The Case of Bishop Braxton
March 27, 2008 by Amy
I hope that somewhere out there, some historian or sociologist (or both) is keeping an eye on the travails of the diocese of Belleville, IL. Which, in some form or another, have been going on for a good long while. It would be a fascinating and revealing case study of the dynamics and tensions within the late 20th century American Catholic Church. There - there’s your dissertation topic. No charge.
The most recent, and quite public (in some ways) explosion has been between a large number of the priests of the diocese and Bishop Braxton, who was appointed to Belleville in 2005, after about 4 years in Lake Charles, which had, in turn followed several years as an auxiliary bishop in St. Louis. In Belleville, Braxton followed Wilton Gregory, who became the Archbishop of Atlanta. You can read Bishop Braxton’s full biography at the diocesan website, here. It’s interesting.
There have been all sorts of accusations - some vaguer (lack of communication, imperiousness) and some quite specific - the latest being the bishop’s use of monies designated for the Society for the Propogation of the Faith and another fund for vestments and a conference table.
The week before Holy Week, a group of Belleville priests went public - sort of. That is, they published a letter asking Bishop Braxton to resign. Bishop Braxton responded last week with a letter of his own, describing his sadness at his mother’s death, and then specifically responding to the priests.
It’s a mess.
I’m sort of intrigued by the whole thing because I truly don’t understand what’s going on. On one level, it’s being made out to be a conflict between liberal priests who’ve been able to do what they want for decades, chafing under a bishop of a different sort than they are. There’s that. But is there more? For on another level, there are charges of a serious lack of communication. Hard to prove from the outside. I really have no idea, but really all I can say is that I was definitely shocked by a bunch of priests blowing this up so close to Holy Week, but I also have no idea what Bishop Braxton has actually done to try, on his part, to close the evident gap between him and his priests over the past three years. Perhaps he’s done a lot. Who knows. Leadership is hard. Leadership is a gift.
The place where there is the hottest discussion of this right now is the blog Southern Illinois Catholic blog. The blog is definitely pro-Braxton and anti-the letter-writing priests, just so you know, but all the links to news and various statements are there and the comments come from all sides.
You just really wonder what that Chrism Mass was like this year…
9 Responses to “The Case of Bishop Braxton”
If you look at how bishops are chosen, the present method is certainly not the only method ever used in the West and it certainly is not divinely ordained. I don’t believe the local presbyterate should have a veto, but they should be seriously consulted. It just makes sense.
The Canon Law for the Eastern Catholic Churches has a very different method that deserves some consideration in the West.
There are countries in the West that have a different method by virtue of treaties they have with the Vatican.
At any rate, I believe it is always a bad idea to bring a complete stranger in as the new bishop. He should at least be from the same region or province.
Bp. Braxton had some local or at least regional ties, so obviously that in itself didn’t preclude the present problems.
Seminarians and priests should reflect carefully on St. Thomas Aquinas’ insight that one can only aspire to the episcopacy if one is willing to accept profound suffering. The “honor” of high office in the Church is less and less likely to bring one either glory or honors.
However, lest one be too quick to take sides in this debaucle, it really does seem true that we receive the shepherds that we deserve. Read biblically and theologically, this situation offers a profound opportunity for conversion and repentence– I think that the the people of the Diocese of Belleville would be greatly edified if the Bishop and his priests accepted this grace.
In response to Fr. Steve’s comment above, I’d note that in our time it seems that profound suffering seems to be a hallmark of priesthood, and is not limited to the episcopacy. I once suggested, only half in jest, that when the bishop presents to the ordinand the symbol of priesthood - the chalice - at the ordination rite, that he should add another symbol and put a bull’s eye on the man’s back.
Having been ordained a priest for an archdiocese in Belleville’s province and having served as a bishop for an archdiocese right across the river from Belleville, I don’t think that Bishop Braxton could be termed a stranger.
If you look at his biogrpahy that Amy linked to, he would be a hard person to place in any of the usual liberal or conservative categories, which, in any case, are inappropriate and inadequate.
I’m with Amy. There’s a lot going on here that isn’t getting to the surface.
“You just really wonder what that Chrism Mass was like this year…”
Actually, I attended the Belleville Chrism Mass this year, and I found it to be a very faith filled experience, with no incidents. From what I can see, there actually have been more people who have attended each year since Braxton was named Ordinary.
There even seemed to be more priests than last year! And yes, even many who signed the letter were present (although many left right after communion). I was glad to see that, despite their grievances, these priests were able to look past their personal differences with the Bishop and see that the Chrism Mass transcends all this conflict. They deserve credit for seeing that it’s a beautiful liturgical celebration with great significance for the people in our diocese - not only for the priests that renewed their vows, but for catechumens, those anointed with the oil of the sick, the parish representatives, etc.
Regarding what Fr. John said, I remember reading on a blog somewhere (forgive me for forgetting which one) about a man seeing the TLM and remarking “I see a man with a cross on his back offering sacrifice.” I think that’s about as good a description of the priesthood as Dom Marmion or LaCordaire could give.
While an auxiliary bishop in St Louis (just across the Mississippi from Belleville), Braxton became known to the priests of the Belleville Diocese and he was familiar with Belleville. He was considered an elitist by many while in St Louis and it is said that he subsequently felt lost in Lake Charles, LA.
Some folks think that Cardinal Law helped Bishop Braxton get moved to Belleville from Lake Charles when Braxton was in Rome on an ad limine visit and learned that Gregory was going to Atlanta. In Belleville, there is access to the cultural and academic scene in St. Louis. Braxton’s appointment to Belleville was announced while John Paul was in his last weeks and possibly not up to reviewing the papers put in front of him. Anyway, that’s one of the stories going around. Even if true, it does not invalidate his appointment. As many of your readers know, at a bishop’s installation the official document is passed around and examined. I was there and none of the preists present objected to it.
Interesting fact: Bishop Braxton and Archbishop Gregory were at Mundelein at the same time. Gregory went on to study in Rome and Braxton went to Louvain. From what I understand, the intellectuals are more likely to be sent to Louvain and the ones who go to Rome make more useful connections. In Rome, Gregory studied Liturgy and Braxton in Louvain (the home of Erasmus) studied systematic theology. [IIRC Cardinal George is also a Louvain alum. Proving how small a world it is - George is also a graduate of the minor seminary in Belleville which is now closed]
I have heard much grumbling from the parishioners of Cathedral parish about his arriving late to Mass, fixation on his mother’s health and his extraordinary love for her (which parishioners felt as a claim that nobody else loved their mother as much as he did his), and their inability to ever get through to him on the phone or otherwise. On the other hand, I have been present at a number of Masses where he was the celebrant and I must say his homilies are extraordinary.
Seems to me that he has more the personality of a scholar and maybe should never have been made a pastor or bishop. Benedict has made the transition, but not everybody can do that well.
The Annual Bishop’s Appeal has been re-named to eliminate mention of the bishop, but still it is way, way down in donations. There is a bad feeling in the air here that this is not going to end well. The Bishop has a long way to go before he attains the age of 75.
*croggle*
What, I’m supposed to be able to get my bishop on the phone whenever I want? I don’t even expect to be able to phone my pastor that way! And I’m on a parish committee!
Boy, those folks in Belleville should have been assigned the guy who was pastor at my old home church when I was a kid. He didn’t like you talking to him or petting his dog, even. But nobody ever said he didn’t do his job as a priest or a pastor; you just had to go to him through channels. It was a big parish, and he had a lot to do, so his thinking time was precious.
Now, I’d say a diocese is just a titch bigger than a suburban parish. So how exactly are these people expecting to call this guy up on the phone? Were they spoiled by having exceptionally accessible bishops before this, or what?
Hard to believe that Bishop Braxton, whatever his faults, really carries much blame in this considering the following event he relates in his letter to the diocese:
‘Just days before my Installation, the Administrator of the Diocese informed me that a group of priests wanted to meet with me in the rectory of what would soon be my Cathedral Church. I went to the meeting with no knowledge of what the meeting was about. The meeting was with a group of priests who I did not know at all, having never met them or spoken to them before. They certainly did not know me. To my surprise, the purpose of the meeting was to inform me that I should reject the appointment by the Holy Father to be your Bishop that I should cancel the Installation ceremony and step aside so that a more suitable Bishop could be chosen. For a period of more than two hours, 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, that very few people would attend my Installation, and that they had investigated my history and could not find even one person from anyplace where I have served around the country who had anything positive to say about me.’
What can justify these kinds of statements and this audacious request?