Tony Flannery

Women’s Ordination Advocates Support Irish Priests’ Statement on Women:
Call for Greater Moral Courage of Catholic Hierarchy to Join Grassroots

Women’s Ordination Worldwide (WOW) extends our deepest gratitude to the twelve Irish priests who publicly signed their names to a statement calling for open discussion on the need for equality for women in all aspects of Church life, including ministry. Calling the situation “damaging,” “alienating” and “scandalizing,” the priests stressed that the policy of discrimination against women upheld by the Catholic Church “encourages” and “reinforces” abuse and violence against women around the world.

Some people ask me that question. Women, in particular, are inclined to ask it, since the womens issue is the one that he is weakest on. And yet, when I observe the atmosphere in the Church now, compared to what it was a few years ago – the open discussion and effort to face at least some of the issues facing us,- I know that things have changed.
A recent comment that came in to the ACP website brought it home to me even more:
“As a Catholic who is fond of the Traditional Mass and appreciative of the initiative of BXVI to clarify the status of and make more widely available that Mass, I’m really hurt that Pope Francis has apparently not read or accepted Summorum Pontificate, and sees fit to ride roughshod over the legitimate spiritual aspirations and attachments of Faithful Catholics.

On Wednesday evening, November 18th, I am giving a talk at the Friarsgate Theatre, Kilmallock, on the theme:
Pope Francis: real change or just good public relations.
It is at 8.00pm.
I have followed Francis very closely since he became pope, and I have been very impressed by him. But it is also increasingly obvious that there is a great deal of opposition to the things he is trying to do with the Church, and especially with the Vatican.