I think it is very naive of the Observer to fall for the line that Kev was fired because of his views on married priests.
To be sure, this statement is no coincidence but it was surely planned by Kev. Several possible motivations spring to mind: if he was going to be fired maybe he could be portrayed as the victim, might even be remembered as the martyr who took a couragous stand; or he was bluffing the Vatican saying "dare fire me now, they will put it down to what I said"; or planning as he did stout denial such a fulsome statement in favour of the married life might persuade people of the incongruousness of the accusations. For be very sure, this guy planned stout denial. But when the Vatican actually did fire him, the game was up, next thing they might announce that the allegations were well founded, nothing for it now but to come out (pardon the expression) with his hands up.
There is nothing at all about this saga which shows are Kev in any kind of good light, but his clever ruse of making that statement just might muddy the waters, it obviously has.