Fr. Carl Kabat faces prison, ouster from order

National Catholic Reporter, Sept 29, 2000 by Patrick O'Neill

Peace activist, `illegitimately absent,' in trouble again

Oblate Fr. Carl Kabat has spent more than 14 years in jails and prisons for acts of nonviolent civil protest against nuclear weapons. In addition to possibly facing another long prison sentence for his most recent protest, Kabat is also facing dismissal from the religious community he's been a member of for nearly half a century.

Kabat, 66, was arrested Aug. 6 at a nuclear missile silo in Weld County, Colo., where he had climbed a security fence and stood atop the silo wearing a clown suit. He and another man, former Denver diocesan priest Bill Sulzman, who stood outside the fence with a placard, were arrested. Kabat was charged with entering a fenced military site without permission, a federal misdemeanor that carries up to a year in prison. Kabat has a November trial date in Denver.

"We are fools and clowns for God and humanity's sake," Kabat wrote in a statement. "We bring bread and wine and a hammer as symbols of life in this damnable place of death."

The date of the action was the 55th anniversary of the United States' atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In addition to any sentence he receives in his current case, Kabat also faces charges of federal probation violation that could result in an additional five-year sentence.

Kabat's problems with the Oblates stem from his failure to follow the order's "Guidelines on Civil Disobedience," which were put in place last year. The guidelines, which were adapted from the Detroit Jesuit Province, require Oblates who participate in acts of civil disobedience to receive prior approval from their superiors.

The guidelines' opening paragraph states: "While the United States Province of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate wants to give wide latitude to members in exercising personal freedom of conscience, it insists upon union with the superior through the vow of obedience. These guidelines call for an open dialogue in resolving matters of conscience."

He left a note

In July, Kabat, who was then residing at St. Henry's Oblate Community in Belleville. Ill., left a note informing his local superior of his plans to participate in an "action" that would probably result in his being sent back to prison. Kabat said he didn't share details of his plans to protect his Oblate brothers from the risk of a conspiracy charge. In a letter to Kabat, dated Aug. 2, the Oblate Provincial, Fr. David Kalert wrote: "This letter is to officially notify you that you do not have permission to participate in any action of civil disobedience and that you do not have permission to reside outside your designated Oblate community.

"Because you are illegitimately absent from the community, and in light of the province policy on civil disobedience that was carefully explained to you ... I must remind you that this new action on your part constitutes cause for dismissal from the congregation. Therefore, unless you return to St. Henry's immediately, I will have to begin the formal process of dismissal."

Kabat did not receive Kalert's letter until late August, after the two had spoken by telephone. In a second letter dated Aug. 22, Kalert wrote in part: "As I mentioned on the phone, I am pursuing your dismissal from the congregation. It is very important that you have a chance to respond. Obviously, without your address, things will proceed."

After years of being essentially cut off from his community, Kabat says his brother Oblates don't understand him. Kabat said his current problems have more to do with the dynamic between him and Kalert than they do with the greater community of Oblates.

In December 1998, following his release after more than four years in prison in North Dakota, Kabat, a balding man with an easy laugh, received a letter from Kalert assigning him to reside at St. Henry's, a community of about 20 mostly elderly Oblate brothers and priests. Kabat said he received no specific duties but did volunteer work in his community and at a Catholic Worker House in nearby St. Louis.

Another note

"It is very important at this time that you live in an Oblate community, and prolonged absences, even overnight, would not be acceptable without my approval or the approval of the vicar provincial," Kalert wrote to Kabat in a Dec. 16, 1998, letter.

After abiding by Kalert's orders for "a month or two," Kabat said he rebelled. Before leaving for a week-long trip to Wisconsin to do part of his court-ordered community service at another Catholic Worker House, Kabat left a note saying that requiring him to get the provincial's permission to leave the house overnight was "evil," and that he should not be treated as if he were 13 years old. Kabat said he made copies of the note, put them in the appropriate mailboxes and left, having done "a nonviolent public resistance" against an evil restriction. Kabat said Kalert later rescinded the restriction.

While he calls the effort to dismiss him "sad," Kabat says he's not really interested in putting up a fight to stop the process.