Tony Flannery

The past year or two in the Irish Catholic Church was a largely positive time. This was due to the first stage of the Synodal Process, which turned out to be much better than was generally expected. There was, in my opinion, a real opening out, listening, learning, changing. Without naming anybody, I was really surprised by the way that some of the more traditional people, both in authority and in media, changed their views, and became open to the need for renewal and change. 

This article contains nothing new; it is old ground that I have been over many times. But every now and again, when I hear of some other ‘skullduggery’ connected with the CDF, it all comes back to me again. So, here it is:

A few days ago I met someone who wanted to hear the story of my dealings with the Vatican. Going back over it stirred up many memories, and made me realise again what a ‘shower’ I was dealing with in the CDF (known now as the Dicastery for the Congregation of the Faith).

I have followed the process of Pope Francis’ Synodal movement from the beginning. I regard it as an extremely interesting development in our Church, certainly the most interesting since the Second Vatican Council.  

I find myself quite excited by the potential of synodality, though I am well aware that there are many challenges facing the process, and no certainty that it will succeed in the way Francis hopes and wishes.