AUSTRALIA
Canberra Times
December 5, 2012
Barney Zwartz
GREG Reynolds, the dissident priest who resigned last year over his support for women priests, has been offered just $5000 by the Catholic Church for his 32 years of service.
Supporters of his Inclusive Catholics group described the payout, to take the form of rent to his landlord, as harsh in light of the unwritten guideline of $1500 a year of service, which should have brought him $48,000. Fairfax understands two other priests who resigned recently each got about $50,000.
Priests who retire are given independent accommodation, a car if they can still drive, and money to supplement the pension, according to Father Reynolds: ”They live quite comfortably.
”The day I resigned, both the Archbishop [Denis Hart] and Vicar General [Les Tomlinson, now Bishop of Sandhurst] told me that they’d look after me financially, but I’d have to apply to the St Patrick’s Trust Fund.”
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