Archbishop Burke has sometimes been accused of conducting his own inquisition in the whole sordid St. Stan’s / Fr. Bozek debacle. Well, now comes word that the actual Inquisition (CDF) has confirmed that Archbishop has acted properly and confirmed his actions. St. Louis Catholic reports:

In vindication of Archbishop Burke, the Vatican found that the Board committed the delict of schism. Further, it held that the Board neglected to file within the legal deadline, and that it was negligent in failing to comply with the requirements of Canon Law.

The Archbishop, in his weekly column gives us more detail.

After careful study of the recourse, which has necessarily taken a long time, especially because of the many and weighty matters which the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith treats, the Congregation, by its letter of May 15 last, has communicated to me its decision regarding the recourse. The complete text of the letter is printed with this column, for your information.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has taken two actions in the matter. First, it has rejected the recourse presented by the Board of Directors of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Corporation, including Reverend Bozek. In other words, it has found the recourse to be without foundation.

Secondly, the Congregation has confirmed my decrees of December 15, 2005, by which I declared that the members of the Board of Directors had incurred the canonical penalty of excommunication because of persistence in schism.

You should read the entire column as it makes clear what many have known all along, that Archbishop Burke is a very good man making some very hard decisions. This is evidenced by the conclusion of his column. After making clear that he earnestly desires reconciliation with the St. Stanislaus Kostka Corporation he concludes by saying,

While it is necessary that I inform you of the decisions of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the situations which have necessitated these decisions are profoundly sad for me as, I am sure, they are for you. Our archdiocese has suffered great spiritual harm, over the past four years, because of the situation of the Saint Stanislaus Kostka Corporation. As we thank God for the help which the Holy Father, through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has given us in bringing about reconciliation and repentance, let us pray that the decisions of the Congregation will be received by the Board of Directors and Reverend Bozek with faith and obedience.

Let us pray for this reconciliation. Let us also pray a prayer of thanksgiving for Archbishop Burke. The Church is truly blessed with Bishops who are willing to stand up for what is right.