Outspoken Irish cleric says marriage would have made him a 'better priest' - VIDEO
Documentary follows Fr Brian D'Arcy journey as he questions his future in the priesthood
Published Saturday, October 27, 2012, 7:28 AM
Updated Saturday, October 27, 2012, 7:28 AM
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Fr Brian D’Arcy
Photo by Journal.ie
A well known Irish cleric has said that he thinks getting married would have made him a better priest.
In a new BBC documentary, Fr Brian D'Arcy, said he contemplated leaving the church following him being censured by an Irish Catholic watchdog, over his views.
Last April, the Sunday World columnist was censured by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, over his outspoken views on the churches mishandling of clerical sexual abuse and their teachings. It was revealed that D’Arcy’s Sunday World newspaper column were vetted by a church censor on a weekly basis.
The documentary, titled 'The Turbulent Priest' is due to be aired on BBC Northern Ireland this coming Monday. It offers an insight into the life of the high profile cleric, as he confronts the biggest dilemma of his life - can he continue on as a Catholic priest?
In the new documentary he asks: "Is the price of being a priest that you stay quiet, that you don't be a whistleblower, and that the price of dying a priest is that you don't speak the truth?"
Read More: Celebrity priest Fr Brian D’Arcy is latest to be censored by the Vatican
The production team followed the 67-year-old Fermanagh based priest over a number of months as he spoke with individuals in the church.
It follows him to the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin last June, as well as his travels to the UK as well as to Austria, where he spoke with controversial Fr Helmut Schuller, who has described the Vatican an “absolutist monarchy”.
Fr D’Arcy reveals that his personal struggle with the core teachings of the church, especially celibacy.
“I would have been a much better priest had I married. I think it would have been the whole thing of sharing your life with somebody else and the whole thing of making sacrifices for somebody else and also that idea of a companion, a closeness, a friend, someone to call home.”
In a letter to Cardinal Sean Brady, Fr D’Arcy questioned the future of the church.
Cardinal Brady responded "I know that with your excellent access to media and superb communication skills you are well placed to share the fruits of such reflection with others. I wish you well as you continue to do so."
'The Turbulent Priest' will be aired on BBC NI on Monday at 10.35pm
The Turbulent Priest - Fr Brian D'Arcy prepares to meet the rest of his Order
68 Comments
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jacersagain | Nov 04, 2012, 12:52 PM EST
Thanks to the two Seans for kind comments. Today is a Sunday. I had a kind of unusual day, walking on one of the windswept beautiful golden beach strands of Dublin that straddle the Irish Sea. Some of you might think I’m an idiot for saying the following but my sons would disagree with you. What I believe to be the entity that we call 'God' advised me not to let IrishCentral go. So, meekly, with hat in hand close to my heart, I have to say to all that, as a member of the silent majority, I have to stand up and stick it into the media persuaders of rubbish misrepesentation. I’m confused today, this Sunday evening. Can somebody tell me if I have, today, gone through what some people call a re-birthing??
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BishopSean | Nov 01, 2012, 09:34 PM EDT
I agree with SeanOmelb. You'll be missed in this community--and I do agree with you almost always!
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Brolaur | Oct 31, 2012, 06:20 PM EDT
georgie fox I agree with you,completely. He has used the Roman Collar to get himself on every TV and Radio in Ireland and England, he, constantly writing articles for newspapers and magazines. Without that Collar we would never have heard of him. Maybe he would have been doing, what God called him to do. He knows all the showbands, TV presenters and radio hosts. Instead of constant hankering after the spotlight maybe he should look INSIDE. He's a disgrace to his Order and a very bad example to his people.
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seanomelb | Oct 30, 2012, 06:41 PM EDT
Although we hardly agree I'll miss your posts Jacer
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jacersagain | Oct 30, 2012, 03:26 PM EDT
I’m not going to post replies under this topic anymore. My (...more) follow-up post to mine at 12.15pm yesterday didn't make it online (it expanded on that post, to put a deeper slant on it), nor were several posts/replies that I went through the bother of composing under Cahir O’Doherty’s ‘No Gays Need Apply’ article posted either. So I hope this one makes it online so that all know I’ve read what you all managed to get posted but I’m not replying: I’m giving up on ICentral… there no point composing posts if they are not accepted, or deleted later, at some ICentral editor’s whim. Go n-éirí an bóthar libh go léir; may you all go in good health and be at Peace with all you meet.
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georgie fox | Oct 30, 2012, 11:08 AM EDT
Darcy is a sellout. He enjoys the celebrity status if you could call it that and has his liberal views to please his listeners. Fr Darcy you should remember first and foremost you are a priest and have a responsibility to lead people in the TRUTH and obey your superiors and the Church teachings. It was prophesied that many priests would be on their way to hell and they would bring many souls with them! YOU are on this path. Stop your false teachings! obey the Church in her wisdom and shut it
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seamus60 | Oct 30, 2012, 09:10 AM EDT
Renelda M. With respect I wouldn`t go congratulating Brady on anything. He has lost so much credability with Catholics in Ireland, he is left with no option but to go with the populist and what better way than via the well recieved channells to the media he recognises D`arcy has.
Your congrats proving it may have worked, to what degree is another thing. His days are numbered by both the Vatican and the people. He can at least hope for some let up on public opinion of him as he will most likely reside he for his remaing time.
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eiriamach | Oct 29, 2012, 07:06 PM EDT
'Funny thing you should mention censorship by "libs," KOH. The two who most frequently tell me to STFU and go away are you and Woundedknee/ Dillon. You know George Dillon, don't you-- Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile. But to resume the point, I'm so opposed to censorship-- as continually subject to it myself for leftist views that make the neo-cons nervous-- that if Barack Obama called me and said, "Éirí, you must censor so-and-so because he poses an imminent threat to national security," I'd give it at least a moment's thought before I'd do it. But I don't second guess Niall O'Dowd, who runs a business and probably has lawyers who advise IC about libelous and other litigable comments made by the scurrilous few who visit IC in search of the like-minded who, they hope, will validate their own bigotries. But hey, feel free!
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eiriamach | Oct 29, 2012, 06:40 PM EDT
Hey, great idea, KOH! If Irish Central wants to pay me for posting here, I'll be happy to take the money, but no such luck-- it ain't gonna happen! I have my reason for being here, not a reason I feel compelled to share with you. Perhaps it takes YOU too much time to put words into a com box, but I generally do it in a flash, with plenty of time left for other pursuits. Don't let what seems to you like my omnipresence here drive you away. . . . T'would be sniffling sad.
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seanomelb | Oct 29, 2012, 06:20 PM EDT
Jacer no one doubts the church has great thinkers ,its what their thinking leaves one to doubt their integrity,medieval and out of touch.
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KweenOHearts | Oct 29, 2012, 06:18 PM EDT
***-- objecting, that is, with any viable arguments, relevant facts, or coherent counterpoints. Often, just like you, those who disagree with me HAVE NO response, so they hurl foolish insults instead, just like you.*** -----
I don't happen to have the luxury of TIME to waste a great part of my life seeking affirmation from a bunch of misguided political, cultural and quasi-theological sister-souls on the net, as you do. Perhaps, it is people like you who keep websites like this one from disappearing into the inconsequential oblivion where they belong. I would not be surprised to learn that your participation here is part of an inside marketing strategy. If not... you are definitely being cheated! Not many people I know would spend as much time as you do, responding to inanities without the benefit of a paycheck. -----
***Not worth tuppence! Jacers constructed a stra man ("full of idiots"), and I pointed out that he had misrepresented and over-simplified others' comments. I did not hurl insults at him.*** ---- Thanks for making my point!
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KweenOHearts | Oct 29, 2012, 05:56 PM EDT
**I don't post on IC to sell my books or articles, KOH, and quantity often has little to do with quality.**
--- In the case of a comparison between B-XVI and you, if the interminable pontifications you offer here are any proof, or were they to provide to a qualified critic, even a perfunctory comparison between the product of your intellect and his, I'd bet you'd end up 'a mite' dissapointed. But, given the self-assurance you try to project, and the adulation you receive from a few sycophats that keeps you coming here, that might be a long shot. ---
**However, IF comparing intellects were a counting exercise (it's not, and it's generally a useless thing to do), then aside from you and a few other mostly foul-mouthed posters, there are many millions FEWER people objecting to my ideas than to Ben XVI's!** -- Boy, am I surprised by that comparison you just engaged in!! In the grand scheme of things, could that just happent to be a sign of how inconsequential your ideas are? Nah... Look up the word 'humility' (one of the essential spiritual virtues a purportedly 'churchy person' should be well acquainted with), might be one that might help you.
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KweenOHearts | Oct 29, 2012, 05:17 PM EDT
**I'll just add that driving people out of your group, i.e., gate-keeping, as Nicoletta does ("This priest needs another religion") and as Mairint does even more widely ("All you guys, along with Fr. D'Arcy et al, should just move over to the Anglican Church") is just more blatant CENSORSHIP** --- To the subject of 'Censorship' in the context of IC, this is a practice that is blatantly and constantly applied on these blogs, whether by 'columnists' themselves, who have little toleration for people who do not walk in lock-step with their ideas, or by other bloggers themselves -mainly liberals- whos habit is to 'report' comments they dislike or object to as either offensive, racist or whatever description they prefer. -- I've lost track of the number of comments and replies I have been unable to post, as well as those that have been excluded once posted on IC. -- I have come to accept these as a product of the fascist lib mentality that pervades this website, from editor to bloggers themselves. -- It is annoying, but pretty much par for the course. -- If one starts with low expectations here, not much can be a surprise.
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KweenOHearts | Oct 29, 2012, 04:59 PM EDT
faberm1: **The requirement for Celibacy is NOT BIBLICAL. The Roman Catholic Church has in essence added to God's Holy Word. The Bible warns against doing this. "If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll." Revelation 22:18** ---
Another 'convenient verse bible-thumper.' You should try reading the bible, and especially the book of Rev. a BIT MORE CAREFULLY! -- The verse you quote says :"I warn every one who hears the words of prophecy of THIS BOOK..." John is referring specifically to the book of Revelation, not to the entire bible, which could be deduced as something reasonable. However, it is a fact that prots, starting by Luther, added words to the bible when they thought it convenient to support their theories. The concept of 'sola fide' or 'saved by faith alone,' one of the foundational beliefs promoted during his apostasy is non-existent within the words of the bible. Is the man therefore condemned to hell for his impudence? Like it or not, if your theological predecesor was sent there... is there much hope for the rest of prots?
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