Banner at St Mary's Church

Under pressure from conservative Catholics and the Vatican itself, Archbishop of Brisbane John Bathersby has given the “renegade” parish until the end of November to change its ways or face excommunication from the church.

"I am prepared to wait until December 1, but no longer,” Bathersby wrote in a letter to the parish.

“After that I will begin a formal process to address the situation.”

The parish practices that have long angered conservatives include allowing women and lay people to preach, performing “unorthodox” baptisms and preaching without traditional vestments. The church is also a haven for openly gay and lesbian Catholics, who are able to receive communion and have their relationships blessed. 

However, St Mary’s priest of 28 years, Peter Kennedy, has said the parishioners are unlikely to change their “democratic” ways.

Kennedy told the Australian newspaper that the practices at St Mary's had evolved from the community itself over a number of years, and that the parish had been “white-anted” by vigilantes.

"There are vigilantes who've come into our church and written to Rome, and Rome has put pressure on John Bathersby. Bullies never have enough of bullying, and the Vatican is a bully," Kennedy said.

"Many communities are not sticking precisely to the rules of liturgy. Our problem is that we are a public community. The archbishop has known what we've been doing for all these years. But his model of governance is hierarchical, and that's his problem -- the church's governance is hierarchical."

Kennedy said he was making a stand for "recovering Catholics" who had “walked away from the church because they can no longer abide this institution which is so oppressive of women, of gay and lesbian people”.

"We are one church community that is prepared to say enough is enough," Kennedy said.

St Mary’s has received support from the Bishop of Canberra, Pat Power, who told the Canberra Times he had “sympathy and admiration” for St Mary’s.

“I would have sympathy for a parish which is reaching out to gay people. So often they feel no one wants to know them. But a bishop has difficulty with those things. I recognise their desire to be part of the Church,” Power said.

Gay Catholic activist Tony Robertson told Evolution Online the latest ultimatum had sent “shock waves” through the St Mary’s community, and that a meeting would be held in late November to discuss the parish’s future.

“The commitment of St Mary’s to issues of justice and inclusion embrace not only gay and lesbian people but others who are socially alienated in Church and civic communities,” Robertson told Evolution Online.

“The principles of reform and engagement which are promoted at St Mary’s challenge the prevailing culture of Catholicism. Those who would like to see the community closed down appear to have little or no pastoral concern for the vibrant and welcoming spirit that is celebrated at weekend Masses,” he added.

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