When the People do their Job

BELLEVILLE (IL)
BELLEVILLE NEWS-DEMOCRAT

Bishop apologizes for spending restricted funds; $18,000 to be repaid

'Benefactor' will pay it, Braxton says

BY GEORGE PAWLACZYK
News-Democrat
Jan. 23, 2008


After weeks of controversy between himself and the diocesan finance
council, Bishop Edward Braxton issued a public apology Monday for
approving

spending $18,000 on new furniture and ceremonial garments with money from
restricted funds.

Braxton also announced he had obtained funding from an "outside
benefactor" that would repay $10,100 spent on a conference table and
chairs from the

local "Future Full Of Hope" account and about $8,000 for new ordination
vestments taken from money collected for the Society for the Propagation
of the

Faith. The pontifical fund is dedicated to the poor worldwide and cannot
be spent in the country it is raised.

"While this gift resolves the immediate question concerning restricted and
unrestricted funds, it does not resolve the larger question of the
confusion,

mistrust, misunderstanding, loss of confidence, and even anger caused by
these developments. I regret this very much, and I apologize for anything
I may

have done, even unwittingly, to contribute to this situation," Braxton
wrote.

Braxton, who would not accept questions from a News-Democrat reporter,
promised to work closely with the finance committee's membership of clergy
and

laity "... to ensure that such a problem does not occur again."

The bishop's statement was met with guarded optimism from the executive
council of an influential priest organization, whose members issued their
own

statement urging Braxton to work more closely with all diocesan priest
organizations and to reappoint former Belleville councilman Bill Knapp to
another

term as chief financial officer of the diocese.

"We are hopeful that this crisis can be slowly resolved over the coming
months when the bishop continues to restore trust. Otherwise, his recent
statement

and actions will be the efforts of a classic corporate damage control,"
read a statement from the executive council of the priest Presbyteral
Council.

The statement, sent by the council's chairman, the Rev. Jerry Wirth, also
urged that the oath of secrecy taken by members of the 16-member finance

council be scrapped. Wirth said it was Knapp who raised questions about
the purchases within the finance council. Knapp has said the oath of
secrecy

prevented him from commenting.

In December, the finance council wrote to the U.S. representative of Pope
Benedict XVI, Archbishop Pietro Sambi in Washington, D.C., complaining of

Braxton's use of the restricted funds. Finance Council member the Rev.
Dennis Voss, who has confirmed that the complaint was made, has also
stated

that the propriety of the oath of secrecy will be discussed.

David Clohessy, executive director of the St. Louis-based Survivor's
Network of Those Abused by Priests, whose group called Thursday for
Braxton to

explain the purchases, said, "We're grateful for this decision, but we're
even more grateful for the brave Belleville church employees, both laity
and priests,

who exposed Braxton's wrongdoing."

Clohessy said parishioners who may still have doubts that their
contributions will be spent properly should "avoid donating in cash, and
earmark their

checks for specific projects."

Monsignor John Kozar, who heads the New York office of the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith, said after learning of Braxton's statement: "I'm
very

satisfied and happy that monies that were earmarked for the missions
outside the United States will in fact end up going there." He said he
also hoped that

parishioners continue to donate, and that church officials account for the
money.

Kozar said, "The church wins whenever there is openness."