Father Conald Foust, administrator of the Community of Christ Our Brother, has publicly opposed Pope Paul’s encyclical banning artificial contraception.

He was the first priest in the archdiocese to disagree openly with the encyclical which has been supported by Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan, who pledged to accept, profess and teach the doctrine set forth in the encyclical, “Of Human Life.”

Archbishop Donnellan had no comment on the published report as he left Atlanta Wednesday morning.

The archbishop is to give a speech Thursday at a workshop on renewal of religious life at St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., and will not return to Atlanta until Friday.

“Many of Atlanta’s priests feel the same way,” Father Foust, 42, was quoted in a story on Wednesday’s Atlanta Constitution. “I just feel they are afraid to speak out. It’s time we became real men. More and more people are going to become more daring, and the Church is going to become more aware of human value.”

The priest of 15 years -- five of them in Atlanta -- said he sees the need for birth control measures “as a matter of conscience” after having worked with the city’s poor.

Father Foust said he would make his statement to members of the community Thursday night. He said he felt it was necessary to “level” with members of the community and speak out against the doctrine which has “so tortured” many Catholics.

The priest said in the interview he did not advise Archbishop Donnellan of his action.