No Excommunication for Fr Flannery - Vatican

By Michael Kelly
Irish Catholic
January 23, 2013

http://www.irishcatholic.ie/20130123/news/no-excommunication-for-fr-flannery-vatican-S11702.html

Tony Flannery.

There is “no question” of Fr Tony Flannery facing excommunication senior Vatican sources have told this newspaper, and they have insisted that the case hinges on whether or not the Redemptorist accepts the Church’s teaching on the nature of the priesthood.

During a press conference in Dublin at the weekend, Fr Flannery (66) – a founder member of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) – said he was “threatened with excommunication from the Catholic Church for suggesting that, in the future, women might become priests and calling for this and other matters to be open for discussion”.

However, senior Vatican sources have indicated to The Irish Catholic that the Holy See has not threatened excommunication against the priest and the case against Fr Flannery is about the fundamental nature of the Church’s understanding of the priesthood.

Sources in the Roman Curia who spoke to The Irish Catholic this week claim that it is a 2010 contention by Fr Flannery that he no longer believed that “the priesthood as we currently have it in the Church originated with Jesus” or that Jesus designated “a special group of his followers as priests,” that is problematic for the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF).

Fr Flannery went on to write: “It is more likely that some time after Jesus, a select and privileged group within the community who had abrogated power and authority to themselves, interpreted the occasion of the Last Supper in a manner that suited their own agenda.”

Vatican sources have indicated to The Irish Catholic that the CDF wants Fr Flannery to specifically recant that statement and affirm that Christ instituted the Church with a permanent hierarchical structure and that bishops are divinely-established successors to the apostles.

Fr Flannery says the Vatican warned him not to attend meetings of the Association of Catholic Priests. It is understood the Vatican is concerned that he was in a leadership role in an organisation that counts more than 1,000 priests as members. The CDF is worried about the influence Fr Flannery’s published views on the nature of the priesthood might have on the members of that organisation.

One Vatican source said: “here you have a priest, who is leading a priests’ association, apparently saying he doesn’t believe in the founding principles of the priesthood. That’s not good for the other members of this association.”

However, on the issue of excommunication, the source indicated that there is “no question” of Fr Flannery facing this ultimate penalty within the Church. Even if he refuses to change his view, the sources indicated, Church law would not prescribe this severe punishment.

The Irish Province of the Redemptorists said it is “deeply saddened by the breakdown in communication” between Fr Flannery and the Vatican.

“It is of immense regret that some structures or processes of dialogue have not yet been found in the Church which have a greater capacity to engage with challenging voices from among God’s people, while respecting the key responsibility and central role of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

“We sincerely hope and pray that even at this late stage, some agreed resolution can be found to this matter,” the Redemptorists said in a statement.