REBEL Brisbane priest Peter Kennedy
has further distanced himself from the Catholic Church, saying he no
longer believes in worshipping God or the power of prayer.
He also has questioned why God would allow the terror attack to happen in Norway.
The priest who was directed to leave St Mary's Church in South Brisbane in 2009 for unorthodox practices, also revealed that he had doubts that Jesus existed.
His views were expressed in an interview with the ABC, and with The Courier-Mail yesterday when he questioned why God would allow tragic events to unfold, including the terror attacks in Norway.
"I do not believe in worshipping God. Whatever God is . . . that God does not need to be worshipped," he said. "To be asking God to intervene in our lives, why didn't he intervene in Norway the other day?"
Though he still leads his congregation in prayer, Father Kennedy
said his own praying was more like "meditation".
"I think my way of prayer is to stand in wonder at the beauty of people and the wonder of life," he said.
"I think my way of prayer is to stand in wonder at the beauty of people and the wonder of life," he said.
Asked whether he still considered himself a Catholic, Fr Kennedy said he was, but not in the "literalist" sense.
"The reality is you are culturally a Catholic but so many of us disagree with the literalist understanding of Christianity the Catholic Church preaches," he said.
"I think we (the St Mary's Church-in-exile) are truly Catholic because we are truly inclusive. To put it simply, I think the institution of the Catholic Church is exclusive."
He also repeated his previous statements that there was "very little corroborating evidence" for the existence of Jesus.
Nearly two-and-a-half years after leaving the church where he had preached for 28 years, Fr Kennedy said the St Mary's Church-in-exile attracted more than 400 to the three weekend masses.
The congregation knew his views well, he said.
"We've lost about 20 per cent but we have gained people," he said. "They know how I feel. I am very honest with them."
Fr Kennedy told comedian Judith Lucy in the debut episode of her six-part series Judith Lucy's Spiritual Journey that for years he had not believed in the value of prayer.
Lucy visited the priest at a Sunday service where he now leads his congregation.
The 73-year-old Kennedy was asked whether he thought there was any point in praying.
Kennedy: No. For years I've never believed in the value of prayer in the sense of asking.
Lucy: But that does make up part of the service here?
Kennedy: Yes it does, because they like it. If I had my way we wouldn't have it.
The interview then cuts to a clip of Fr Kennedy leading his congregation in the Lord's Prayer.
"Let us pray," he starts.