St Mary's priest will take his flock with him

news.com.au ^ | 9th January 2009 | Trent Dalton

[naturalman1975]

MAVERICK priest Father Peter Kennedy says he will lead a breakaway congregation if Brisbane's catholic Archbishop forces him to leave St Mary's Church.

There are fears that exclusion from the historic South Brisbane property will be the final act in a long-running dispute that has reached the Vatican. Is Father Kennedy right? Have your say.

The dispute has attracted national and international attention because it represents the battle between conservative and less traditional forces within the Catholic Church.

There are more Roman Catholics in Australia than any other religious group. Each week, St Mary's attracts large congregations while many more orthodox Catholic parishes struggle to fill pews.

In a rare and exclusive interview, Father Kennedy said he was determined to carry on.

"The reality is that, if we are excluded from this church, the Trades and Labor Council have already offered us their place just down the road," he said.

"I will continue. Our community will continue down there. We get 800 to 900 people coming every week. It's a vibrant, alive mass with people from all over the city."

St Mary's is known for its unconventional Catholic practices - allowing women to preach, blessing homosexual couples and recognising with ritual the traditional sovereignty of the indigenous people of the area.

The latest round in the battle was sparked by a complaint direct to the Vatican in August from an aggrieved church-goer.

Brisbane Archbishop John Bathersby accused the parish of operating outside the accepted practices of the Roman Catholic Church and encouraged Father Kennedy to fall in line or face closure.

[naturalman1975]

For Americans reading, this banner above the entrance to the church is based around the aboriginal flag of Australia. It started life as a protest flag but is increasingly being flown above public buildings either alongside - or in some cases, in place of, the national flag.

The banner calls for a treaty with the aboriginal people - a common left wing cause.

Indigenous Australians do have legitimate gripes - but this banner goes beyond those into a very solid left wing ideology.

As for recognising with ritual the traditional sovereignty of the indigenous people of the area.

Over the last few years, it has become the trendy, progressive, thing to open any speech in Australia on any topic with something like: I acknowledge the Bunuarong people, the traditional owners of this land... and woe betide anybody who doesn't do this.

[bboop]

Awfully similar to, “I am leaving, and I am taking my toys with me.”

I wonder if the Pope bends to childish threats.

[SeaHawkFan]

800-900 is hardly a large crowd.

[weegee]

Celebrating sodomy. Do they also celebrate adulterers? Or is the sex positive agenda having to tackle one controversy at a time?

Sex And Seminary (January 13, 2009 Dr. Albert Mohler)

[null and void]

800-900 is hardly a large crowd.

I expect we'll have that many freeze to death (or die of other stupidity related causes) during the 0bama coronation.

[hellinahandcart]

St Mary's is known for its unconventional Catholic practices

Suppose the author meant "un-Catholic practices"?

[arthurus]

The priest here is not Catholic and should probably be removed from the rolls if he does not “see the light.”

[Cheesel]

Geez, I hate that ‘indigenous’ stuff. Humans aren’t native to Australia and they ain’t native to America, either. When people say ‘Oh you’re part native American’, I just tell them no, they migrated here just like everyone else...

[PGR88]

It’s not “his” flock to take.

[HangnJudge]

It’s not “his” flock to take.

You beat me to it...

[Redbob]

"St Mary's is known for its unconventional Catholic practices ...recognising with ritual the traditional sovereignty of the indigenous people of the area."

How much rent money does that "ritual" let the abo's collect?
LOL!

[DallasDeb]

AMF! It’s not a Catholic Church with this activity going on. It can call itself Reformed Catholic or some other such name, but it isn’t Catholic.

[Incorrigible]

What we have here is...

A failure... to excommunicate.

[weegee]

I expect we'll have that many freeze to death (or die of other stupidity related causes) during the 0bama coronation.

You know, it is NOT unheard of...

CREDIT: "Presidential inauguration of Wm. H. Harrison in Washington City, D.C., on the 4th of March 1841." Charles Fenderich (no life dates given). Lithograph, 1841(?). Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-58550 DLC (b&w film copy neg.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Harrison

When Harrison came to Washington, he focused on showing that he was still the steadfast hero of Tippecanoe. He took the oath of office on March 4, 1841, an extremely cold and wet day. Nevertheless, he faced the weather without his overcoat and delivered the longest inaugural address in American history. At 8,444 words, it took nearly two hours to read (even after his friend and fellow Whig, Daniel Webster, had edited it for length). He then rode through the streets in the inaugural parade.

The inaugural address itself was a detailed statement of the Whig agenda, essentially a repudiation of Jackson and Van Buren's policies. Harrison promised to re-establish the Bank of the United States and extend its capacity for credit by issuing paper currency (Henry Clay's American System); to defer to the judgment of Congress on legislative matters, with sparing use of his veto power; and to reverse Jackson's "spoils system" of executive patronage, which meant using the power of patronage to create a qualified staff, not to enhance of his own standing in government....

On March 26, Harrison became ill with a cold. The presumptive story, which has become common knowledge despite its falsity, is that the inauguration day exposure was the cause of his illness. In fact, it was more than three weeks after the inauguration before Harrison showed the first signs of ill health. The cold worsened, rapidly turning to pneumonia and pleurisy.[49] According to the prevailing medical misconception of that time, microorganisms being then unknown, it was believed that his illness was directly caused by the bad weather, when, in fact, he was likely a victim of the common cold virus, exacerbated by the drastic pressures of his changed circumstances. He sought to rest in the White House, but could not find a quiet room because of the steady crowd of office seekers; in addition, his extremely busy social schedule made any rest time scarce....

He died nine days after becoming ill,[50] at 12:30 a.m., on April 4, 1841, of right lower lobe pneumonia, jaundice, and overwhelming septicemia, becoming the first American president to die in office. His last words were to his doctor, but assumed to be to John Tyler, "Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more." Harrison served the shortest term of any American president: only 30 days, 12 hours and 32 minutes.

[weegee]

No one ever speaks of the rights of indigenous persons in Europe or England.

[null and void]

I sure hope it doesn’t get so cold that the teleprompter quits. The poor guy would turn into The Wizard of Uhhhs...

[Antoninus]

Good riddance.

[Onelifetogive]

St Mary's priest will take his flock with him

I say to him..."Get the flock out of here!"

[Onelifetogive]

St Mary's priest will take his flock with him

I say to him..."Get the flock out of here!"

[Onelifetogive]

Ok, I admit it. I hit the button twice. But you have to admit...it is a “double post” worthy post!