The leaders of 24 reform groups are asking Pope Francis to halt the Church’s practice of clustering parishes as a response to the shortage of priests. In an open letter, 32 signatories told the Pope that the future of parish life is “massively threatened”. According to an article in the National Catholic Reporter, the letter Read more
Catholic reformists and Ireland’s Association of Catholic priests have called on bishops to be more pro-active in support of Pope Francis. In a statement issued after a meeting in Limerick in Ireland, bishops were called on to “courageously and publicly” support the vision and programme of Pope Francis. “A key issue will be to devolve Read more
Catholic reform leaders from around the world will meet next week in Ireland for a conference organised by a censured Redemptorist. The International Network of Church Reform Movements conference, organised by Fr Tony Flannery, is expected to attract 40 representatives. Fr Flannery said the topics expected to be discussed include the “reform agenda of Pope Read more
A silenced Irish theologian says the prefect of the Church’s doctrinal watchdog is head of a Vatican faction opposed to Pope Francis. Redemptorist Fr Tony Flannery told an Irish radio show that Cardinal Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, leads the anti-Francis faction in the Vatican. “He would generally Read more
An American pastor has refused a request from his archbishop to cancel or change the venue of a talk by an Irish priest who has been silenced by Rome. Fr Mike Tegeder of St Frances Cabrini parish in Minneapolis was told by Archbishop John Nienstedt that the venue of Fr Tony Flannery’s talk be changed Read more
A leading Irish theologian has described the Vatican’s actions to censure a founder of Ireland’s Association of Catholic Priests as “theologically inept”. In a new book, Augustinian Fr Gabriel Daly examines the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s 2012 silencing of Fr Tony Flannery and its suspending him from ministry. Flannery, a Redemptorist, had Read more
Let us talk about Catholic priests. Consider especially those who are now in their 60s, after a life of service to their church. They were seminarians in the heady days of Vatican II when everything seemed possible. They managed to survive the aftermath of was Humanae Vitae and continued to preach and counsel, to lead the sacred Read more
Popular former Ireland President, Mary McAlese has criticised the Catholic Church’s treatment of five silenced Irish priests, accusing Rome of operating through fear and imposing strictures on clerics “which consume the truth”. McAlese described Marist Fr Sean Fagan and Redemptorist Fr Tony Flannery as “good men who have loved this Church with a passion” who are Read more
Organisers had initially expected 200 to turn up at the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) meeting in Dublin this month. In fact over 1000 showed up. The size of the crowd in part was a response to the recent silencing of Irish priests. One of those silenced, Fr Tony Flannery, was part of the leadership Read more
It is not about the journey the outspoken Irish clergy are taking, and is about the destination, warns Irish Independent’s David Quinn in his weekend column. Quinn says the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) need to ask themselves what if they cannot influence the Vatican over women priests, artificial contraception or in a more general context Read more