Belleville priests issue statement calling for bishop to resign
Catholic News Service
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (CNS) -- More than half of the active priests of the Diocese of Belleville have signed a public statement calling for Bishop Edward K. Braxton to resign, citing frustration with his leadership and their conclusion that "he has lost his moral authority.
"In response the bishop issued a letter to Catholics in the diocese dated March 20, Holy Thursday, in which he stated he intends "to serve as bishop of the Diocese of Belleville for as long as the Holy Father wants me to do so.
"In their March 14 statement, the priests said that "because of the bishop's lack of cooperation, consultation, accountability and transparency, it is the judgment of a great number of the presbyterate that he has lost his moral authority to lead and govern our diocese."
"Therefore, it is requested that Bishop Braxton resign from his office as bishop of the Diocese of Belleville for his own good, for the good of the diocese and for the good of the presbyterate," it said.
Forty-six priests signed the statement, which was sent to local news media, who posted it on the Internet. The Official Catholic Directory lists the Belleville Diocese as having 77 active diocesan priests, with three serving outside the diocese and 48 listed as retired, sick or absent. Seven of the signers are retired, local newspapers reported.
In the 1,700-word letter, which he asked priests to read at Easter Masses, Bishop Braxton recalled that a group of priests met him right before his installation in June 2005 to tell him to "step aside so that a more suitable bishop could be chosen. ... These priests told me that there was a 'firestorm of hatred' against me in Belleville, that I was not welcome here, that I would never be welcome here."
He said he told them -- and was repeating it in the letter -- that he intends to remain Belleville's bishop and that as a priest and bishop he has always sought to be "completely obedient to the Holy Father and completely faithful to the magisterium."
The March 14 priests' statement was the latest public airing of an often-contentious relationship between Bishop Braxton and some of the priests and laity of his diocese.
Three weeks earlier, the regional superior and five regional council members of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ religious order wrote to Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican's apostolic nuncio to the United States, asking him to intervene in the diocese "to create a moment of change that will touch everyone in the diocese and will eventually bring healing, reconciliation and a renewed faith in this body of Christ."
"Bishop Braxton's credibility has been called into question, and his words of explanation or apology are not being heard or received by many as signs of change," the women religious said in their Feb. 23 letter.
"The fatigue, confusion and depression that are visible among many church members are symptoms of a deeper strain for this local church," they said. "And we ask, 'What more can be done to intervene in this scenario?'
"The St. Louis-based order of women religious has 30 sisters working in the Diocese of Belleville and another 60 retired members who live there. The sisters' letter cited "unraveling of both trust and hope" as well as anger and discouragement among many of the priests and laity of the diocese.
A "climate of secrecy that surrounds committee meetings and actions within the diocese must end," they said, adding "outside skilled facilitation or intervention appears absolutely necessary if there is to be a movement toward healing.
"Sister Jan Renz, the order's regional superior, is also a member of the diocesan finance council.
In 2005, when Bishop Braxton was first named to Belleville to replace then-Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, who was appointed archbishop of Atlanta, some priests and lay leaders protested that they had not been consulted in the selection process and that the former bishop of Lake Charles, La., was a poor fit for Belleville.
In January of this year, Bishop Braxton issued a public apology for having bought furniture for the pastoral center and vestments for the cathedral with funds designated for other purposes. The diocesan finance council had questioned the purchases, which were made with money from a diocesan fundraising campaign and a bequest designated for the Propagation of the Faith.
In his statement the bishop apologized for anything he did to contribute to "the confusion, mistrust, misunderstanding, loss of confidence and even anger caused by these developments." He explained that he believed using the funds he tapped for those purchases fell within his discretion as bishop.
He said the funds, totaling about $18,000, would be replaced by an anonymous donor.
The March 14 statement suggested the bishop's January efforts did little to ease tensions in the diocese.
"Recent revelations of Bishop Braxton's misappropriation of funds have only intensified the lack of trust the priests, religious and laity of our diocese have in our bishop," it said. "We believe that his spending patterns, his pursuit of outside donors to cover these expenditures and his lack of transparency in finances and other areas has resulted in a total lack of trust.
"The priests urged the reappointment of the chief financial officer of the diocese, whose contract Bishop Braxton declined to renew, and encouraged the people of the diocese to continue to financially support the annual Catholic Services and Ministry Appeal.
"We pledge to ensure all these funds are closely monitored and used only for their intended purposes," they said.
The priests also said they were recommitting themselves "to being more collaborative, consultative and transparent in our own pastoral ministries. We will continue to work and pray for healing and reconciliation in our diocese.
"In his March 20 letter to Catholics, in which he thanked those who have shown their appreciation for him and his ministry "in so many ways," Bishop Braxton said: "We need an increase in wisdom and understanding which will help us to make the necessary efforts to find more effective ways of communicating, cooperating and collaborating for the good of the church.
"I hope that after Easter we can initiate conversations with our priests about things we can do differently and better for the sake of the Gospel of Christ," he said.
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (CNS) -- More than half of the active priests of the Diocese of Belleville have signed a public statement calling for Bishop Edward K. Braxton to resign, citing frustration with his leadership and their conclusion that "he has lost his moral authority.
"In response the bishop issued a letter to Catholics in the diocese dated March 20, Holy Thursday, in which he stated he intends "to serve as bishop of the Diocese of Belleville for as long as the Holy Father wants me to do so.
"In their March 14 statement, the priests said that "because of the bishop's lack of cooperation, consultation, accountability and transparency, it is the judgment of a great number of the presbyterate that he has lost his moral authority to lead and govern our diocese."
"Therefore, it is requested that Bishop Braxton resign from his office as bishop of the Diocese of Belleville for his own good, for the good of the diocese and for the good of the presbyterate," it said.
Forty-six priests signed the statement, which was sent to local news media, who posted it on the Internet. The Official Catholic Directory lists the Belleville Diocese as having 77 active diocesan priests, with three serving outside the diocese and 48 listed as retired, sick or absent. Seven of the signers are retired, local newspapers reported.
In the 1,700-word letter, which he asked priests to read at Easter Masses, Bishop Braxton recalled that a group of priests met him right before his installation in June 2005 to tell him to "step aside so that a more suitable bishop could be chosen. ... These priests told me that there was a 'firestorm of hatred' against me in Belleville, that I was not welcome here, that I would never be welcome here."
He said he told them -- and was repeating it in the letter -- that he intends to remain Belleville's bishop and that as a priest and bishop he has always sought to be "completely obedient to the Holy Father and completely faithful to the magisterium."
The March 14 priests' statement was the latest public airing of an often-contentious relationship between Bishop Braxton and some of the priests and laity of his diocese.
Three weeks earlier, the regional superior and five regional council members of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ religious order wrote to Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican's apostolic nuncio to the United States, asking him to intervene in the diocese "to create a moment of change that will touch everyone in the diocese and will eventually bring healing, reconciliation and a renewed faith in this body of Christ."
"Bishop Braxton's credibility has been called into question, and his words of explanation or apology are not being heard or received by many as signs of change," the women religious said in their Feb. 23 letter.
"The fatigue, confusion and depression that are visible among many church members are symptoms of a deeper strain for this local church," they said. "And we ask, 'What more can be done to intervene in this scenario?'
"The St. Louis-based order of women religious has 30 sisters working in the Diocese of Belleville and another 60 retired members who live there. The sisters' letter cited "unraveling of both trust and hope" as well as anger and discouragement among many of the priests and laity of the diocese.
A "climate of secrecy that surrounds committee meetings and actions within the diocese must end," they said, adding "outside skilled facilitation or intervention appears absolutely necessary if there is to be a movement toward healing.
"Sister Jan Renz, the order's regional superior, is also a member of the diocesan finance council.
In 2005, when Bishop Braxton was first named to Belleville to replace then-Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, who was appointed archbishop of Atlanta, some priests and lay leaders protested that they had not been consulted in the selection process and that the former bishop of Lake Charles, La., was a poor fit for Belleville.
In January of this year, Bishop Braxton issued a public apology for having bought furniture for the pastoral center and vestments for the cathedral with funds designated for other purposes. The diocesan finance council had questioned the purchases, which were made with money from a diocesan fundraising campaign and a bequest designated for the Propagation of the Faith.
In his statement the bishop apologized for anything he did to contribute to "the confusion, mistrust, misunderstanding, loss of confidence and even anger caused by these developments." He explained that he believed using the funds he tapped for those purchases fell within his discretion as bishop.
He said the funds, totaling about $18,000, would be replaced by an anonymous donor.
The March 14 statement suggested the bishop's January efforts did little to ease tensions in the diocese.
"Recent revelations of Bishop Braxton's misappropriation of funds have only intensified the lack of trust the priests, religious and laity of our diocese have in our bishop," it said. "We believe that his spending patterns, his pursuit of outside donors to cover these expenditures and his lack of transparency in finances and other areas has resulted in a total lack of trust.
"The priests urged the reappointment of the chief financial officer of the diocese, whose contract Bishop Braxton declined to renew, and encouraged the people of the diocese to continue to financially support the annual Catholic Services and Ministry Appeal.
"We pledge to ensure all these funds are closely monitored and used only for their intended purposes," they said.
The priests also said they were recommitting themselves "to being more collaborative, consultative and transparent in our own pastoral ministries. We will continue to work and pray for healing and reconciliation in our diocese.
"In his March 20 letter to Catholics, in which he thanked those who have shown their appreciation for him and his ministry "in so many ways," Bishop Braxton said: "We need an increase in wisdom and understanding which will help us to make the necessary efforts to find more effective ways of communicating, cooperating and collaborating for the good of the church.
"I hope that after Easter we can initiate conversations with our priests about things we can do differently and better for the sake of the Gospel of Christ," he said.
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