Vatican moving against dissident Irish priest?

April 05, 2012

An Irish cleric who heads a group of dissident priests is under Vatican investigation, the Irish Catholic reports.

Father Tony Flannery is no longer contributing a regular monthly column to Reality, a magazine published by his Redemptorist religious order. The Irish Catholic believed that the column was discontinued as the result of inquiries from the Vatican.

Father Flannery, who had contributed to Reality for 14 years, is the founder of the Association of Catholic Priests. The group has been openly critical of the Church hierarchy, has organized a boycott of Sunday Mass, and has called for change in Church teaching on issues such as the ordination of women. Father Flannery himself has suggested a change in the Church’s teaching on the immorality of contraception.

According to the Irish Catholic, Father Flannery retains the support of his Redemptorist superiors. But the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has raised concerns about his work.

The disciplinary action against Father Flannery comes after the Vatican released a summary of a report from the apostolic visitation of the Irish Church, which called for greater attention to orthodoxy in the teaching of doctrine.

 

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Further information:

• Irish priest under Vatican investigation for liberal views (Irish Catholic)
• Dissident Irish priests seek a 'groundswell' of support for radical change (CWN, 10/21/11)