Thursday, December 02, 2004

Outspoken (and confused) priest blasts church as dysfunctional

The priest in Brisbane (Fr Peter Kennedy, of St Mary's Catholic Church at South Brisbane), responsible for invalidly baptising hundreds of people, accuses the Church as "dysfunctional". One might wonder if the priest is projecting his own inabilities to cope with his vocation on the Church, the hierarchy, and ultimately, Christ Himself?
"The traditional Catholic thing is that all wisdom comes down from above but we Catholics live in a democratic society."
Perhaps, the new thinking is that wisdom (one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit) really comes from man or from a form of democratic belief or consensus?
"The church is so dysfunctional. If you are in a dysfunctional relationship after a time you say enough is enough."
It sounds like he is trying to say "Good-bye".
"The underlying thing is that the church, which is not a democracy, is having trouble relating to democracy."
The Church has no problems relating to democracy. The Church, established by Christ as an hierarchical institution, does have a problem with wayward or renegade priests and others who attempt to undermine the Sacraments or Sacramental life of the Church, reject Christ's teachings and the doctrines of the Church, or the structure or nature of the Church. This is sometimes considered to be a form of protestantism, or, depending on circumstances and other factors - heresy, apostacy, or schism. At the very least, the actions of disobedience toward the approved rites or complete confusion should be a cause of serious concern for his superiors for it demonstrates a complete misunderstandinging of Sacramental Theology or even worse, a rejection of a necessary aspect of the Faith. (Updated to reflect, more accurately, what I meant - Sorry for any confusion).
Father Kennedy said yesterday Archbishop Bathersby was failing to read the "signs of the times". "The Archbishop is going around all the parishes praying for vocations for religious life," Father Kennedy said. "It's like praying for rain during an El Nino pattern."
Of course, it is the Archbishop who can't read the "signs of the times" for he will not permit the priest to alter the form of the Sacrament of Baptism to fit "the times"...And, evidently, the priest's acquired 'wisdom' discounts prayer as a means to petition God for more vocations.

Source.

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