St Mary's, South Brisbane II

Folks might remember an earlier post where I briefly discussed the imbroglio around St. Mary’s, South Brisbane and the dispute between Father Peter Kennedy, the parish’s dismissed administrator, and the Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane, John Bathersby. The ashes of the controversy are still being raked over, but little more light has been thrown on the real issues raised. The latest news is that Peter Kennedy has refused to enter the mediation process on offer, and the Church has indicated civil action in the courts will follow. Father Kennedy is also appealling to the Vatican under canon law, which is odd given what he has to say about the authoritarianism of the church hierarchy.

So things have reached a very bad impasse, but it’s interesting that the media has failed to report that a number of long term parishioners of St Mary’s – including some who had quite prominent roles – have ceased to attend Mass there. Peter Kennedy’s rhetoric has become ever more self-centred, and the actual option for the parish’s outreach, mission and even form of service (albeit somewhat modified) to continue in his absence is one he is closing off, despite his claims about the centrality of the community.

In my earlier post I linked to some pieces written by Michael Carden on his blog, and I’m taking this opportunity to highlight another post he’s authored displaying a similarly acute understanding of what’s really at stake, and offering some reflections on the poverty of the media courage. Reading Michael’s post, it’s obvious that the dispute is more about authority than theology, and as he comments, Peter Kennedy’s “Father knows best” attitude mirrors that of the Archbishop.