Even though he has no formal authority over the issue, comments yesterday by Cardinal George Pell must surely sound the death knell for the rebel Catholic parish in Brisbane that is under the threat of excommunication from the church.
The future of St Mary’s parish in South Brisbane has become a very personal, and public, brawl between the parish and Brisbane’s Catholic Archbishop, John Bathersby.
Yesterday Cardinal Pell, while claiming to not be commenting on the dispute with over St Mary’s parish, gave a ringing endorsement of Archbishop Bathersby, during a visit to the Gold Coast to address the Australian Workers Union National Conference.
Any hope that an appeal to the Vatican, through its man in Australia, Cardinal Pell, against the looming excommunication of the parish has now been dashed.
The issue was never going to end up just as a personal battle between the majority of St Mary’s congregation and the Archbishop. Not only is the Vatican going to back its Archbishop, there is every indication it has been the architect of his tough stance in recent months.
The parish is expecting the formal notification from Archbishop Bathersby of its excommunication any day — possibly before this weekend.
That is when the position will get even more messy.
The parish — one of the largest as well as most radical in the Brisbane Diocese — has threatened legal action to try and stop the clergy and congregation being evicted from the rambling church and other premises on a prime site, located within a couple of blocks of Brisbane’s Southbank and cultural centres.
It is likely that the congregation will end up ensuring it is forcibly “evicted” — and what a delight that will be for the media who have given the long running dispute between the Archbishop and the parish extensive coverage.
The issue has already been a PR disaster for the Diocese — and that is about to get a whole lot worse!
St Mary’s would probably not be offended if I described their tender and loving approach to the poor of their parish as being closely related to the South American inspired “liberation theology”. It is no coincidence that the then Cardinal Ratzinger was the chief headkicker who tried to eliminate every aspect of liberation theology from the church. the proof that he failed is evidenced by something over 40% of Venezuelas priesthood practising the theology and working hand in hand with the Hugo Chavez government in its sweeping social programmes for the poor. This is such a great success that it is no wonder that the right wing of the church do not want this contagion of practical Christianity spreading any further.
Mike Crook
I’m really worried about this excommunication stuff. Who’ll be next on the Vatican hit list, paedophile priests or something? Oh I forgot – that sort of life-destroying stuff is fine with the Catholic hierachy as long as they say sorry and try not to do it again too often. Perhaps Saint Mary’s should opt for sin rather than trying to do good if they want to be kept in the fold.
God I laugh at all this as an atheist..there is no God,we’ve given Jesus 2000 years to return and he’s disappointed big time,Pell is the ultimate Punce yet I have respect for that little Brisbane parish for sticking it up Rome and catering for genuinely decent believers who don’t like the total crap that Rome,Pell and the Catholic hierarchy espouse in the name of their God.
Peter Scruby
Brisbane
As a Catholic, I usually stay silent when disagreeing with the Church but since the arrival on the scene of the German Pontiff, the former Cardinal Radzinger something tells me the time had come to start voicing my concerns about the direction the Vatican is taking its billions of faithful. This current attack on the parish of St Marys, lead by Rome’s resident Australian head kicker Bishop Pell will blow up into a decent scrap. Among my circle of friends and aquaintences, both RC and others, not one has expressed any feelings of love, respect, call it what you will regarding Pell. He is as popular as a warm, flat beer on a 40 degree day. St Marys has dared to risk a mass excommunication to support its parish priest. Bathersby is in cohorts with Pell, both under the thumb of the former nazi youth member. Why not I guess, they both would want to continue their lives of comfort, world travel and priviledge which the Church offers men of their dress colour, rather than those low level parishoners who dare speak out against the might of the hierachy. This may not start a revolution but it sure as hell wont do Pell and his boss reputations any good, a trend that has become more evident since the death of John Paul. As for the folk of St Marys and their Priest, go you good things.
The long awaited schism in the Australian Catholic Church is about to begin…St Mary’s has the support of an estimated 70% of Australia’s Catholics.
In the end, it’s going to come down to property rights…….wouldn’t you know the Vatican has its legal property rights in order, while it’s moral authority languishes.