Tony Flannery

In the current issue of The Tablet Christopher Lamb does a critique of the CDF, highlighting how they are selective in who they target.  He particularly mentions various senior clerics and catholics in the U.S. who publicly contradict and defy Church Teaching (William Barr on the death penalty, e.g.) and Vigano attacking Francis. And the CDF remain silent; they have nothing to say. Then Lamb concludes:

“The doctrine office also committed time and resources to an opaque, and highly questionable, investigation of Irish priest Fr Tony Flannery, 73, ordering him to sign a series of “fidelity oaths”.If

At my age a person should not be wishing their life away, but I am writing this just a few days before the end of a year that I think a lot of us will be glad to see the back of. What I want to do here is to reflect a little on what the year was life for me personally. (A blog like mine gives me, I like to think, the right every once in a while, to be a little self-indulgent!}

My initial thoughts on the new appointment to head of Dublin Archdiocese.

It is no surprise to me, or, I’m sure to most people, that the choice fell to Dermot Farrell, current bishop of Ossory and former President of Maynooth College.

It is important to wish him well, since he is taking on an enormous task.

I never had any dealings with Dermot in his Maynooth days, but when a request came in for a parish mission in Dunboyne, where he was parish priest, it was my task to lead it.