Letters

Hippies

Stephen Hemingway

Contents - Apr 2009 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Confronting the long march of secularism - Michael Gilchrist Benedict XVI addresses a Vatican conference on evolution and Christianity - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World US Catholic universities: how not to observe Lent American women religious: Vatican apostolic visitation - AD2000 REPORT Red Mass Homily: Catholics as 'bearers of light' in a secular culture - Bishop Peter J. Elliott Anti-life platform: Archbishop Chaput: President Obama and the challenge for US Catholics - Archbishop Charles Chaput Foundations of Faith: The Mass and private devotions in Catholic life - Br Barry Coldrey Andrew Cichy: A bold project to reinvigorate Church music in Australia - Anthony Barich Events: Holy Week 2009 - Traditional liturgy in Melbourne Conversion: Peter has spoken through Leo: why I became a Catholic - Michael Daniel Letters: Active Catholics? - Rev Edward P. Evans Letters: Hippies - Stephen Hemingway Letters: Dissent - Peter D. Howard Letters: The Pill - Denise M. Cameron Letters: Capitalism - William Briggs Letters: Church unity - Alan Baron Letters: Love and truth - Frank Mobbs Letters: Church in China - Francis Vrijmoed Letters: Bush fires - Maureen Federico Books: RENDER UNTO CAESAR:Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life, Charles Chaput - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Books: LIVING BIBLICALLY, by Archbishop Barry Hickey - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: AD2000 Books for April Reflection: The Resurrection: confirmed by faith and reason - Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli

Having read and seen media reports about Fr Peter Kennedy of St Mary's Church, South Brisbane, I am amazed at the arrogant self-centredness of both Fr Kennedy and his group. Their services do not include the usual Scripture readings but rather locally concocted literary productions; worshippers do not face the church sanctuary but instead face themselves in a circle; and a 'do-it- yourself' liturgy is based on a vague 'relevance'.

They are in reality a lot of ageing hippies who, having dusted off their love beads, come together to sing 1960s protest songs in a nostalgic haze recalling their glory days, supported by such luminaries as the Raelians and Socialist Alliance.

These people are not in church to worship God but rather to worship themselves, They set themselves up as supreme authority and reject the leadership of the wider church and having pushed God aside they put themselves in His place.

Their leader, Fr Kennedy, like another rebel in the past, says with overweening pride, 'I will not serve', thus repudiating his vow of obedience to his archbishop while leading his people towards a promised land of self-worship and group hugs.

Fr Kennedy refuses to hand over the keys of his church to his successor. He rejects the notion that Christ gave the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to a humble Jewish fisherman and his successors in Rome. This is the key to the whole issue: the St Mary's group rejects the idea of an institutional Church with hierarchical leadership and is determined to 'white ant' the structure from within.

This is quite obvious and must be stopped immediately, both for the sake of the Church and for all at St Mary's.

STEPHEN HEMINGWAY
Moonee Ponds, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 22 No 3 (April 2009), p. 14