Celebrity priest Fr Brian D’Arcy is latest to be censored by the Vatican

IrelandNorth, it's not about how weird Fr. D'Arcy might be. I don't know him at all, but I believe barneyjo, who does know him or knows his work and character. It's about the censorship imposed on him by the Vatican, the suppression, the absolute control exercised by fearful orthodox heretic hunters. For centuries as the Christian faith was establishing itself and helping shape Western culture, it helped to have a hierarchical organization with control from the top down. Yet that organization did not keep the Church unified past the end of the middle ages. Now it's a completely dysfunctional structure, corrupt and anti-humane. It should have changed radically during the Reformation; it's late for reform now. Too late? Maybe. In this century, it cannot prevail against freedom of conscience and freedom of speech, or against widespread calls for reform.

Father Brian D'Arcy wasn't nicknamed Fr. Trendy by Irish comedian Dermot Morgan for nothing. Seems somewhat of a adept whingemeister and self-publicist to me. Whatever's fashionable, he's got or had it done to him. Me thinks he's now joined the ranks of the professional 'Benny Bashers', to soften up Ireland for the Orangemen Order. Roadsign: CONSTITUTIONAL FENG SHUI AT WORK - REFORMED UNITED IRELAND AHEAD - 32 KM!

EAmon - I use about one wine bottle a year and havent had a beer or hard drink in years/ BTW why dont I drink much - because I have wierd nightmares if I do. Maybe its time - Honestly I just thought of this one - that I should go see a hypnotist. Was I one of the 21 % OF the molested kids who is female?

In the old days the good Father would have been tortured and burned at the stake. Anmd if we let the church get away with what it is doing re D'Arcy, the nuns etc, it will soon be back to the 'good old days".........................................As fpr George dillons comments about hypocrites, we're talking about refoming the church and punishing the vilest of vile "holy people". A big difference from 'economics"

It's funny. The same hypocrites who spew out bile about rule from Rome in religious matters are quite happy to accept rule from Brussels (or is it Frankfurt?) in politics and economics.

"Come down from the mountain Katie Murphy; You've had too much of the rare oul' Mountain Dew". (With apologies to "Katie Daly") Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

I'd love to see the Ould Celtic Church returned to us one way or another!

southcountykelly, my message from Christ isn't his sacrifice or I'd have to give equal worship and regard to the many who regularly sacrifice their lives as martyrs out of conscience, military duty, police duty, fire duty (remember 9-11?). Those messages are weighty, but Christ's message of Love transcends it by far for me.

biggles008, you could say that about thousands of priests around the world. Problem is, it's usually a cardinal who becomes pope. Most of them are worthless pedophile hiders.

@GeorgeDillon - Ah but George, I have an advantage in that I have been a regular attender of the "Novena of Hope" which takes place at the Graan Passionist Monastery every year. I have seen the church brimming over with the faithful from pretty much all 32 counties of Ireland represented, if the number plates in the car park are anything to go by. Y'see George, for years in Ireland, Brian Darcy was the only priest brave enough to talk about abuse in all of its forms, including priestly abuse. Back then, not many took him seriously, regarding him as a nutcase, perhaps not wanting to believe that abuse by priests could actually occur. Boy were we all wrong. And we know now that Brian Darcy spoke with authority, as he was a victim of clerical abuse himself during his years of priestly formation. He is regarded as a beacon of hope by many, many Irish Catholics, still practicing, and all of whom will follow Brian D'arcys case with interest. I know something of the man and believe me when I say, he is one who will NOT go quietly; and why should he???

Fr Brian D’Arcy would make a better pope than the present one

I still contend that the active members of the Catholic Church, take control of the Church, do away with canon law, and all of the self imposed rituals that have separated its members from Jesus' real message...salvation through His death on the Cross. We recieve His message through the Bible.

rugbyplayer says thaqt the Church in Ireland should join with the church of Ireland. I'm all for that one. The sooner the better the catholic church of Rome is seen as thelongest lived tyranny on the planet ,the better...............Of course what's happening is that the church is splitting, within ten years Rome will be looked upon as a mad circus or asylum.

the tyrants of Frankenstein s Castle in Rome are doing God's work - destroying with their medieval mind set the church of the endless hidden molestation of children, the church of Pope Bennie who in 2009 UNexcommunicated a Holocaust deniers, Bishop Williamson. The tyrants of Rome look in the mirror every day and effectively say to themselves "I am god", sure!!!!!!.....................BTW the CDF is the successor to the anything but Holy Inquisition of torture and burnings at the stake. ...................Let the old foggies who believe in the madness continue to rule and we will soon be free of the extremists - cradle catholics who no longer have even the ability to use the brain God gave them and instead play parrot............... Freedom from the church is near. the only Question is whether the hierarchy will join hands with the nutcase Talibans...........As I note in Eirlamach comment below - The pope tells another lie - he's for freedom of speech - his only and his lackeys.

Fr. D'Arcy has a wry sense of humor. According to the BBC News, he said, "I shall continue my ministry in communication because I believe that the church cherishes freedom of speech as an inviolable principle. Pope Benedict made a fervent plea for freedom of expression on his recent visit to Cuba." He criticizes the Vatican's hypocrisy in words that ostensibly praise the Vatican for a virtue it does not have!