St Mary's priest will take his flock with him (renegade priest to break with Rome)

Courier Mail ^ | January 9, 2009 | Trent Dalton

[NYer]

MAVERICK priest Father Peter Kennedy says he will lead a breakaway congregation if Brisbane's catholic Archbishop forces him to leave St Mary's Church.

There are fears that exclusion from the historic South Brisbane property will be the final act in a long-running dispute that has reached the Vatican. The dispute has attracted national and international attention because it represents the battle between conservative and less traditional forces within the Catholic Church.

There are more Roman Catholics in Australia than any other religious group. Each week, St Mary's attracts large congregations while many more orthodox Catholic parishes struggle to fill pews. In a rare and exclusive interview, Father Kennedy said he was determined to carry on.  "The reality is that, if we are excluded from this church, the Trades and Labor Council have already offered us their place just down the road," he said. "I will continue. Our community will continue down there. We get 800 to 900 people coming every week. It's a vibrant, alive mass with people from all over the city."

St Mary's is known for its unconventional Catholic practices - allowing women to preach, blessing homosexual couples and recognising with ritual the traditional sovereignty of the indigenous people of the area. The latest round in the battle was sparked by a complaint direct to the Vatican in August from an aggrieved church-goer.

Brisbane Archbishop John Bathersby accused the parish of operating outside the accepted practices of the Roman Catholic Church and encouraged Father Kennedy to fall in line or face closure. The parishioners responded to the accusations but - in a follow-up letter to Father Kennedy, dated December 22 - Archbishop Bathersby said: "St Mary's has not yet adequately given proof of its communion with the Archdiocese of Brisbane and the Roman Catholic Church."

[jilliane]

i’m not trying to be mean...but, your responses are, well, funny may be the nicest way to put it. you have somehow missed every point or are just wrong. i actually laughed out loud reading this.

[jilliane]

Ok, well, the priest I work for isn’t a parish priest and the school isn’t a parish school. Any more judgmental proof I can provide you?

[Miss Marple]

My PARISH currently has 10 seminarians, and one brother who is waiting to take perpetual vows in the fall and one priest from our parish was ordained right before Christmas. We are an average large suburban parish, but we have excellent and dedicated priests who do their best, and we have a Perpetual Ordination Chapel, which I think helps us a lot. The man who led my RCIA class is thrilled because his youngest son has felt the call to the priesthood and will be enrolling in the pre-seminary program when he graduates from high school.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“i’m not trying to be mean...but, your responses are, well, funny may be the nicest way to put it. you have somehow missed every point or are just wrong. i actually laughed out loud reading this.”

Okay, show me where I was wrong when I said the scriptures said women couldn’t preach in church.

Can you do that?

Priests take a vow to not marry.

Can you show me how I am wrong on that?

Also, priests were NOT allowed to marry, but seminarians were.

Show me where I am wrong there. Can you?

Also, nuns did not marry.

Show me where I am wrong on that. Can you?

When you fail to show where I was wrong on any of the above, what will that tell us about your comments in your previous post?

Whose laughing now? Unless you’re laughing out of embarrassment about the questions you couldn’t muster up an answer to.

We’ll see, won’t we?

[Antoninus]

Ok, well, the priest I work for isn’t a parish priest and the school isn’t a parish school. Any more judgmental proof I can provide you?

Well, for heaven's sake--you throw out this lame appeal to authority "I work for a priest", and then don't give any further details, and yet, you expect us to just back up and say, "Well, heck, she works for a priest. She must know what she's talking about."

Stop playing games and just say straight out: Does your priest agree with the garbage above that you claim doesn't upset you? Does he:

1.) Bless homosexual couples?
2.) Believe that the Church should recind the celibacy requirement?
3.) Disobey his superiors to the point where would say that Church leadership problems stem from "a very incestuous process and it starts from Rome."

If he does, he's part of the problem.

If he doesn't, you should listen to him.

[verga]

Jesus was not a Christian. He was a Jew. And he certainly wasn't a Catholic and he didn't start the Catholic Church. He didn't start any church.

Buh-bye

[Antoninus]

More on Kennedy...

"We are Catholic": St Mary's replies

This guy isn't a priest. He's an agitator and an agent provacateur.

[verga]

If the church allowed priests to marry, many good priests who’ve been excommunicated would never have left and would be still serving the good work of the Catholic church.

Sure and while we are at it lets let homosexual priests have their "partners" witht hem, or maybe redefine marriage so they can make it legal.

Call yourself what you will you are not Catholic

[jilliane]

1. NO
2. NO
3. NO

I talk to him regularly about controversy and he is quite clear headed.

[jilliane]

Hey verga...ever have sex when you weren’t married? Before during or after? Ever practice birth control? Any other things not real consistent with the church? If so, then you’re not a Catholic.

An Irish priest came to the Florida church I attended on vacation visiting my mother.

He screamed his homily at the congregation...his point unforgettable... that American Catholics, the cafeteria Catholics, are to blame for the problems in the church. Those who pick and choose what to believe...they need to leave. Leave the mass that day and leave the church.

He reminded that birth control is one of the American cafeteria items not on the table of interpretation. Of course other things like pre-marital sex are also not up for discussion.

Truly fascinating. The front row of blue haired ladies applauded when he was done. The rest of the church was either too stunned to leave as requested or are simply perfect.

I know all the good people here never had pre-marital sex, never disobey doctrine and never practice birth control so of course none of this applies to you, but for those who ever did, the Catholic church doesn’t want you and blames your sinful choices for problems of the church.

If you weren’t a virgin when you were married or if you practice birth control or violate the rules and disobey the church...and presume to judge my faith, then you are a hypocrite.

[Antoninus]

I talk to him regularly about controversy and he is quite clear headed.

Finally, a little clarity. You should listen to your priest and set your own mistaken opinions aside.

[Antoninus]

He reminded that birth control is one of the American cafeteria items not on the table of interpretation. Of course other things like pre-marital sex are also not up for discussion. Truly fascinating. The front row of blue haired ladies applauded when he was done. The rest of the church was either too stunned to leave as requested or are simply perfect.

Uh, this Irish priest did what priests are supposed to do--speak the truth whether popular or unpopular.

My parish priests speak like this all the time from the pulpit. There are gripers, grousers, enablers, and professional offendees who get all bent out of shape and complain to the bishop. Some folks even leave the parish. But at the end of the day, our parish has more catechumens, more altar servers, more seminarians, a more vibrant parish life, more families with tons of kids, a better response to charitable appeals, etc. than any other parish in the diocese.

I know all the good people here never had pre-marital sex, never disobey doctrine and never practice birth control so of course none of this applies to you, but for those who ever did, the Catholic church doesn’t want you and blames your sinful choices for problems of the church.

Wow. For all your highly-touted Catholic education, you didn't get much actual catechesis, did you?

The Church teaches the humble sinner how to be perfect and attain Heaven. There is no expectation that many or any of us will be able to attain that level of perfection on our own. But via the Grace of God, even poor sinners like us can achieve salvation.

Priests are at fault when they fail to teach the Truths of the Church to the faithful and offer them, instead, some watered-down "easy way" that does not involve saying a strong "NO" to the empty promises of the prince of the world.

If you weren’t a virgin when you were married or if you practice birth control or violate the rules and disobey the church...and presume to judge my faith, then you are a hypocrite.

So spake Satan himself. You have heard of the sacrament of Confession, haven't you? The lines in our parish are always very, very long.

[Miss Marple]

I doubt many people here would claim they hadn't sinned, and SIN is what all of that is. We go to confession to get absolution for our sins with the admonition to not repeat the sin.

If you disagree with the Church teaching on priests, nuns, birth control, and homosexual marriage, why are you still a Catholic? Why don't you join the Episcopalians?

I just don't understand this. I disagreed with the Methodists and therefore became a Catholic. I suggest that if you don't believe any of the tenets of the Church, then you really would be happier in a Protestant denomination.

[Ransomed]

The Church never allowed priests to marry. The latin rite of the Catholic Church has a discipline that only allows single men to become priests. Other rites and Churches allow married men to become priests. No one has ever allowed priests to marry if they are already priests to my knowledge.

Freegards

[Antoninus]

The front row of blue haired ladies applauded when he was done.

Oh, and in our parish, it's generally the young people who applaud when the priests speak out strongly on moral issues. The gripers and complainers are almost all in the 50+ years old age range.

[tioga]

I will have to bookmark it!

[ArrogantBustard]

judgmental

ROFL!!!!! That's the ultimate 1970s, "spirit of vatican 2" curse-word ...

Lack of good judgment was and remains instrumental to almost all of the doctrinal, catechetical, liturgical, musical, and cultural chaos that has swept over and threatened to wreck the Church in the last few decades. This Fr. Kennedy seems to be an agent of such chaos.

[SaintDismas]

Yes I have and it’s an amazing story. With a family background such as her’s it’s almost shocking that she is so grace filled and accomplished as Mother Angelica.

Right now I’m reading a book called “Saints for Sinners” a little collection of stories about a few obscure saints. Well, one obviously wasn’t, everyone knows who Augustine was, but Joseph Cupertino? Amazing stories all, and some amazing for what they were amazing for. I suggest it, it’s great to plop down in bed and read off one chapter about one saint before the urge to sleep overtakes you!

[SaintDismas]

excuse me, I didn’t word that right: as graced filled and as accomplished Mother Angelica is.

(OK now my syntax is resembling that of Al Gore-oh no!)

[AnAmericanMother]

If you weren’t a virgin when you were married or if you practice birth control or violate the rules and disobey the church...and presume to judge my faith, then you are a hypocrite.

That's not only Catholic - I'm not sure it's even Christian.

Even the Evangelicals say, "Christians aren't perfect - just forgiven." And we have the great blessing of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Confession if you prefer. Because there is still right and wrong, rather than "my opinion, and who are you to judge?"

Since the only sins you seem to recognize are 'judgmentalism' and 'hypocrisy', perhaps you would be more comfortable in the Episcopal Church? You can have my place in the pew over there. I became a Catholic because the Church does not blow hither and thither with the winds of popular opinion. All of your arguments are straight from the modern liberal playbook, and all of them have been adopted by the Episcopalians.

And you see where it got them.

Please rethink your position.