A Brisbane church congregation has vowed to fight a move by Archbishop John Bathersby to sack their controversial priest, saying they will rally against the Catholic authority's action. The rift has widened over the archbishop's decision to oust Father Peter Kennedy, the parish priest of St Mary's in South Brisbane, who has come under fire for unorthodox practices such as allowing women to preach and blessing homosexual couples.
"The community at St Mary's Catholic Church in South Brisbane is deeply disappointed with the way they have been treated by the Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane John Bathersby," a statement from the church community said.
"The community also reiterates its support for Fr Peter Kennedy as priest, visionary, leader and man of faith, integrity and compassion."
Fr Kennedy said he was given until noon (AEST) on Wednesday to resign or be removed. However, as of Wednesday night there was no sign of a threatened decree from Archbishop Bathersby announcing his sacking.
Spokeswoman Karyn Walsh said the St Mary's community was shocked and disappointed at the process launched by church authorities, which she said would result in a decree to terminate Fr Kennedy as administrator of St Mary's.
"We are shocked and extremely disappointed the archbishop has chosen to address matters in the manner he has," Ms Walsh said.
St Mary's community member John Fitz-Walter said despite many invitations, Archbishop Bathersby refused to engage with the congregation.
"The spiritual life of over 1,000 people warrants greater attention to fairness and integrity then the harsh course of action the archbishop has taken.
"The community, as well as Peter Kennedy, has been told by the archbishop they are out of communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
"The St Mary's community in South Brisbane continues to declare it is a strong, vibrant, united and healthy Roman Catholic Community," Mr Fitz-Walter said.
Fr Kennedy said on Wednesday he expected to be declared a heretic by Sunday, but he was determined to conduct church services this weekend.
He labelled a priest appointed to St Mary's a "scab".
The St Mary's community is organising rallies to support Fr Kennedy this weekend and local Aborigines have vowed to establish a tent embassy on St Mary's land.
Fr Kennedy has attracted controversy not only because of his views on women and gays. Catholic authorities have also raised questions about the validity of baptisms at St Mary's.
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Sotto Voce
(Source: BTC)
Which is the lesser of two evils within the Church?
ReplyDeleteA Priest who allows women to participate in the Mass and blesses gay Parishioners OR abusing Priests allowed to stay indefinitely in Parishes and continue to act as Priests while the Bishops KNEW what was going on and treated those abusing Priests as equals within the ranks of the Church until they were found out?
To me it seems a no brainer!
What about a Bray Priest who has given Communion at Mass to non-Catholic Ministers? I understood this was against Church rules unless I am very mistaken.
Would some Priest out there enlighten me if this is right or wrong on Bray Priests part.
Also read rules of Church on the internet a year or so ago saying it goes against the rules for the Priest to break the host at the moment he says "he broke the bread and gave it to his Disciples".
Said Bray Priest does this every Mass with a large snap of the host breaking beside the microphone to make sure you hear it yet very surprisingly the twice he said the RTE Mass and when the Bishop or Archbishop comes to say a Mass at the Church he does NOT do this which leads me to believe it is definitely not the done thing.
Again would some Priest there please let us know what is correct.
When you do not do these things in the presence of those of higher rank it goes to show that he KNOWS he is breaking the rules!!
It looks like it is the Church in general still treating women in the Church as second class citizens that has them up in arms about Fr. Kennedy allowing the females in the congregation to take a more active part in the celebration.
It also looks like the discrimination of homosexuals by those within the Church's ranks that has Fr. Kennedy in trouble because he welcomes them into his Church and blesses them.
We should be saying that God created all of us some the same, some different. If there was anything wrong with homosexual individuals I doubt he would in his wisdom have created them so looking at things that way why are they not as welcome as anyone else in the Church?
Of course the Church in Ireland even in this day and age are still creating their own LEPERS from amongst their congregations if they happen to disagree with you so in a way what's new.
Those who are members of the unique club of the Church can frown on, discriminate against and basically do what they like to the laity.
How can they look in the mirror each day and live with themselves? My guess is they only see what they want to see - their invisible halos shining brightly and it so blinds them they cannot see anything else.
They are a bunch of sad individuals who have lost the run of themselves.
My best wishes to Father Kennedy and his flock whom he obviously has a genuine regard and caring for and has served them to what he considers the best of his ability even if in doing so he has ruffled a few feathers of his superiors.