St Mary's parish, South Brisbane, has delivered a reply to an ultimatum from Brisbane Archbishop John Bathersby insisting that the controversial parish "is in communion with the Catholic Church" while rejecting a series of demands. The Australian reports the stage is set for a showdown between the liberal and traditionalist wings of the Catholic Church following a decision by the renegade Brisbane parish of St Mary's to defy a Vatican ultimatum.
A meeting of St Mary's parishioners yesterday endorsed a letter to Brisbane Catholic Archbishop John Bathersby that rejected a series of Church demands, the paper says.
In a letter to be hand delivered to the archbishop yesterday, the St Mary's community rejected the Vatican's claim that it is not in communion with the Catholic Church.
In reply, the community said it had adopted the recent statement by Pope Benedict to the bishops of France, which declared that nobody should be rejected by the Catholic Church.
The letter said St Mary's was in communion with the Church and warned the Church it should not forget its history: it had excommunicated Galileo, barred Mary Mackillop and "stood idly by while children were abused."
"St Mary's gives no disrespect (questioning perhaps and sometimes humour, but not disrespect) and prays for none in return," the letter said according to The Courier Mail.
Church liberals believe the Vatican is under pressure to close St Mary's by members of the ultra conservative Opus Dei grouping, which is close to Cardinal Pell and Rome's influential bishop, Javier Echevarria, The Australian says.
Yesterday, Brisbane's Gay and Lesbian Choir sang at the church and the Aboriginal flag was hoisted as Father Kennedy signed a "sacred treaty" with indigenous leader Denis Walker, the son of Aboriginal poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal.
Pastor Fr Peter Kennedy said it would not be appropriate for him to comment until Archbishop Bathersby had fully considered the letter, which outlined the church's good works with unions, women's groups, gay people, indigenous people and victims of abuse from within and outside the Church, The Courier Mail says.
"Whether or not we agree on everything, St Mary's is part of the Catholic Church," the letter said.
"We are in communion with that very same Church. We ask that you respect our decision to declare ourselves, as you asked, to be in communion with the Catholic Church."
Fr Kennedy earlier told the ABC that a special service would be held with the local indigenous community on Sunday, where parishioners would be asked to support the letter.
"We would hope that the vast majority of people will endorse it," he said.
"Already we've had positive feedback from them because they've had it in their hands for the past couple of weeks, and on the whole we have a feeling that people are very positive about it."
"Our argument isn't with the archbishop but with Rome," Fr Kennedy told the Brisbane Times. "We can't win against them.
"The Vatican is leaning on [Archbishop Bathersby] to act and making it very difficult for him."
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(Source: CTHN)