Burke Begins Process to Remove St. Stanislaus Priest from Clergy, by Matt Sepic, KWMU, March 5, 2008

Burke Begins Process to Remove St. Stanislaus Priest from Clergy

By Matt Sepic
KWMU
March 5, 2008

http://publicbroadcasting.net/kwmu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1238916§ionID=1

Archbishop Raymond Burke has begun the process of removing Father Marek Bozek from the priesthood. Bozek is the pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka in north St. Louis, which has been in a protracted dispute with Burke over parish governance.

Bozek
Photo by Bill Greenblatt

Both the board and Bozek were declared to be excommunicated more than two years ago, shortly after the board hired him.

Now, Burke says Bozek is being laicized, or removed from the priesthood, because he continues to violate church teaching.

"Because of the gravity of his violations, he has to be punished, and the scandal that he's caused has to be repaired," Burke said.

Bozek was supposed to meet with the Archbishop Wednesday, but the priest said he decided not to show up. "Upon the advice of my canon lawyer, I decided to discontinue participating in this parody of a legal process," Bozek said.

Bozek said he will stay at St. Stanislaus, but he said he wants to become part of a religious order, where he would not have to answer to a diocesan bishop.

Some St. Stanislaus parishioners want to fire Bozek, but the priest says the vast majority support him.

This case is unique. Most recent laicizations have been because of child sex abuse.