The congregation of besieged priest Bob Maguire gave him a standing ovation as he entered his church for mass in South Melbourne this morning. It was standing room only as more than 400 parishioners crammed into Saints Peter and Paul Church to show their support for the priest, who has been asked to resign when he turns 75 tomorrow, after 36 years in the parish.
Father Bob, as he is popularly known, told his followers that the service was not a protest meeting and that anybody who attacks Archbishop Denis Hart attacks him.
The archbishop told media outlets yesterday that Father Bob had mismanaged the finances of his parish and only kept it afloat by selling off assets worth millions of dollars.
But Father Bob said today that he was only able to sell property over the years with the full knowledge of the archbishop.
"What we have done we have done with his signature - if I am guilty, then he is guilty," Father Bob told reporters after mass.
"This joint has more assets than it needs. What we need now is cash."
He said he had wanted to turn the empty school next to the church into a childcare centre that would have provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent, but the idea was rejected.
During the service, Port Phillip mayor Frank O'Connor said the parish had the support of leading politicians and business leaders who were trying to convince Archbishop Hart to let Father Bob continue his work.
"Let's be clear about asset sales - they are strictly controlled by the archbishop. Bob can't sell assets without the archbishop approving it," Mr O'Connor said.
"The archbishop seems to be asking Bob to retire because he doesn't like the way he spends money on the poor and needy."
He also reminded the parishioners that South Melbourne was not South Brisbane, and there would be no revolt if Father Bob failed in his bid to stay on.
Mr O'Connor was referring to rebel Catholic priest Peter Kennedy who split his congregation after coming under pressure to step aside at St Mary's Catholic Church in South Brisbane.
"This is not another South Brisbane. We will not be manning the barricades and we won't be storming the cathedral office. We'll do this with respect."
Father Bob has until Thursday to hand in his retirement notice or fight on.
Before he was appointed to South Melbourne, Father Bob spent four years counselling young conscripts before they were sent to Vietnam between 1969 and 1973. He received a Reserve Forces Decoration for his work.
Father Bob also received an Order of Australia in 1988 for his services to the homeless. He continues to put food on the table for people living in boarding houses around South Melbourne.
In his earlier days, Father Bob hosted a radio show on Melbourne radio station 3AW. He also had a guest role on the SBS television program John Safran vs God.
And from November 2005 to January 2006, he joined Safran as co-host of Speaking in Tongues, also on SBS TV.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
SIC: TA