By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – The board of directors at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church are remaining defiant in the face of punishment by Archbishop Raymond Burke.
Burke sent interdicts to the six men late Thursday.
The penalty is similar to excommunication, but not as severe. The board members are barred from receiving communion or any other church sacraments.
But board spokesman Richard Bach says the Archbishop is misusing the sacraments.
"Instead of treating what is sacred as sacred, Archbishop Burke uses the sacraments as a bargaining chip," Bach said. "He refuses the sacraments he holds in one hand unless the directors cede to his demands and put St. Stanislaus' money and property in Archbishop Burke's other hand."
The notices were delivered to the board members by courier last night.
Archbishop Burke has said the interdicts are not meant to be a punishment, but rather a medicinal penalty meant to show the men the error of their ways.
The conflict between Burke and St. Stanislaus has escalated over the last year. In August the Archbishop removed the priest, effectively halting Masses at the church.
St. Stanislaus has governed itself since 1891, but Burke says that arrangement violates Roman Catholic canon law.