IRELAND
The Irish Catholic
The Vatican case against Fr Tony Flannery hinges on whether or not the Redemptorist accepts the Church’s teaching on the nature of the priesthood.
Michael Kelly
There is “no question” of Fr Tony Flannery facing excommunication senior Vatican sources have told this newspaper, and they have insisted that the case hinges on whether or not the Redemptorist accepts the Church’s teaching on the nature of the priesthood.
During a press conference in Dublin at the weekend, Fr Flannery (66) – a founder member of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) – said he was “threatened with excommunication from the Catholic Church for suggesting that, in the future, women might become priests and calling for this and other matters to be open for discussion”.
However, senior Vatican sources have indicated to The Irish Catholic that the Holy See has not threatened excommunication against the priest and the case against Fr Flannery is about the fundamental nature of the Church’s understanding of the priesthood.
Sources in the Roman Curia who spoke to The Irish Catholic this week claim that it is a 2010 contention by Fr Flannery that he no longer believed that “the priesthood as we currently have it in the Church originated with Jesus” or that Jesus designated “a special group of his followers as priests,” that is problematic for the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF).
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.