Priests pressure hierarchy to discuss restoring Ireland's ‘silenced’ clerics to full ministry

By Nick Bramhill
Irish Examiner
December 07, 2015

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/mhqlauaumhoj/rss2/?ref=yfp

Church leaders are to discuss a resolution from a group representing over 1,000 priests to restore Ireland’s ‘silenced’ clerics to full ministry.

The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) overwhelmingly backed a proposal at their recent AGM, calling for censured members of the clergy to be reinstated to former roles.

Up to five Irish priests have been disciplined by Church authorities here for their outspoken views, including relaxing strict rules on celibacy and allowing priests to marry.

But the ACP has called for bishops to ask authorities in the Vatican to restore silenced members of the priesthood to “full and unrestricted” ministry.

The group has argued that returning censured priests to their former parishes would be in keeping with the spirit of Pope Francis’s Holy Year of Mercy — which begins tomorrow .

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference indicated members would be willing to debate the future for censured clerics.

In a statement, spokeswoman Brenda Drumm said: “The Catholic Communications Office understands that the ACP has written formally to the Irish Bishops’ Conference on this matter, so we are not in a position to comment until such time as the bishops have met to discuss the question.”

Fr Sean McDonagh, a founding member of the ACP, said:

“There’s maybe four or five silenced priests in Ireland at the moment, including [fellow ACP founder] Fr Tony Flannery. It’s totally unjust what’s happened to them and it’s something that’s been very hard for them personally.

“The silencing took place during the period of Pope Benedict and there was no openness or transparency about it.”

“We’re using the opportunity of the Year of Mercy to call for the silenced priests to be returned to ministry, and if we’re to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, this is what should happen.”

During their recent AGM, the ACP also discussed the vocations crisis . Fr McDonagh, a Co Tipperary-born Columban, said urgent reform — including relaxing the rules on celibacy and encouraging a more central role for women in the Church — was needed.