Otokonoko, The outside world assumes that France is a devout Catholic country, but one only has to look at all the churches in France that are falling into disrepair because they have been abandoned by the French people.
Here in Australia, one only has to talk with people who have been through the Catholic education system to realise the low regard in which many hold the Catholic church. Most are still only adherents because of the fear of retribution which has been indoctrinated into them and which they are unable to cast off. They dwell too much on ( King James Bible)Deuteronomy 6:15 "For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you. Lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth." and not enough on John 3.16 "For God so loved the world... " which is what the Christian church should be about.
The latter is obviously what Kennedy and his cohorts are about, but the former is the domain of Benedict and the curia.

David

What is happening at St Mary’s brings home the question of what defines Church in the Catholic tradition. For some ‘Church’ may well be going to Mass once a week and living life as much as possible according to the ‘laws’ of Rome. These are generally good people who care for others and pray for all who suffer in the world. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. For others, however, this brings little satisfaction. They long for more – for a sense of belonging, for a sense of living life to the full according to the ways of Jesus. As such, they wish to act out their love and not just show sympathy for the marginalised but physically go out and be with the ‘poor’. I am not speaking about preaching here. I am alerting to the fact that the community of St Mary’s does a tremendous amount of outreach work to the needy in the streets of Brisbane. The commitment and generosity of these people is commendable. Theirs is a diverse community who stand with and among all kinds of people. Their sense of social justice is so strong that they are willing to defy the ‘laws’ of their church so as to be able to follow the ‘laws’ of their hearts. As with anyone belonging to a particular family it is painful to go against the beliefs that have been upheld for generations, but when one truly believes in the core of one’s being that something is ‘just not right’, it is the love and concern for that same family that gives one the courage to speak out. Ideally, at the end of the day all parties will listen with an open heart and be open to change. I would love to belong to a caring community as St Mary’s where the emphasis is on equality – particularly where women are concerned. Once I lived close enough to Brisbane to visit St Mary’s from time to time. Each time I was in awe of the powerful presence of a welcoming spirit.

While the Catholic Church is entitled to impose its rules on its members, this whole affair shows how removed the church is from any meaningful form of Christianity. Add to that the CC's perpetual commission of two of Pope Benedict's new sins (not causing poverty and not degrading the environment), and you appear to have a godless, authoritarian organisation.

What B17 and that unhappy little cowering coward,bathersby, are tantamount in saying is that the Ecumenical Commission under that sainted pope,John 23rd was all wrong and had made a dreadful mistake!!

Listen up all you guys.I have since the sacking spoken to 5 RC priests who all say that Kennedy was quite correct in the spirit of Ecumenism.The Pope and Bishops are irrelevant in this century and history will bear testimony to this.

socratease

I wasn't really thinking of France. Why are so many priests in Australia from the Philippines? What about South and Central America? The Catholic Church still has an enormous grip on many parts of the world. I think, perhaps, that it is not fighting for survival but, instead, shifting its centre of gravity.

Todays catholic church continues to live in many centuries past, when they had control of the "flock". They still continue this control of fear, if any member of the "flock" attempts to divert from the CC rules.
In modern terms the CC has moved into the status of a cult, these are the rules, and if you do not follow them you are out.
The holy spirit must be asking him/herself, who put this current lot in charge!