Tony Flannery

The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan, has been criticised for permitting a group that is openly critical of Pope Francis to speak in his diocese.

The team behind Catholic Unscripted, Gavin Ashenden, Katherine Bennett and Mark Lambert, are due to give “a weekend of talks, conversations, reflections, prayers and fellowship” in October at the diocese-owned Glencomeragh House in Co Waterford.

The group regularly criticises Pope Francis and recently claimed he has “deserted Jesus”.

The latest revelations of the extent of sexual abuse in Catholic schools is a further cause for shame. It is hard just now to estimate the extent of the damage this will do to the Church, and much more significantly, to the faith. As I write, the news and the media generally, are still dominated by reaction to what has emerged, and it largely consists of condemnation of Catholicism and all that it stands for.

The Root and Branch conference in Leeds

Last weekend I attended the conference organised by Root and Branch in Leeds, entitled Empowering Ourselves. In the past fifteen years I have attended a great many Church Reform gatherings in different parts of the world, and they all, in their own way, had a lot to offer.

But I can say that I was particularly impressed by the group of people I spent the weekend with in Leeds, the Root and Branch movement.