Silenced priest Fr Tony Flannery launched his ‘A Question of Conscience’ book, which tells how his progressive views on the future of the Catholic Church have left him threatened with excommunication. Fr Flannery launched his new book ‘A Question of Conscience’ with communications expert and RTE broadcaster Bill O’Herlihy in the Royal Hibernian Academy.
‘A Question of Conscience’, published by Londubh, tells the story of how Fr Flannery was summoned to Rome in June 2012 to be told that unless he revised his view that the church should be open to discussing subjects such as homosexuality and celibacy, he would not be allowed to minister as a priest and he would have to step down from his leadership role with the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP). Having written for the Redemptorist’s monthly magazine Reality for 14 years, Fr Tony was surprised to find himself coming to the attention of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).
In this book, Fr Tony describes how his views on what he considers essential for the renewal of the Church, including subjects like the collapse of the present system of priestly ministry, and how we need to re-think who can be priests, and also on various aspects of Catholic teaching on sexuality, led to him being silenced and threatened with excommunication by the Vatican.
Photos: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
