Mr MacLennan I think you may be thinking just a bit too deeply about this conflict.

In simple terms it's about this:
Fr Kennedy at some point in time chose to no longer believe what the Catholic Church teaches. This is reflected in his recent comments such as: he doesn't believe in heaven or hell, he is uncertain about an afterlife, Jesus did not start a Church and certainly not the Catholic Church. Unfortunately nobody really knows what Fr Kennedy believes, but we all know he doesn't believe what a Catholic Priest is supposed to believe and teach.
It's interesting to read his reply to a question posed to him in a recent "live" blogging session for a suburban newspaper in Brisbane. Fr Kennedy says:
"Prenna,

We are at this point in time remaining in the Catholic church because so many of our community are not yet ready to cut ties with the Catholic church. The Catholic church like every family is disfunctional. As a theologian said in the last century, She is a whore but she is our Mother. If your own family is disfunctional it's still hard to cut yourself off from your parents and siblings but I take your point and we certainly are not dismissing it. The publicity however is good in itself. I recieve no pay cheque from Rome. My salary of about $500 a week comes from the community. The publicity is encouraging the debate to continue around Australia and even internationally. From that point of view it is important to stay in the church for as long as we can.

Sincerely,

Peter Kennedy"

Sourced: http://city-south-news.whereilive.com.au/blogs/story/we-wont-walk-away-from-the-church/

It seems to me Fr Kennedy is simply using the Catholic Church and this controversy to further his own cause. And I think that has been the case all along at St Mary's -- ignoring what the Church teaches but using the Church as a platform to promote his own ideas.

I may be accused of being reductionist but it aappears to me that the core issue here is simple. It makes no difference whether the priest in question is a good priest or a bad priest; whether his parish does good or does not; nor whether the Catholic Church itself needs to change or does not.

A Catholic priest, upon ordination, makes certain vows - as do those in other occupations such as medical doctors. Indeed, a witness in a civil trial similarly takes a vow to tell the truth. A vow, whether it be under a god or not, is binding. To take a vow is to enter into a contract and penalties exist for those who break this contract. In the case of a witness, for example, the penalty is to be accused of perjury and in the case of a medical Doctor, an adminstrator of the law or a priest, the penalty is to be struck off.

No matter what other views a priest may hold in regard to other tenets of the Catholic church, if he breaks his vows i.e. renounces the supremacy of the Pope, he, like those in secular office, must accept the consequences.

I think that bringing in the character, ideology, capacity for good or evil is all extraneous. A man made a contract. He broke it. It really seems to be that simple.

Romany

For a change and as non catholic I agree with you totally.

'I think that bringing in the character, ideology, capacity for good or evil is all extraneous. A man made a contract. He broke it. It really seems to be that simple.'

If a climate change believer then becomes a denier for any reason no doubt the Greens would dis fellowship him. And they should be entitled to do so.

you guys have the wrong end of the stick. this isn't about contracts. this isn't about kennedy.

this is about the catholic church. this is about what the catholic church cannot accept, and what that says about the catholic church. and what it says is that they're a pathetic, narrow-minded cult, more concerned for rules and authority and ritual than they are for any real meaning. once again, to hell with them.

Great Australians: There are two other men I have met in my life who remind me of Father Kennedy. One is Kevin Pierpoint [Chief] who worked with 'kids at risk' in Central NSW and Wilcannia and the other Jeff Guest in Cape York who like Kevin made such a difference to real people's, families, little kids lives.... with or without the help of the system. I mention them because their good faith as people, more than being an "institution" offered far more goodwill, for the reasons we ask than the clones dressed in white-gold prattling superconductive scripts, the policy clauses that bare shallow credence in action.

Not surprising, powers mortal also cut them short for embracing a world outside mainstream - a judgement I classify as having poor success in all areas dealing with reality in all its diversity.

What father Kennedy and his supporters, what Father Kennedy and his affiliations, what Father Kennedy and real Australian citizens are doing together in St Marys South Brisbane is an example worth more than the spin of fallacious, imprudent pseudo sophistry. The perpetrating misguided rod of the Pell and Bathersby clan.

St Stephens - especially given Bathersby's recent association and or visits to St Stephan's Vienna is insulting to the generosity of the higher spiritual and cultural values we place to the name of St Stephen.

Who was St Stephan.... is there not a double standard here?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Stephen

Who is Mary to the Pope and the Church?

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/austria07/venerationofmary.htm

It amazes me how these priestly-men accept the depth, ritual and blessing of 'Its Reactivation by the Counter-Reformation' yet could deny us common the practical aspects of the importance Counter-Reformation in our daily lives.

Bishop Altmann of Passau, "a huge venerator of Mary. He did not only found Gottweig Convent and dedicate it to Mary"; he also had a greater influence on the education of the Babenberg St. Leopold III." The depth here and throughout history is why what is going on.... worldwide, is so meaningful, today.

Who was Bishop Altmann of Passau and what did he stand for?
http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&q=Bishop+Altmann+of+Passau&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=1

see miacat below;

Bishop Altmann of Passau great significance lies in the fact that he was an energetic promoter of the common life for the clergy. As with St Stephen and others who worked to bring the Church forward, it is the misuse of power of the bigots in the church's that cost the greater wellbeing of so many throughout history, as we see it's power waged today.

My point, we are all connected as is the DNA we each have through our bloodline, as if our awareness of the past can ever be so easily disregarded as anyhow....or whatever for the sake of it... deemed Ad Hoc through our own time.

Given the importance of St Marys to local Indigenous peoples here, get this for a spin on hosting spectacle for sheer convince?

"Aboriginal Rainbow Serpent depicted in Cathedral liturgy"
As said at the St Stephen's Cathedral to a group of primary school children of the Brisbane Archdiocese, an interlude following the Gospel involved depiction of the aboriginal Rainbow Serpent, to the accompaniment of didgeridoo and aboriginal dancers"

http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/2000/oct2000p4_78.html

"The story of Noah tells us of the promise and hope that God has given us. The story of the Rainbow Serpent reminds us of the wisdom and the story of those who first lived in our land. The colours of the rainbow which you are all wearing today acknowledge our differences whilst also celebrating our unity."

Seriously;

Where is Tim Fischer, our Australian Ambassador of Holy See and where are the Frank Chaney and others who have been given privilege and honour and special acclaim from the Churches. Mediation could help. It is not good enough that these people appear on the airwaves, gain much promotion on the TV and yet do nothing [unprompted] to advance the needs of people, in struggle, at street level.

Where is any support "fomal" for the rights of Indigenous people who are trying to make pledge, a pathway through good faith.

The "reconciliation" process needs to be part of everyday life, not just about the fan-fair and gloss it is pasted-and-expensively on.

http://www.miacat.com/
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