The move by the Catholic Diocese of Brisbane to close down its rebel priest and congregation at St Mary’s Parish in South Brisbane is rapidly becoming more than a mere PR disaster and it is starting to get international coverage as well.
It runs the risk of empowering priests, and parishes, elsewhere in the church to stand up to the hierarchy — and to the conservative dictates emanating from the Vatican in particular.
The Archbishop of Brisbane, John Bathersby, dismissed rebel priest Fr Peter Kennedy last week, but not only has he refused to leave, he has whipped up levels of congregation and wider support that must be more than worrying for the church hierarchy.
Yesterday’s mass, defiantly attended by Fr Kennedy — but not by the priest the Archbishop nominated as his replacement — drew a congregation of close to 2,000. At the same time, a well publicised public ceremony at Southbank — a couple of blocks away — for the victims of the Victorian bush fires drew no more than 300.
Compromise seems as far away as ever and, short of calling in the police to evict Fr Kennedy and hundreds of his supporters, the Archbishop’s chances of gaining control of the parish are actually diminishing.
What will be alarming the hierarchy even more is the growing interest in the struggle by the St Mary’s congregation elsewhere in the Catholic Church.
The next showdown may well involve a diocesan bishop not far from Brisbane.
The Catholic Bishop of the Toowoomba Diocese, Bishop William Morris, is under investigation for daring to raise the possibility of married priests, or even women priests to address the chronic shortage of clergy in his vast diocese.
The Bishop is well known as a moderate in the church and widely regarded for his commitment to ecumenical relations with other churches, notably the Anglican, Lutheran and Uniting Churches in his diocese.
He faces a real dilemma. By 2014 most of his priests will either have retired or be eligible for retirement — reducing his clergy compliment from 40 to just 6.
In the face to complaints from the church’s “temple police” — the same group who instigated complaints against St Mary’s parish — Bishop Morris has been under investigation for the last two years. Under investigation for merely asking questions about how the diocese can possibly provide the clergy its parishes need.
Like Fr Kennedy, Bishop Morris is showing increasing signs of being defiant, telling the local media that he would not be silenced and would continue to ask questions.
The attempted removal of Fr Kennedy is making headlines around Australia and it is starting to get some coverage overseas. If, as is widely expected, Bishop Morris is next, then the coverage given to Fr Kennedy may well pale into insignificance!
These Catholics still consider themselves to be Catholic, and they do not want to be excommunicated by the Church.
If they were Protestant, this whole scenario wouldn’t even be an issue.
The problem for the Catholic Church is that it seems to be able to protect clergy who are accused of serious sexual assualts but has no tolerance for clergy who are following Vatican 11 changes.
The ordinary Catholic is confused by this, particularly those who agree with tolerance and support for the marginalised. The idea of “temple police” being present at church services is abhorrent.
In some cases the Church’s values run counter to the values of a liberal democratic society, such as Australia. In this sense they can be called extreme.
I think the Catholic Church can handle the criticism. It certainly is not the victim here.
I find the use of some terms here to be misleading. “Moderate” is used to describe Bishop Morris, when in proposing women priests he is contradicting a definitive teaching of the Church. Thus, in effect is implies Church teaching is “extreme” and those who dissent are the good guys. Why can’t a church define its doctrine without being painted as being extreme?
Then, it derides as “temple police” those who protest practices that are contrary to Church teaching. So it seems to disobey is “moderate”, but if you are faithful and protest against false practices you are “temple police.”
Looks like the odds are pretty well loaded here, how about a bit of reporting without value-added adjectives?
You know, pretty much these ‘Catholics’ just seem to be Protestants at the moment. So what’s the big deal? I know some in the Inquisition are saying Fr Kennedy denies the Virgin Birth. Is this so? Meanwhile, the RCs are on the back foot. RCs nil. St Mary’s One.
But if it turns out that he is not really a Christian after all, the Pope, God help us, will seem to be on the right ground, if history is some guide.
It would be great if he is just preaching the gospel. But if he is just some theist muddling it up as he goes along, then for heck’s sake, why wouldn’t the Empire Strike Back . . . no matter how many turn up to Mass.