Dissident Irish priests must grapple with Church authority, Catholic writer argues

April 20, 2012

Irish essayist David Quinn questions the future prospects of the dissident Association of Catholic Priests, wondering whether the group’s members will the authority of the Church magisterium.

“In the end, this is a debate about authority,” Quinn observes. The Association of Catholic Priests is unsatisfied with Church teachings, but the priests must confront the basic question: “Does the church have the authority to teach that certain things are true, or not?”

The Vatican has begun calling the leaders of the dissident priests’ group to accountability, Quinn notes. But “the silence of the Irish hierarchy is deafening.”

 

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Further information:

• Outspoken clergy must be clear on endgame (Irish Independent)