Tony Flannery

Up to now I haven’t written anything about the ongoing saga between my brother Frank and the PAC. It has been extraordinary, and of course quite distressing for those of us close to him, not to mention himself.
I have been amazed at some of the activities of members of the Public Accounts Committee. I think in particular of the practice they had of going on lunchtime radio while a hearing was still in progress, and ridiculing some of the things that were being said by the people inside.

The ACP have received a clarification from Fr. David Corrigan, Provincial of the Marists, about Sean Fagan.
It seems that the only thing that has been lifted from Sean is the threat of dismissal from the priesthood. The other sanctions remain in place, and his book continues to be banned.
I’m afraid that this removes any possibility that the gesture towards Sean is a sign of some softening of policy on behalf of the CDF, or some indication that the ‘Francis factor’ was beginning to work.

SARAH MACDONALD – PUBLISHED 30 APRIL 2014 02:30 AM

Outspoken priest Fr Tony Flannery, who was silenced by the Vatican in 2012, has challenged the Irish bishops to “get rid of the blight” of censuring clergymen.
He was responding to the news that the Vatican has lifted its sanctions against Fr Sean Fagan, following the intervention of Pope Francis and a letter written to the Pontiff by former Irish president Mary McAleese last December.