Confrontation?

Nearly half the priests in the Diocese of Belleville voted Wednesday to demand
changes in the way Bishop Edward K. Braxton is running the diocese.

The 32 priests met at St. Boniface Church in Germantown. They aired an intense,
collective concern that Braxton was not listening to them, and thus not serving
Southern Illinois’ Roman Catholics, according to priests who were there.

"There is a dissatisfaction with the leadership in our diocese and we decided
to see what we can do about it," said the Rev. Mark D. Stec, pastor of four
churches in Galatin County, in the southeastern part of the state.

Stec said all 72 priests in the diocese were invited to the meeting. The
diocese counts 104,000 Catholics out of a total population of 846,000 in 124
parishes.

"There is growing frustration that we are not being listened to and instead of
being isolated in our concerns, this meeting was an opportunity to share what
we are feeling," Stec said.

Stec and three other priests – the Rev. James M. Nall, the Rev. Jerry E. Wirth
and Monsignor Carl E. Scherrer – signed a letter to all Belleville’s diocesan
priests in November inviting them to Wednesday’s meeting to discuss "how best
to assert our rights as the Presbyterate of the Diocese of Belleville."

In the letter, the priests listed several complaints about Braxton, including
"repeated unsuccessful attempts to meet with the bishop, talk with the bishop
(or ask) questions of the bishop …," and "being told how to dress, who to

associate with, what to say, how to act … akin to a parent and their child."

Recently, Braxton announced that he had authorized the use of an emergency rite
that allows for a prayer service, led by a deacon or lay person, at which
worshippers may receive Holy Communion.

Stec said Belleville’s priests learned of the new rite a week before they were
to tell parishioners about it.

"There was no input from priests prior to implementation. As the bishop, he has
every right to put it out there, but wouldn’t he want some input from the
people out in the trenches?"