Church Sacks Renegade Priest

[Nihil Obstat]

Um... is there any Christian doctrine that this man doesn't vehemently oppose?
Looking at that blurb about him it seems like he has an issue with every single aspect of our faith.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='cappie' post='1777060' date='Feb 9 2009, 05:27 PM']"Can you possibly think any individual can believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary," he said.

"In the medieval times you might have understood that, but do you expect modern people today to believe that somehow she was impregnated with the Holy Spirit?"[/quote]

See, now this makes me mad. Does he really think that people 1000 years ago were so stupid that they didn't know where babies come from? That somehow it was more believable back then? Um, no.

Seems they've got two raging fires down in Australia right now. Prayers for both.

[TradMom]

+Praised be Jesus Christ!

I find it very sad that so many rejoice in what has to be a very painful situation. Painful for the one lost, painful for the one who had to make a decision, painful for the followers who are in a period of transition - either because they are breathing a sigh of relief or because they have lost one they loved (no matter how "wrong" his theology was).

Just because someone was replaced doesn't mean order is instantly reinstated.

May the Lord have mercy on the one who fell away, may He provide solace and comfort for those who followed, may He grant peace and strength to the one who took a stand. These situations are always difficult, never easy and may we remember we are all sinners as well.

In Our Merciful Lord,
TradMom

[cappie]

Aborigines will establish a tent embassy at a Catholic church in Brisbane and resist any attempts to move change it.

Activist Sam Watson said the tent embassy would be set up under the terms of a treaty signed in November between St Mary's Church in South Brisbane and local Aborigines.

Last Friday, Brisbane's Catholic archbishop, John Bathersby, sent a letter of termination to St Mary's priest Father Peter Kennedy.

It followed an ultimatum to the church last August in which the archbishop called the 700-strong parish "an authority to itself" and threatened to close it.

At the church, unorthodox masses are conducted, women can preach and homosexual couples are blessed.

Mr Watson said St Mary's had tended to the needs of Aborigines for decades.

"We have declared that land upon which St Mary's has been built is sacred land and we assert the fact that as Aboriginal people we have never ceded sovereignty to the British Crown," he said.

"That sacred Aboriginal land is land that should rightfully be occupied by Aboriginal people.

"Now that this schism has developed between the Catholic Church and the people of St Mary's we will stand behind the people of St Mary's and we will ... defy any attempts to remove us."

Mr Watson said the land was "very sick" when the treaty was signed but is now healing.

"We firmly believe that now the healing process has begun," he said.

"There are now fish coming back to the river, there are birds coming back."

The first Aboriginal tent embassy was set up in Canberra in 1972 and there is now a network of them around the world, Mr Watson said.

Father Kennedy said the embassy was a fantastic idea.

"They see that site as a sacred site for them," he said.

While the indigenous claim of sovereignty may be legally uncertain, the symbolic gesture was "very powerful", Father Kennedy said.

Aboriginal leader Stephen Hagan backed the embassy move in support of St Mary's.

"It reminds me of the 19th century when good Christian people who helped Aboriginal people were moved on," he said of attempts to sack Father Kennedy.

An archdiocesan spokesperson said Archbishop Bathersby did not want to comment further as he had written a letter to Fr Kennedy and was expecting a reply from him.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='cappie' post='1775615' date='Feb 8 2009, 12:59 AM']Nadine McAllister and her family, of Everton Park, have attended St Mary's for the past three years and had her two-year-old daughter baptised there.

Mrs McAllister was in tears upon hearing that the Vatican did not recognise her daughter's baptism.

"We are disgusted. That was a ceremony where she was entered into the church," Mrs McAllister said.[/quote]

That quote alone proves that there was horrible catechesis going on.

"How dare they not recognize her Baptism! We had a ceremony and everything! Aren't we a religion of meaningless rituals, afterall?"

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='Apotheoun' post='1775640' date='Feb 8 2009, 01:22 AM']I pray that the Vatican acts quickly in appointing a new bishop to the Latin diocese in Oakland California.[/quote]
Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, perhaps?

[Lil Red]

+J.M.J.+
[quote name='cappie' post='1777060' date='Feb 9 2009, 03:27 PM']"The church wants you to pray, pay and obey and John Bathersby's theology is very fundamentalist theology," he said.[/quote]
[color="#FF0000"][b][size=3]FAIL.[/size][/b][/color]

[quote name='cappie' post='1777060' date='Feb 9 2009, 03:27 PM']such as allegedly rejecting the divinity of Jesus, and[/quote]
[color="#FF0000"][b][size=3]FAIL.[/size][/b][/color]
[quote name='cappie' post='1777060' date='Feb 9 2009, 03:27 PM']for allowing what appeared to be a Buddhist statue in the church.[/quote]
[color="#FF0000"][b][size=3]FAIL.[/size][/b][/color]

[quote name='cappie' post='1777060' date='Feb 9 2009, 03:27 PM']"Can you possibly think any individual can believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary," he said.

"In the medieval times you might have understood that, but do you expect modern people today to believe that somehow she was impregnated with the Holy Spirit?"[/quote]
[color="#FF0000"][b][size=3]FAIL.[/size][/b][/color]

[quote name='cappie' post='1777060' date='Feb 9 2009, 03:27 PM']Father Kennedy said he didn't have faith in the Pope, but wanted to remain a practising Catholic priest.[/quote]
[color="#FF0000"][b][size=3]FAIL.[/size][/b][/color]

[quote name='cappie' post='1777060' date='Feb 9 2009, 03:27 PM']"It's not we who are in schism with the Catholic Church, The Catholic Church is not in sync with its own people."[/quote]
[color="#FF0000"][b][size=3]FAIL.[/size][/b][/color]

[eagle_eye222001]

[quote name='cappie' post='1777060' date='Feb 9 2009, 05:27 PM']...Father Kennedy, who has been a priest for more than 50 years, came under fire for teaching alternative views, such as allegedly rejecting the divinity of Jesus, and for allowing what appeared to be a Buddhist statue in the church.

He denied the statue was Buddhist, saying it was a monk praying, who could have been Christian.[/quote]

So it could have been a pagan monk

[quote]However, he spoke out against traditional Catholic teachings, in particular Jesus' mother Mary being a virgin.

"Can you possibly think any individual can believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary," he said.

"In the medieval times you might have understood that, but do you expect modern people today to believe that somehow she was impregnated with the Holy Spirit?"

Father Kennedy said he didn't have faith in the Pope, but wanted to remain a practising Catholic priest.[/quote]

So he wants to throw out half of Catholocism with 2000 years of teachings, and STILL be a PRACTICING Catholic priest? Isn't that impossible?

[quote]"You've got to be relevant to people's lives - Jesus broke the rules all the time for the sake of the people," he said.[/quote]

Jesus wasn't breaking his Father's rules. Jesus drove out the salespeople in his Father's house. Was that inclusive behavior?

[quote]Archbishop Bathersby yesterday declared some sacraments performed by Father Kennedy were not legitimate and said he would nominate a future date for "valid baptisms".

He said those who followed Father Kennedy were not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church.[/quote]

You don't say.

[quote name='Raphael' post='1778909' date='Feb 11 2009, 03:05 PM']That quote alone proves that there was horrible catechesis going on.

"How dare they not recognize her Baptism! We had a ceremony and everything! Aren't we a religion of meaningless rituals, afterall?"[/quote]

But we had a ceremony


Wow. Church there needs some serious prayers. Amazing this priest was able to get this far as it seems.

----------------
Listening to: [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/rufus+wainwright/track/hallelujah"]Rufus Wainwright - Hallelujah[/url]
via [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/"]FoxyTunes[/url]

[Lil Red]

[quote name='eagle_eye222001' post='1778931' date='Feb 11 2009, 01:32 PM']Wow. Church there needs some serious prayers. Amazing this priest was able to get this far as it seems.

----------------
Listening to: [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/rufus+wainwright/track/hallelujah"]Rufus Wainwright - Hallelujah[/url]
via [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/"]FoxyTunes[/url][/quote]
+J.M.J.+
how sad that he was allowed to lead so many astray for so long.

btw, awesome song!

[cappie]

Toowoomba Bishop William Morris has said he has been under investigation by the Vatican for two years after discussing the prospect of women or married priests in a pastoral letter.

Bishop Morris said the diocese was challenged by the ageing of its priests, most of whom would be eligible for retirement by 2014, leaving only six priests out of the full complement of 40, The Courier-Mail reports.

"The ultimate outcome is I'd be sacked and have to stand down," he said.

"Or they would ask me to resign or operate in another diocese ... at this stage, I don't know."

Bishop Morris, who has held the Toowoomba post for 16 years, said the Church couldn't stifle debate and that's what the letter was promoting. "I will continue to fight for what I believe is the truth," he said.

"And I will continue to fight to be able to ask questions."

Bishop Morris said there was a group of very conservative Catholics dubbed the "temple police" who travelled around parishes dobbing in priests who didn't toe the line.

"There are plenty of temple police around at the moment," he said.

Bishop Morris said he hoped the investigation would be concluded this year, but even if he was sacked, he would still retain his title.

He said the same applied to Fr Kennedy even if he was excommunicated.

Brisbane Catholic Archbishop John Bathersby would not comment on the investigation of Bishop Morris except to say that Rome was constantly looking at such situations.

"There are rules and regulations in everything," he said.

However, Archbishop Bathersby said he would welcome change in the Church.

"It's a Church that's constantly reforming itself," he said.

"There's a lot of people agitating for a third Vatican Council and that could happen too, I'd love to see that happen."

[Thy Geekdom Come]

1. Toowoomba? Really? I love Aussie names.

2. *twitch*

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='VeniteAdoremus' post='1776191' date='Feb 8 2009, 07:32 PM']I went to an inclusive parish and asked them to accept me and my feelings.

But they still wouldn't celebrate a Novus Ordo Latin ad orientem mass.

I feel excluded, trodden upon, and very unempowered! Except for, you know, the H. Spirit who's been spoiling me rotten lately, with FSSP masses and such.[/quote]


Parish: "We'll be inclusive of everyone...except those who are against inclusivity. They're not able to share in inclusivity because they are not conducive to it."

God: "I'll give grace to everyone...except people who don't cooperate with the grace that flows through my Church. They're not able to share in grace because they are not conducive to it."

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='cappie' post='1777060' date='Feb 9 2009, 05:27 PM']"You've got to be relevant to people's lives - Jesus broke the rules all the time for the sake of the people," he said.[/quote]
Ah, yes, the Gospel According to Jesus Christ, Superstar.

[cappie]

Rebel Catholic priest Father Peter Kennedy has defended his church's social activism, telling a packed St Mary's church in South Brisbane that Jesus also was harshly criticised for unorthodox behaviour.

Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane John Bathersby has terminated Fr Kennedy's appointment from next Saturday, February 21. Fr Kennedy is trying to appeal the sacking under the church's canon law.

The Vatican is unhappy because the church conducts unorthodox masses, allows women to preach and blesses homosexual couples.

St Mary's on Sunday once again was packed and the congregation of around 600 loudly applauded the turbulent priest after his sermon.

"People who are not part of our community will make judgments about us because of our so-called unorthodox behaviour," Fr Kennedy said.

"But we can take heart from the words of Jesus himself, who was judged harshly for his unorthodox behaviour - 'By their fruits you will know them'."

Fr Kennedy said St Mary's was under attack because some felt the congregation puts too much emphasis on social justice and not enough emphasis on spirituality.

He said Vatican II confirmed that the battle for justice was at the centre of the Gospels.

"It's not an optional extra for a Christian community," Fr Kennedy said.

Meanwhile, a plan to establish an aboriginal tent embassy on the site has been postponed until next week, said aboriginal activist Sam Watson.

Mr Watson said many groups had asked to participate in a broad coalition to save the St Mary's community and it was decided to start the tent embassy on the day Fr Kennedy has been told to depart.

Fr Kennedy said many parishes want St Mary's, which has ministered to the less fortunate for decades, left alone.

The congregation is also receiving support from the wider community, and from fringe groups.

A small party of Raelians, who believe that alien beings have intervened in earthly affairs, were outside St Mary's with signs supporting Fr Kennedy.

[Nihil Obstat]

I feel bad for all the parishoners who may be following him without knowing how wrong he is.