IRELAND/UNITED STATES
Irish Independent
Nick Bramhill
PUBLISHED
21/10/2014
An outspoken Irish priest has told of his certainty that he will be spied on by Vatican officials during an extensive speaking tour of the US.
Fr Tony Flannery, the founding member of the Association of Catholic Priests, was censured and forbidden to minister as a priest two years ago because of his refusal to accept the Catholic Church’s stance on issues like the ordination of women, contraception and homosexuality.
But the 67-year-old, who has been a member of the Redemptorist Congregation for more than 50 years, said he was no longer willing to remain silent.
He now believes that his liberal views are shared by the majority of the Irish public – and even by Pope Francis himself.
Reform
The Galway native will push for church reform in an 18-date speaking tour across the US, which begins in Washington DC tomorrow.
But speaking ahead of his tour, he said he expected his words to be closely monitored by traditionalist church leaders in the Vatican.
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