Tony Flannery

Commenting on the practices of the CDF:

‘The proceedings of the CDF were frequently criticised, not least by the subjects of its investigation, for having failed to observe the norms of natural justice. These require that hearings must be fair and impartial, that an accused must be heard, that an accuser should not also be a judge, there should be a right of appeal to a higher tribunal, and justice must not only be done but seen to be done.

Pope Francis, in appointing the new head of the DDF (formerly CDF) said that it used ‘immoral methods’ in the past.

The methods used against me included:

1. Judgment decided, and sentence given, before I even knew anything was happening.
2. Never told who my accusers were.
3. Had no opportunity to defend myself.
4. The document which outlined my offences was a scrap of badly typed paper, with no address, heading, signature, stamp.
5. Never had any direct communication from the CDF in the course of the whole process.