Archbishop Burke warns of sanctions as Polish parish weighs future

Published: 2005-01-07

ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis has asked members of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish to tell the parish's board of directors of their desire that the parish be fully Catholic -- following the model of all the parishes of the St. Louis Archdiocese. The archbishop, however, said he may have to withhold the sacraments from the board of directors of the parish -- through a church procedure known as an interdict -- unless the parish agrees to the governance structure of all other parishes by Feb. 4. The board of the historic Polish parish in North St. Louis has opposed Archbishop Burke's request to bring the corporate structure of the parish into compliance with church law. Under the current structure, the pastor is subject to the authority of the board. St. Stanislaus parishioners were to vote Jan. 9 on the direction of the parish.

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