Sacked Catholic priest Peter Kennedy says he hasn't given up on God and prayer, but no longer believes in Jesus.

Father Kennedy, dismissed by the church for unorthodox practices, says he now considers Jesus "a fable".

The rebel priest made headlines in 2009 when he formed a congregation in exile.

He was earlier sacked by the church for unorthodox practices such as allowing women to preach the homily and blessing same-sex relationships.

Fr Kennedy says he still believes in God, just not a God who intervenes in the affairs of humans.

"It's true I've given up on that sort of a God, that sort of a 'being' that sits up there in heaven somewhere and intervenes in human affairs," he said today.

"If you believe in a God that intervenes into human history why didn't God intervene in the massacre in Norway? Whatever God is, God is not that sort of God, obviously.

"That's what I'm trying to say."

Fr Kennedy said he still believed in prayer, but not asking things of God.

"For me prayer is just standing in wonder and awe at the mystery of life, the beauty of life, the goodness of people."

Praying in church was not about talking directly to God, he said.

"It (public prayer) is about informing the community of people within the community and outside the community who are in need, it's not about informing God.

"God already knows all that, that's God."

But he said he had not believed in Jesus for some time, calling the son of God a "fable" and a "metaphor".

"There is no corroborating evidence for the existence of a person called Jesus," he said.

"The Gospels must not ever be taken literally. Scripture scholars tell us that.

"There's been 'dying, rising God-men' around for centuries before Christianity. All Christianity did was to take on those pagan, then Jewish, mysteries.

"He's a parable, he's a metaphor in a sense."

Fr Kennedy is still highly critical of the Catholic Church, but says he does not hold a grudge against retiring Brisbane Archbishop John Bathersby.

"John Bathersby is a very decent human being ... his theology and my theology are different," he said.

"I did publicly talk about that I held no grudges against John whatsoever.

"I mean in the beginning I was angry because of what I perceived as an injustice to the community. Now he doesn't see it that way and that's fine.

"But with our new bishop the people will not be consulted ... even though they (the Church) said yesterday that the laity will be consulted, they won't be consulted.

"I mean two or three good Catholics might be consulted but it means nothing.

"We live in a very clerical church and the people have no say in the election of their bishops. And they have no say in the dismissal of their bishops."

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/priest-still-believes-but-not-in-jesus-20110727-1hzmc.html?from=smh_ft