Troublesome Priest
I’m reminded of Henry VII — “Who can rid me of this troublesome priest.” when reading about Father Kennedy in Brisbane. The debate is more political than religious but Kennedy’s spin doctors say it’s all about social justice for the disadvantaged and minorities, woman clergy and aboriginal land rights but there is more to it than that.
When I was helping at Legacy I drove past ST Marys most days and was always confronted with a “Free Hicks!” or “Close Guantanamo” type of banner hanging out the front of the church. Refugees, The Iraq war and HoWARd.often got a mention.
I’m sure a lot of good comes out of the diocese but following left wing causes whilst not following the churches protocols leaves few friends outside of the closed circle.
It might be just me but I don’t look to churches to be agents of radical politics.
An estimated 1500 people attended mass yesterday morning and hundreds more turned out for evening services on Saturday and yesterday, and for concerts and rallies.Big turn ups at Mass as well, if Mass it is, but then being the only Catholic hold out for radicals, bleeding hearts, human rights advocates and land rights activists in the city and maybe even Australia, birds of feather will flock together, won’t they? By all means march to a different drum Father but in all honesty if you choose to do so outside of the churches protocols, if you disagree with the churches stand on issues so strongly, then you should resign and set up your own denomination. Avoids charges of hypocrisy. Peter Kennedy, on being sacked talks of his replacement;
“The people are not going to receive Fr Howell. He’s naive enough to think he can walk in there on Sunday and the people will welcome him. Well, they won’t. I know the people, I’ve been there 28 years – the people want me there and I’ve helped build that community into what it is today. And then this guy comes in, like a religious scab.”Sounds like someone has a “messiah-complex” and now considers himself above the church. Disclaimer: I’m not a Catholic but respect their role in our community
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“Disclaimer: I’m not a Catholic but respect their role in our community”.
Kev, I am, and believe that this issue is much wider than St Mary’s. My parish in Toowoomba could have very easily have gone the same way as we have a priest that is into community action. He’s just a bit more cautious than Kennedy, and keeps an eye out for the “Temple Police”. Like St Mary’s, the parish is thriving and active. At the neighboring parish where there is no community of action, the church is a bit like a geriatric convention on a Sunday. It’s a bit like the Pied Piper’s been through and nicked off with anyone under 50.
It depends really on whether you believe the church is an hierarchical institution or a community of people whose behaviour towards their fellow man is driven by their Christian faith. I believe it is, or should be, the second.
There are many priests who are completely frustrated by the direction the hierarchy has taken since Benedict XVI came along. He is theologically conservative and is taking the church back to the dark days before Vatican 2. Back then the Mass was in Latin. The world has changed a bit since.
This kind of activity (which is not political – unless you align Liberation Theology with politics) is non-negotiable for any priest who has the guts to practise what he preaches, and what the church teaches.
There are a lot of left wing dictators, particularly in South America who look upon the church as an enemy because it is all that stands between them and their total control of the population.
It makes me sad, and embarrassed to call myself a Catholic – see my post (reference to an incident in 7RAR) on – http://1735099.blogspot.com/2009/02/st-marys.html
Both Bathersby and Kennedy are good men (btw they’re both Nudgee old boys) – In a saner world they’d be working together, not tearing the church apart over symbols and protocols.
Social justice for all can be found without going radical. Maintain the face of Catholicism but use committees to achieve your aims. Friends of mine are involved in a project call Street Swags which, as it’s name suggests gives itinerates and street people some comfort. It is achieving huge success and support from main stream banking and business groups and has gone national. In my mind that is helping people – not confronting the church, changing what you don’t agree with and then organizing rallies and protest marches when the Archbishop says enough is enough.
Yes I know they are Nudgee old boys, the same source, coincidentally of the Street Swags and another project that feeds the poor Tuesday breakfast and dinner. My mate tells me that behind the caravan park at Aspley there is a creek where twenty of thirty itinerates live, awaiting vacancies in the Caravan Park.
This is Christianity in action, not the politics of St Marys.
I had read your article and recall Fr Keith Teefey taking me through instruction in Vietnam. Something us ‘Proddy Dogs” had to undergo if we were ever to marry a Catholic. He was kind and practical and knew, deep down that I had too many questions to make a good Catholic but he gave me a pass and I married into the system. I tried, but without a youth of having the “Faith” drummed into me, my conversion was still born.
“As the [Thomas Becket’s] body grew cold, the vermin that were living in this multiple covering started to crawl out, and, as … the chronicler quoted, ‘The vermin boiled over like water in a simmering cauldron, and the onlookers burst into alternate weeping and laughter…”
The TV news scenes purporting to be a church service at St Marys last Sunday gave me the impression that it was not just Becket who wore a ‘hair shirt’ infested with vermin.
All for the glory of God…maybe, but it looked like a political convention to me.