Greg Reynolds, the dissident priest who resigned
last year over his support for women priests, has been offered $5000 by
the Catholic Church for his 32 years of service, reports The Age.Supporters of his Inclusive Catholics group said the unwritten guideline is $1500 a year of service, which should have brought him $48,000.
Fairfax understands two other priests who resigned recently each got about $50,000.
Priests who retire are given independent accommodation, a car if they can still drive, and money to supplement the pension, according to Father Reynolds: ''They live quite comfortably. The day I resigned, both the Archbishop [Denis Hart] and Vicar General [Les Tomlinson, now Bishop of Sandhurst] told me that they'd look after me financially, but I'd have to apply to the St Patrick's Trust Fund.''
Father Reynolds said that by the time he applied, he had started Inclusive Catholics. To the church, he was now disobedient and, he said, he was told he would not get anything.
A church spokesman said Father Reynolds resigned freely, to the regret of the Archbishop, so there was no question of his undertaking public ministry as a Catholic priest.
He said Father Reynolds could apply for more rental support and the trust had also offered to pay for private health insurance ''until further notice''.