IRELAND
Irish Times
Patsy McGarry
The late Fr Seán Fagan had his “heart and spirit” broken by the Vatican in the years before he died, former President of Ireland Mary McAleese has said.
“His long and illustrious priestly career was blighted in latter years by being silenced by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,” she said.
Marist priest and theologian Fr Fagan died at St Vincent’s hospital in Dublin last Friday.
Widely admired and respected as a courageous theologian and compassionate pastor, he had been ill for some time. …
“A brilliant theologian and thinker who brought great distinction to Ireland, his long and illustrious priestly career was blighted in latter years by being silenced by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. His heart and spirit were broken but his fidelity to the Church and quiet acceptance of such an unjust fate won him even more admirers,” she said. “When, thanks to Pope Francis, the CDF finally restored him to good standing in 2014 it was a case of too little too late. A great and good man’s life and his life’s work had been ruined. Anyone wishing to comprehend the collapse of the Catholic intellectual tradition need only examine Seán Fagan’s tragic story.
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