The silencing of an Irish priest, Father Kevin Flannery, by the Vatican because of his liberal views has once again damaged the church in Ireland and worldwide.
The fact that the Association of Irish Priests, 800 strong, has come out in opposition to the Vatican move underlines once again how ordinary priests are becoming increasingly angry at the heavy hand that rules from the Holy See.
Flannery made plain his opposition to how the church handled the child sexual abuse issue, stated he was in favor of women priests and offered other liberal opinions.
He was silenced by the church, whose rapid actions on this issue contrast sharply with the foot dragging everywhere over the horrific abuse scandals which continue to bedevil the church.
The continuing scope of those scandals is shocking. In Philadelphia last week a trial heard how one priest in that archdiocese boasted openly of three sexual encounters with children in a week.
In Ireland, a class of parents of First Communion children were horrified when the parish priest inadvertently showed hard-core gay porn rather than instructions for their children in a video of necessary preparations for First Communion.
In other words, there is lots for the Vatican to feel enraged about.
A mildly turbulent priest in Ireland, expressing his feelings in his order's magazine, hardly seems likely to capsize the church in the way that the sex scandals and other matters may.
Cardinal Ratzinger, before he was elected pontiff, was known as the "Pope's Rottweiler" in matters of doctrinal faith. He seems quite content to shape a smaller church of true believers than a broad tent. This appears to be a profound mistake.
The honest moral objections of one priest and his forthright views hardly seem worthy of the belt of the crozier that has been administered to him.
Worse, for the Vatican, this particular priest and the organization he heads, the 800 strong Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) is not going down lightly either.
The ACP issued a strong statement in support of Flannery which stated in part, “At this critical juncture in our history, the ACP believes that this form of intervention -- what Archbishop Diarmuid Martin recently called 'heresy-hunting’ -- is of no service to the Irish Catholic Church and may have the unintended effect of exacerbating a growing perception of a significant 'disconnect' between the Irish church and Rome.'
That is a tough statement, especially the line about heresy hunters which places in context where this association sees the Vatican going.
It seems incredible given the history of total obedience in the Irish church that an association of 800 priests would so openly challenge the church's moral authority.
Yet it is precisely because that authority has become so compromised by cover-up and obfuscation that they feel free to do so.
There are so many well-intentioned, hard-working priests who have no truck with scandals or moral judgments. They have never had a voice in the church.
Father Flannery was their voice, one that did not nakedly challenge church authority but asked for understanding and action on critical matters of importance to the laity.
Instead of censoring him, the church leaders would be wise to listen to him.
18 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.freecatholic808 | Jan 28, 2013, 01:28 AM EST
How can the Pope tell pilgrims in St. Peter's Square this week that faith is a personal matter and they should be prepared to "go against the grain" while allowing this kind of persecution of people of faith following their conscience? This is unbelievable hypocrisy.http://freecatholic808.com/2013/01/27/faith-a-personal-act/
rodney | Jan 25, 2013, 06:22 PM EST
Flannery, don't let the door hit you on the backside on the way out. Roma Locuta est. Causa finite est.
Bill Bruehl | Jan 20, 2013, 09:53 AM EST
The time is ripe to begin again to elect bishops locally as was done in the Church for over a thousand years. We also need to make the media see that the Church is NOT the old men in red hats who rule the Vatican. The Church is the People of God who must wrest control from the old Controllers.
eiriamach | Apr 16, 2012, 01:27 AM EDT
PipoerMac, the RC Church is not your personal property. Quit trying to kick people out of it. It's gauche behavior. 'Tis a pity that diversity of views and evidence of people thinking makes you uncomfortable, but try to find some tolerance. Don't you recall what Christ said to those who would exclude anyone from his presence?
KatieMurphy | Apr 13, 2012, 06:09 PM EDT
Aand did God tell the church to take in married (with children also) episcopal priests. While it just recently forced to resign the aux bishop of LA for having two children by a woman. (you can find via google, about a month or 2 old.)
KatieMurphy | Apr 13, 2012, 06:06 PM EDT
to piper mac - "gods laws " huh. did God tell the church to hide the endless molestation? did god tell the church to end marriage for priests to insure total control and inheritance issues. Did god tell the church to oppose birth control pills and prophylactics, or was that one just another attempt by the church to have more minds to control, and corrupt and more little boys and girls.........
KatieMurphy | Apr 13, 2012, 06:03 PM EDT
Rayosun put it quite well down below (or next page( where he told how he escaped from the tyranny of Rome..........As for the vatican, where Bennie has had a couple decades to turn the curia and college of cardinals to his distorted view of the world, I must remind all of us of the battle cry for civil rights for black people in the USA.......................it btw now applies to the vatican - BURN BABY, BURN.....................BTW the scene we have in the vatican is so similar to every tyranny where one man rules over all with "infallibility" and absolutism.
IrelandNorth | Apr 13, 2012, 06:26 AM EDT
Rayosun! There are therapists who specialise in cult deprogramming. "FREE FR. FLANNERY" indeed Murph46 - with every packet of Rice Crispies! Flannery - a Provo? Now you're really phanning my phlutie - PhlutiePhan! You lost me on biological chronology. How can one abort what was immaculately contracepted? PP - keep taking the prozac! As John Lennon once said: "Leave Ireland to the Irish. Not for London or for Rome!" Jesus is busy. Save yourselves.
PiperMac52 | Apr 12, 2012, 05:25 PM EDT
For those of you who call themselves Catholic but do not agree with 2000 years of teachings handed down from Christ to the Apostles, my suggestion to you is to find a liberal church that meets your needs. Thos teachings are immutable and are not open to reinterpretation to satisfy a hedonistic desire based upon so called modernism, or cultural relativism. This battle has been waged since the church's inception. No matter how nice or popular a priest may be, if he teaches that which opposes the established doctrine of the church he must be admonished by the hierarchy. St. Paul did as much to St. peter when he felt he preached that which deviated fro the faith. Liberals think they can change everything to fit their debased ideas. God's laws and commandments do not change with the culture.
CelticQueenUSA | Apr 12, 2012, 04:22 PM EDT
I'm checking out "Jesuswouldbefurious" as soon as I can. We must bring reform, we must.
CelticQueenUSA | Apr 12, 2012, 04:16 PM EDT
Time to be brave and vocal, NO SILENCE! That got us this scandalous mess if you think about it.
snakehips | Apr 12, 2012, 03:39 PM EDT
Wow, it's amazing in this day of a shortage of priests to minister to Catholics in Ireland and around the world, that the Roman Church will ignore a discussion with 800, yes that is 800 priests!
PhlutiePhan | Apr 12, 2012, 02:41 PM EDT
No surprise here at all if you read Malachi Martin and his warning of the taking over of the Church by those who espouse social justice and the creation of a world wide socialist government. That is what Gerry Adams is all about and that is what so-called Father Flannery is all about. How can a pope sit back and espouse abortion under the guise of contraception? Same problem with Obama and his conflict with the American bishops, at least those who have not bought into the great "gay" cause espoused by Bernardin and his followers.
Nicoletta | Apr 12, 2012, 11:42 AM EDT
God bless Pope Benedict!!
eiriamach | Apr 12, 2012, 11:21 AM EDT
The Association of Catholic Priests has brandished no sword, only words. They have spoken about matters of discipline and tradition that are weakening and shrinking the RC Church world-wide. They have given voice to the sensus fidelium, the moral conscience of the laity, and Fr. Flannery in particular has expressed that conscience well, in no way lacking in humility. Pride and rebellion are not the ACP way. Those who are unafraid of the voice of truth have no reason to practice censorship.
Murph46 | Apr 12, 2012, 10:43 AM EDT
FREE FR. FLANNERY !
Sophium | Apr 12, 2012, 10:07 AM EDT
The Association of Catholic Priests, this editorial says, is "800 strong." We shall see if this is the case. If they rebel against the humble Holy Father, perhaps the better use of language is "800 weak." St. Augustine, when asked what are the three greatest virtues, answered: humility, humility, humility. Sword brandishing is not humility, humility, humility. Rayosun, what kind of a legacy are you leaving on this earth? It seems to me that your legacy as of now is bitterness, distortion, and mayhem. Is this truly what you wish to leave on this earth when you die?? Maybe you should give yourself another name: Ray-o-darkness.
Rayosun | Apr 12, 2012, 09:25 AM EDT
If I could escape from the Catholic Church after 24 years of education in Catholic schools and seminaries culminating with ordination to the priesthood and a teaching position in a Catholic seminary, almost anyone can. I'm not selling anything or telling people how to live their lives. All I want to do is to help people to free themselves from the tyranny and stupidity of the Roman Catholic church, by exposing the truth about this very human, very dishonest organization at a site you can find by Googling "Jesuswouldbefurious" or "CatholicArrogance" (one word).