'Catholic Spring' uprising prediction for Ireland over dissenting priest Father Flannery

Intercessor, the article by Jonn Allen actually says that Pope Paul Vl told the United Nations that the Church likes to think of itself as an expert in humanity. The article doesn't mention that the pope used the term "Vatican". The Church is perfect - the spotless bride of Christ. Those human beings that live and work within the Church - not so much. Some are extremely sinful, of course. Even the Apostles were prone to disbelief, worldliness, and cowardice. There have always been sinful people in the Church. Ireland has suffered greatly, but it's likely that some of the accusations are unfounded. Many people will use the problems of sinful Catholics to show that the Church is wrong, when in fact they just plain don't like the Catholic Church under any circumstances whatsoever. The problems in Ireland only serve to give reason for anti-Catholicism.

In today's National Catholic Reporter, author John Allen Jr. quoted the Pope as saying, "The Vatican is an EXPERT on Humanity!" Ireland has seen firsthand, the "Humanity of the Vatican," in the way in which the Church endorsed the coverups of her "Humane" Pedophile Priests, who as an example of their "humanity," raped, molested, sodomized and often sadistically punished children and teens under their care. I hope that when dissent against the Vatican grows that the Pope is reminded how INHUMANE the Vatican has been in recent years and not just in the past years of the Crusades, Inquisitions, Forced Conversions, etc.......

Hi alkil29, I appreciate your thoughtful and charitable post below. I understand that non-Catholics (and a lot of Catholics) aren't aware of the Biblical support for the sacrament of Penance, where Catholic priests were given, by our Lord Jesus, the authority to forgive sins in God's name. If you take a look at John Chapter 20, 21-23, (after our Lord's the Resurrection) you'll see that this is the case: 21. [Jesus] said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you retain are retained." So it has ever been thus that priests have listened to confessions, and granted absolution, or withheld it, just as Our Lord Jesus told His Apostles to do. There are other Biblical sources supporting the need for confession and penance, but I thought that this would be a good start. God bless!

Marsaili I agree with what you are saying on the most part and this is something which the AOCP membership needs to consider plus all their supporters but the only way to ultimately be in a state of grace and to enter heaven for all eternity is to believe in what the Lord Jesus Christ DID for us on the cross - He took all our sins upon himself and died so that we can be forgiven through faith in Him. Now if Catholic teaching from the pulpit expresses this truth loud and clear then by hearing it people can be saved and forgiven but anything short of this or indeed in addition to it will not cut the mustard. God bless :)

It's unfortunate that those 800 priests (are there really 800 priests in all of Ireland?) are supporting with Fr. Flannery's dissent. But Rome is not likely to change its mind about Fr. Flannery. The priests who support Fr. Flannery can complain all they want, but since the Church is not and never has been a democracy, they cannot win - ever. My hope is that they carefully consider the situation, as well as read about the lives of the saints and the strong belief in God which they had. If a Catholic is to gain Heaven when he or she leaves this world, then he or she must be in a state of grace, without unconfessed grave sins. Those priests who support Fr. Flannery, do they believe in such a thing as sin? Do they teach proper Catholic teaching from the pulpit? Are they themselves in a state of grace so that they can truly be a shining light and beacon of strength to others? The Catholic Faith exists so that all may gain Heaven one day, because death is a reality for all of us one day - are these priests preparing us for that eventuality? Or do they only care about what's seemingly fair in human secular terms?

Well what the hell did Fr.Flannery say anyway? Silly Pope.... thinks he can talk to god...

Well, he was left like a shag on a rock from what I can gather, unless there's an ulterior motive somewhere. I wouldn't trust any of them, who chose not to buck the system decades ago.

Goergie "the Wanker" Dillon and Steven"Irish Malcolm X" Star, deserve to spend eternity in hell together. What a couple of Maroons!!!!

@georgedillon - Curiously enough, in my last year at Belfast College for Young Offenders, I applied for place on a PHD Course in Brutality, but I failed due to the fact that I was judged NOT to be nasty enough Could have done with some pointers from yourself George (3/10, Oh and "watch out for that tree!!)

We need a Paddy Luther here in Ireland: someone with the charisma, courage and intelligence to break away from the Vatican (Rome): form a new church. Call it the Real Irish Church (RIC). Oops, some hope of that happening! Anyway, that's what the Scandinavians did, the English. The problem is that Irish priests are like sheep. Not one original theological ideas from nay of them ever. What a bunch of imbeciles.

@@@IrelandNorth | Apr 13, 2012, 05:46 AM EDT STEVENSTAR! You're still SHOUTING! Volume is no substitute for rational argument. Nobody's buying a Northern-Irisih/British Protestant masquerading as a liberal Irish Roman Catholic to drive a wedge between the Irish and Irish-America. All orthodoxies suck! Free your minds. Read the Gnostic Gospels.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> MATE WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT? IRISH ARE IRISH WE ARE NOT AMERICAN THE TWO CULTURES ARE WORLDS APART.. ANY AMERICAN I HAVE EVER MET BE THEY TRYING TO BE IRISH OR JUST AMERICAN PERSONALITY WISE CULTURE, HUMOR, EBVER THE WAY WE DRESS ARE POLAR OPPOSITES .. JUST CAUSE YOUR GREAT GRANNY WAS IRISH DOES NOT MAKE YOU IRISH MARE AND ALSO US IRISH WE DONT WANT TO BE AMERICANISED THANKS WE LIKE OUR OWN CULTURE TOO MUCH..

All these posts seem to come from a Monty Python script. Congrats you're all destined to be comedians. But the truth that all ye seek is the fact that there are many road to Heaven. We all can travel different paths to get there. Jesus said, "My Father's house has many rooms." Which I interpret that, yes, lots of room for believers, that includes rooms for those of different faiths. I would cherish an Catholic Spring now is the time for a Catholic Reformation. Up Father Flannery!

catholic spring, sounds tacky not much will turn up to that in so called catholic ireland where islam and buddhism are more practiced than the italian church. if theres any spring its spring to your senses and sling these latin lovers out of old dear Ireland.

Barneyjoe: What community college issued you with a Masters? Why didn't you pay the extra ten bucks and get a Ph.D?

If Pope Bennie says it youse Roman Catholics in Ireland must jump. He is God incarnate on this Earth. (Well that's what I've been lead to believe.) Anyway, has anyone looked at the weather here? It's a bit cold for Spring and I can't see anybody going out for a good riot for change here in Ireland. Us peace loving Irish will only ever rebel against the Brits and Pope Bennie is a German so he's bound to be well in with the Irish Republicans. Cuchie ar la