A recent Post-Dispatch Letter to the Editor

Canon law evasions

After attending a recent meeting between parishioners of St. Stanislaus church and Archbishop Raymond Burke, I believe that I have witnessed religion gone wrong. Accused by parishioners of not being truthful and questioned about specific assurances and guarantees, Archbishop Burke replied evasively that he would help St. Stanislaus Church in any way possible.

In response to parishioners' apprehensions and questions, the archbishop invoked Canon law when stumped for an answer. But one question remained that even Canon law couldn't satisfy: How is it possible that a legally binding contract between St. Stanislaus parishioners and the St. Louis Archdiocese is now being cited as irrelevant?

Polish parishioners in St. Louis are raising the Solidarity banner for freedom from coercion and intimidation, just as their countrymen did in Gdansk, Poland, 25 years ago.

Archbishop Burke, take a moment and meditate, because you need to do some soul-searching.

Anthony Kaminski
Program Director,
Polish Radio Hour
St. Louis
Editor's note: The Polish Radio Hour airs at 4 p.m. Sundays on WEW, 770 AM.

Mr. Kaminski asks, "How is it possible that a legally binding contract between St. Stanislaus parishioners and the St. Louis Archdiocese is now being cited as irrelevant?"

That's an easy question to answer if one really wants to know! Simply because the Code of Canon Law was changed and updated in 1983. What is being addressed is the administration of the parish which should be in conformity of the laws of the Church. We can look to secular examples of similar situations in which the law has changed which requires our submission to the new law if we are to avoid penalties for failure to abide by those new laws.

One must be especially cognizant not to confuse articles of faith with those acts or rules of discipline or administration.

One must wonder why Cardinal Rigali was not castigated when he began the process of bringing St. Stanislaus into conformity with Canon Law. Now that Archbishop Burke has been given the task of completing this unfinished duty, he is labeled as being disingenuous. It causes one to wonder what is really behind the animosity behind the attacks on Archbishop Burke?

Link here.