Edward Braxton
| The Most Reverend Edward K. Braxton | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Belleville | |
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| Enthroned | June 22, 2005 |
| Other posts | Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis (1995–2000) Bishop of Lake Charles (2001–2005) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 13, 1970 by John P. Cody |
| Consecration | May 17, 1995 by Justin F. Rigali, J. Terry Steib, and Paul A. Zipfel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 28, 1944 Chicago, Illinois |
| Alma mater | St. Mary of the Lake Seminary (M.A., S.T.L.) Catholic University of Louvain (Ph.D., S.T.D.) |
| Styles of Edward Braxton |
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|---|---|
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| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Monsignor |
| Posthumous style | none |
Edward Kenneth Braxton (born June 28, 1944) was a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago when he was appointed bishop by Pope John Paul II on March 28, 1995. He was consecrated auxiliary bishop of Saint Louis by Justin Francis Rigali on May 17, 1995, in the city's Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Braxton was installed as Bishop of Lake Charles on February 21, 2001. On June 22, 2005 he was installed as Bishop of Belleville in the Cathedral of Saint Peter. He succeeded a fellow African American prelate, Wilton D. Gregory.
Braxton is a member of USCCB's Committees on Education, Science and Human Values, and also of the committee on Scripture Translation. He serves as the convenor of the African American Catholic Bishops.
He is regarded as being a pastoral theologian, who earned his MA and S.T.L. from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies and S.T.D. in Systematic Theology from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium.
Braxton, a native of Chicago, has long been involved in interracial and intercultural dialogue. He has lectured in major cities and townships of South Africa during their annual "winter school." His participation in Jewish-Christian dialogue has taken him to Israel several times. Bishop Braxton's personal interest in the impact of the arts (especially film, television, music, architecture, sculpture, and painting) on religion in contemporary culture is a key factor in his current research.
In August 1997, Bishop Braxton addressed the National Black Catholic Congress on the topic "Take Into account Various Situations and Cultures: Evangelization and African-Americans."
The Bishop's writings have appeared in the Harvard Theological Review, Theological Studies, Louvain Studies, Irish Theological Quarterly, The New Catholic Encyclopedia, Origins, Commonweal, America, The National Catholic Reporter, and other journals.
According to the Belleville News-Democrat, the Diocese of Belleville finance council filed a complaint with the Vatican because Braxton misused funds.[1] These sentiments were first expressed in a letter written by Sister Jan. E. Renz, the U.S. regional superior of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ.
In February 2012, the Reverend William Rowe, pastor of Saint Mary Church in Mount Carmel, IL, resigned after ongoing concern from Bishop Braxton about "how Father Rowe celebrated the Mass." The resignation specifically followed the "implementation of the new [English translation of the] Roman Missal in late November" 2011, after which Braxton placed greater emphasis on following the translation exactly during mass. However, Braxton's concerns were not new, and "several meetings ... over the last five years [had] failed to resolve the bishop's concerns."[2]
On one hand, "Bishop Braxton said one of Father Rowe's parishioners had expressed dismay about the manner in which he celebrated Mass."[3] On the other hand, Rev. Rowe explained that he was changing the wording because his "notion is that the church starts with the people"[4] and his resignation seems to have caused some concern among his parish about the Bishop's handling of the situation.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wilton Daniel Gregory |
Bishop of Belleville 2005 – present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| Preceded by Jude Speyrer |
Bishop of Lake Charles 2000–2005 |
Succeeded by Glen John Provost |
| Preceded by Paul Albert Zipfel |
Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis May 17, 1995 – February 21, 2001 |
Succeeded by Michael John Sheridan |
External links
- National Black Catholic Congress bio of Edward Braxton
- Diocesean bio
- National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus bio of Edward Braxton
References
- ^ Top nun wants papal intervention in Belleville Diocese; says it's lost trust by George Pawlaczyk from the Belleville News-Democrat
- ^ "Illinois Bishop says he didn't 'fire' priest but had to correct bad Mass wording".
- ^ "Illinois Bishop says he didn't 'fire' priest but had to correct bad Mass wording".
- ^ "Rev. William Rowe Fired: Roman Catholic Priest Fired Over Mass Prayers".
