THE ecclesiastical career of Father Peter Kennedy, popular rebel priest at St Mary's South Brisbane, may be over. Late yesterday The Courier-Mail learned Father Kennedy had received a letter from Brisbane Archbishop John Bathersby.
It is likely to contain the rationale and timeframe for his excommunication from the Catholic Church, following six months of negotiation between the Archbishop, Father Kennedy and the church community.
A spokesman for Archbishop Bathersby confirmed the letter.
"At this stage the Archbishop doesn't wish to make any further comment about the letter. If Father Kennedy chooses to reveal the contents of the letter the Archbishop will respond accordingly," he said.
St Mary's spokeswoman, Karyn Walsh, said the letter's contents would not be made public until a joint public meeting and press conference at 10.30am tomorrow.
"There'll be no public disclosure of what the letter contains until Sunday morning after Peter has consulted with key people in the community and there has been an opportunity to tell as many people as possible in the congregation at the Saturday evening and Sunday morning Mass that a letter has been received," she said.
"No one is feeling overly optimistic."
The death knell was sounded for Father Kennedy in August, when Archbishop Bathersby warned St Mary's to toe the Vatican line or close. He told Father Kennedy, who has presided for 28 years over the 800-member church community, that St Mary's was operating outside practices and policies of the Catholic Church.
He cited a number of issues including allegedly unorthodox Masses being practised and the hierarchical authority of the church not being respected.
The Archbishop's intervention was sparked by complaints to the Vatican by a parishioner who, among other issues, complained about a Buddhist statue in the church.
In a letter in November responding to Archbishop Bathersby's charges, Father Kennedy and members of the congregation denied they were out-of-step with the Church and Rome.
After a further letter from the Archbishop to the priest in December, the St Mary's community has been awaiting the primate's final decision.
This week the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, gave his tacit blessing for the possible excommunication of Father Kennedy.
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(Source: cmau)