Peter Kennedy (priest)
Encyclopedia
Peter Kennedy is a former Catholic priest who was the administrator of St Mary's Catholic Parish
in South Brisbane
, Australia
. Kennedy was removed from his position following complaints that his parish was not observing standard Roman Catholic teachings and practices. His removal drew much media attention, and the majority of his 700 parishioners left with him to continue holding services as St Mary's Community in Exile.
wrote Kennedy to request that he address certain problematic practices in his parish. The contentious issues, which were listed under the headings of "faith
," "liturgy," "governance," and "authority," included questions of whether Kennedy encouraged belief in Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity, and objections to the nonstandard manner in which St Mary's conducted Mass
and baptism
s. The parish also followed the unorthodox practices of blessing homosexual couples and allowing women to preach
.
The Archbishop's concerns were not addressed to his satisfaction, and he initially called for Kennedy to resign voluntarily before 18 February 2009. When Kennedy failed to do so, he was informed the next day that he had been officially removed from his position. Kennedy, however, refused to step down at first, despite another priest being sent by the Archdiocese of Brisbane to replace him. Kennedy and the Church each threatened one another with legal action, and the Church accused Kennedy of refusing to hand over the keys to the church buildings, before both both parties eventually agreed to mediation
. Kennedy finally agreed to hold his final Mass on 19 April 2009, then surrender his keys and allow an official handover of the parish to the care of the Archdiocese.
due to his continued intention to lead the group.
Since the removal of his faculties, Peter Kennedy and his community have operated out of the Trade and Labour Council Building (TLC Building) in South Brisbane. A feature-documentary has also been made about Peter Kennedy and the exiled community and their conflict with the Catholic Church, entitled "The Trouble with St Mary's".
individuals and Aboriginal Australians
. Aboriginal activist Sam Watson was among those parishioners who expressed wholehearted support for Kennedy during the St Mary's controversy.
The Micah Projects is a charitable organisation established by St Mary's community and Kennedy with a mission to "...create justice and respond to injustice at the personal, social and social and structural levels in church, government, business and society."
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
in South Brisbane
South Brisbane, Queensland
South Brisbane is an inner city suburb of Brisbane, Australia located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, directly connected to the central business district by the Kurilpa, Victoria and Goodwill bridges....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Kennedy was removed from his position following complaints that his parish was not observing standard Roman Catholic teachings and practices. His removal drew much media attention, and the majority of his 700 parishioners left with him to continue holding services as St Mary's Community in Exile.
St Mary's controversy
At the time of his removal, Kennedy had been a priest for over 40 years, 28 of which were spent at St Mary's, and he had frequently come into conflict with Church authorities. On 22 August 2008, Archbishop John BathersbyJohn Bathersby
John Alexius Bathersby DD , an Australian metropolitan bishop, is the sixth Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, serving since 1991.-Early years:...
wrote Kennedy to request that he address certain problematic practices in his parish. The contentious issues, which were listed under the headings of "faith
Roman Catholic theology
Roman Catholic theology comprises the "Roman Catholic teachings" of the Catholic Church which bases its conclusions on Scripture and Sacred Tradition, as interpreted by the Magisterium. The Church teaches that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, keeping of the Ten commandments and...
," "liturgy," "governance," and "authority," included questions of whether Kennedy encouraged belief in Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity, and objections to the nonstandard manner in which St Mary's conducted Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
and baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
s. The parish also followed the unorthodox practices of blessing homosexual couples and allowing women to preach
Catholic Church doctrine on the ordination of women
The Roman Catholic Church doctrine on the ordination of women, as expressed in the current canon law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is that: "Only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination." Insofar as priestly and episcopal ordination are concerned, the Church teaches that this...
.
The Archbishop's concerns were not addressed to his satisfaction, and he initially called for Kennedy to resign voluntarily before 18 February 2009. When Kennedy failed to do so, he was informed the next day that he had been officially removed from his position. Kennedy, however, refused to step down at first, despite another priest being sent by the Archdiocese of Brisbane to replace him. Kennedy and the Church each threatened one another with legal action, and the Church accused Kennedy of refusing to hand over the keys to the church buildings, before both both parties eventually agreed to mediation
Mediation
Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...
. Kennedy finally agreed to hold his final Mass on 19 April 2009, then surrender his keys and allow an official handover of the parish to the care of the Archdiocese.
St Mary's in Exile
Kennedy continues to operate as the spiritual leader of "St Mary's in Exile", a community of former parishioners of St Mary's Church. On 3 June 2009 Archbishop Bathersby removed Kennedy's priestly facultiesFaculty (instrument)
A faculty is a legal instrument or warrant in canon law, especially a judicial or quasi-judicial warrant from an ecclesiastical court or tribunal.In the Roman Catholic Church, it is "the authority, privilege, or permission, to perform an act or function...
due to his continued intention to lead the group.
Since the removal of his faculties, Peter Kennedy and his community have operated out of the Trade and Labour Council Building (TLC Building) in South Brisbane. A feature-documentary has also been made about Peter Kennedy and the exiled community and their conflict with the Catholic Church, entitled "The Trouble with St Mary's".
Community outreach
Under Kennedy's leadership, St Mary's Parish was known as a haven for marginalizedMarginalization
In sociology, marginalisation , or marginalization , is the social process of becoming or being made marginal or relegated to the fringe of society e.g.; "the marginalization of the underclass", "marginalisation of intellect", etc.-Individual:Marginalization at the individual level results in an...
individuals and Aboriginal Australians
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
. Aboriginal activist Sam Watson was among those parishioners who expressed wholehearted support for Kennedy during the St Mary's controversy.
The Micah Projects is a charitable organisation established by St Mary's community and Kennedy with a mission to "...create justice and respond to injustice at the personal, social and social and structural levels in church, government, business and society."