Sir, – I want to offer my support and solidarity to my Redemptorist colleagues, Tony Flannery and Gerry Moloney (“Vatican moves to quell internal dissenting voices”, Home News, April 6th) Both have contributed, over the years to the debate on many issues relevant to church and society and it is now very unfortunate that both have been told to keep silent.
Renewal in the church will only ever take place when we are open to dialogue and when the the diversity of theological reflections are listened to and debated. Silencing a few just won’t make the issues go away. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – In the recent controversy regarding Fr Tony Flannery some people have drawn a parallel between the Pope’s advocacy for freedom of expression in Cuba and the Vatican’s actions against Fr Flannery’s teachings.
This parallel is flawed. Indeed, the Pope’s expressions in Cuba were aimed at enhancing the rights of non-Marxists to criticise the regime, not at preventing the government from defining what can be said by its own ministers. In the Irish context, the Pope is not preventing non-Catholics from expressing their views against the church’s teachings, but simply defining what can the church’s ministers may teach. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Like Fr Kevin Hegarty (Home News, April 7th), I too thought that the Vatican’s attempt to silence members of the Redemptorist order was an April Fool’s joke.
I am a parishioner of the parish where Fr Gerard Moloney ministers. Each week our community leaves Sunday Mass enriched by that ministry, a ministry in which the Gospel message is illuminated and we come to know a little more about our God of love. We often leave challenged and unsettled by that message, as its implication for how we live our lives is unflinchingly and unapologetically spelt out. And it has been that ministry that has been a beacon of hope to us as we have had to sit and listen, day by day and case by case, to the betrayal of the essence of the Gospel message and its cover-up, by the institutional church.
I do not know who reports on, or who decides what “dissidence” is, but I would simply invite people to come to our community some Sunday morning and to sit and listen with us. Perhaps you too will leave enriched and challenged by what you have heard. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – While every effort has been made to blame Pope Benedict for deliberately launching an investigation, during Holy Week, into the activities of Fr Tony Flannery, nothing could be further from the truth.
The Vatican did not contact the Irish media during Holy Week but someone else decided to make capital of it. The facts are that Fr Flannery was notified over two months ago that he was being investigated about articles published by him, over many years, attacking the traditional teaching of the church on a variety of serious matters. He has done so for years with the obvious approval of his superiors and unfortunately without any reported objection from our bishops. It is disgraceful.
Obviously, there is something wrong in the church in Ireland and it must be corrected. In the first instance there is widespread disobedience. The public disobedience continues daily in many parishes where celebrants refuse to adopt the New Translation of the Missal at Mass. The faithful have never been consulted by these celebrants who simply do what they like, regardless. This makes it extremely difficult for good priests and the faithful alike. It appears to be a planned attack by some priests, a persecution from within and if not stopped immediately will lead to perdition.
For those familiar with what is taking place in church this investigation is a welcome beginning and gives great hope. It is no surprise, whatsoever, that the usual suspects from the media and church came out immediately in support of Fr Flannery and in unanimous condemnation of the Pope – it will probably get worse.
However, regardless of this expected hostility, the Vatican has a sacred obligation to investigate any religious whose teaching is contrary to that of the church: to defend those sacred teachings: and to protect the faithful from all taint of error and corruption. To do otherwise would be very grave and unforgivable. There are two certainties whether we like it or not: we all need correction at times and at the end we will all have to account. Viva Papa Benedict. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Congratulations to Augustinian Fr Gabriel Daly for his succinct analysis of the current swipe of the crozier at Fr Flannery, as reported by Patsy McGarry (Home News, April 9th). If a writer like Fr Flannery had advocated 50 years ago that fast and abstinence would become a matter of choice and conscience, that there would be no need to fast from midnight to receive the Eucharist, and that women would participate in the Mass as Ministers of the Eucharist and the Word, they too would have been censured.
What a pity that the very clear Gospel values are being made complicated by those in authority. It’s all only a matter of time in a 2,000-year pilgrim path. We need free expression of views on where that journey is taking us.
Let’s be guided by the Holy Spirit. She knows what she is doing. – Yours, etc,