ELEANOR HALL: There is new evidence today of a split developing in the Catholic Church over the leadership of controversial Sydney Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell. In an unprecedented move, a Sydney priest has publicly criticised Cardinal Pell's conservative leadership, describing it as "exclusive and inflexible".
Father John Crothers has written an article for the independent website Online Catholics, condemning the cardinal's banning of gluten-free communion breads and criticising the Church for ignoring the "rights and needs of faithful Catholics". The website editor says there's been a huge positive response to Father Crothers' comments.
So far the Sydney Archdiocese has refused to comment on the article, but as Tanya Nolan reports, the Australian Catholic Bishop's Conference says no one is being excluded from celebrating the Eucharist.
TANYA NOLAN: A growing unease has been developing within the Catholic Church ever since cardinal George Pell took on the role of archbishop of Sydney three years ago, but few have been brave enough to speak out – until now
In an article published by the nation's only independent Catholic media, Online Catholics, Father John Crothers from the Sydney parish of Penshurst begins by telling the story of one of his parishioners who suffers from celiac disease, an intolerance to gluten.
He says he had to tell Anne she can no longer receive gluten-free hosts for communion because of a decree issued by the congregation for the faith, part of the Vatican curae which interprets church law.
Father Crothers says:
EXCERPT FROM CROTHERS' ARTICLE: I knew at that moment that something had gone seriously wrong with our Church. This was the very criticism that Jesus constantly levelled at the scribes and Pharisees, letting religion become an end in itself.
I knew in my heart I had to take a stand, not just about the banning of gluten free hosts, but about a growing tendency in our Church to ignore the rights and needs of faithful Catholics, in the name of religion.
Over the past few years, there has been a concerted effort by some bishops to push the Australian church further to the right. Certainly here in Sydney Cardinal Pell makes no apology for his ultra conservative views. And neither should he. Being conservative or liberal is neither right nor wrong. It's just the way we are.
The problem arises when conservatives or liberals fail to see there are other people in the world whose views also need to be respected and listened to.
TANYA NOLAN: Father Crothers goes on to criticise Cardinal Pell for his conservative leadership style, describing it as "exclusive and inflexible" and says it's contributing to the current low morale among Sydney priests.
Editor of the weekly subscription-based publication Online Catholics, Kate Mannix describes the response the article has received.
KATE MANNIX: Oh huge, partly because he raised the issue of the gluten-free host, which is I think symbolic of the sort of rule-bound preoccupations of Rome.
But I think the larger issue that he points to is the… broad approach to leadership in the Sydney arch diocese by Cardinal Pell.
TANYA NOLAN: Ms Mannix says 100 per cent of respondents were in favour of the stand Father Crothers took and she says most expressed their own criticism of Cardinal Pell.
KATE MANNIX: I was talking to a priest just yesterday who said to me he doesn't care about his priests, he doesn't really even care about the Sydney Archdiocese. I think the Cardinal is more interested in associating with people in positions of power.
TANYA NOLAN: So far Cardinal Pell hasn't responded and Father Crothers refused to comment any further, declining to confirm to The World Today whether he had been contacted by the Archdiocese over his article.
But Father Peter Williams, executive officer of the National Liturgical Commission for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference was prepared to set the record straight on the issue of gluten-free hosts.
Father Williams says communion wafers containing a very low amount of gluten will be available in parishes this week, but the Vatican decree orders that they must contain some wheat.
While acknowledging that will exclude some parishioners, he says they will still be able to celebrate the Eucharist by receiving communion wine.
PETER WILLIAMS: They have a determination to make in terms of, well, you know, the Church has used, you know, for 2000 years, wheat-based bread for the celebration of the Eucharist.
TANYA NOLAN: But does it need to be that strict?
PETER WILLIAMS: Yes it does need to be that strict because that is always and has been part of the tradition.
TANYA NOLAN: Do you see how people like Father Crothers could interpret that as being exclusive?
PETER WILLIAMS: I don't in fact know what he said, but yeah, I can understand how some people have reacted in a fairly negative way. But what we are attempting to do is to provide a pastoral solution to what we perceive to be a problem for some of our members.
ELEANOR HALL: Father Peter Williams is the Executive Officer of the National Liturgical Commission for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and he was speaking to Tanya Nolan.