A Conversation with Tony Flannery
Tony Flannery is a priest and author of A Question of Conscience. He is also co-founder of the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland. In 2012, Tony was censured by the Vatican and forbidden to minister as a priest over his calls to reconsider official church teachings on celibacy for priests, contraception, homosexuality and women’s ordination. Since 2013, he has been active in the church reform movement around the world.
Doctrinal Authority in the Francis Era
Toward a Pastoral Magisterium in Today’s Church
Richard R. Gaillardetz
Pope Francis during his general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Dec. 14 / CNS photo
Pope Francis is a remarkable witness to authentic Christian discipleship. On this most Catholics agree. We love his humility and simple lifestyle, his infectious joy, his commitment to fundamental Gospel values. This admiration has not prevented some critics from expressing concerns regarding the exercise of his papal office.
When An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, visited Pope Francis recently he agreed to take a message from me to the Pope.
Below is the text of what I sent to Pope Francis:
Your Holiness, Pope Francis,
Since 1994, the credibility of the Catholic Church in Ireland has been severely damaged due to the clerical sexual abuse problems. This led to many people, even committed Catholics, asking serious questions about the structure and practices of our Church, and the reasons why Church authorities failed to deal properly with the emerging scandal.
