

Much will depend on who calls Whom’s bluff.


11 posted on 03/10/2009 6:53:00 AM PDT by Venturer
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To: NYer
Found this recently - may be relevant:

Remember the incident reported in 9th chapter of Luke and also in the 9th chapter of Mark. Loosely translated as follows: John reports to Jesus “we saw a priest doing ministry in your name but we tried to stop him because he did not have faculties.” “Do not stop him“ Jesus said “for whoever is not against us is for us“ - However some institutional officials may quote what is attributed to Cardinal Cody - “What does the Gospel have to do with anything, anyway? “

12 posted on 03/10/2009 6:55:44 AM PDT by VidMihi ("In fide, unitas; in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas.")
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To: sitetest

This is also one of the most serious punishments, short of excommunication, that can be imposed on a priest. Hopefully, this case discourages other priests from doing the same thing.


13 posted on 03/10/2009 6:58:19 AM PDT by steadfastconservative
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To: NYer

How tragic that this never happened to baby-killer Judas-priest Drinan.


14 posted on 03/10/2009 6:58:39 AM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: steadfastconservative
This is also one of the most serious punishments, short of excommunication, that can be imposed on a priest.

IIRC, the lay board was excommunicated by Abp. Burke. Since then, a couple of the members have reconciled with the Church.

15 posted on 03/10/2009 7:10:30 AM PDT by Carolina (Ubi Petrus, Ibi Ecclesiae)
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To: NYer
excerpt:
Bozek has attracted divorced and gay formerly disenfranchised Catholics to St. Stanislaus and repelled some of the longtime Polish families who hired him in 2005.

"Disenfranchised" like himself...
These people need to return to the Church, and adhere to its teachings, dogma, and doctrine.

16 posted on 03/10/2009 7:19:25 AM PDT by vox_freedom ("If God be for us, who is against us?" -- Romans 8:31)
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To: Arthur McGowan

Drinan stepped down from office when commanded to by the Vatican. If he had not, your comparison would be apt.


17 posted on 03/10/2009 8:24:49 AM PDT by dangus
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To: NYer

What exactly did St Stanislas do to get on Archbishop Burke’s bad side? Why was this problem allowed to get this far?


18 posted on 03/10/2009 8:49:23 AM PDT by bobjam
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To: incredulous joe; Venturer
While I in no way support Fr. Bozek, in the interest of accuracy, a few things might be noted -

To incred Joe, who mentioned a “third vow -obedience”, while I do not know for sure, since Bozek is not a “religious”, it is highly unlikely that he ever took any vows, much less a third one of obedience.

To Venturer, who said “the priest is no longer a priest” -
the Council of Trent in effect said “go to hell” - “Si quis dixerit, eum qui semel sacerdos fuit, laicum rursus fieri posse, anathema sit” - Den. 964

19 posted on 03/10/2009 9:34:38 AM PDT by VidMihi ("In fide, unitas; in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas.")
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To: NYer

There should also be a public reprimand of retired Springfield Bishop John Leibrecht. He was the one who started this by ordaining Bozek after he had been thrown out of two seminaries for homosexual activity.


20 posted on 03/10/2009 9:35:28 AM PDT by iowamark (certified by Michael Steele as "ugly and incendiary")
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