Tony Flannery

In an article in the current issue of La-Croix, Robert Mickens, the Vatican correspondent, gave three examples of top Church figures, two cardinals and an archbishop, making public statements calling for radical change in Catholic Church teachings and practice, and even in doctrine.

The first was Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich. Cardinal Marx is one of the select group of advisors, and also a close friend, of Pope Francis.The 68-year-old cardinal made a big splash this past week when he said clerical celibacy should be optional.

Professor Brendan MacSuibhne, of NUIG, speaking at the West Cork History Festival in Skibbereen. He spoke about the low rate of Mass attendance among Irish Catholics pre-famine, and now it gradually changed after the famine, until, in the twentieth century Ireland had probably the highest rate of Mass attendance of any country in the world.

As you can see in the quote below, he considered that my ancestors in the Redemptorists had contributed greatly to make the Irish people devoted and devotional.

Those of you who are acquainted with my views, as expressed in this blog, and also with the ACP website, will know that we came away from the Synodal Gathering in Athlone some weeks ago with a real sense of hope and expectation that significant change is afoot in our Church. From first becoming aware of Pope Francis’ idea of a Synodal process, I regarded it as something that could bring about a very new and different style of being Church.The