Anthony "Tony" Flannery,
CSsR (born January 1947) is an
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholics () are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland, defined by their adherence to Catholic Christianity and their shared Irish ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heritage.The term distinguishes Catholics of Irish descent, particul ...
religious writer and a
suspended Redemptorist
The Redemptorists, officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (), abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brothers). It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scal ...
priest. He is the founder of the Irish
Association of Catholic Priests. For 14 years, he has been writing a monthly article for ''Reality Magazine'' published by the Redemptorists, and has contributed to many other publications.
Flannery was
suspended by the Vatican in 2012. He said he was told by the Vatican that he would be allowed to return to ministry only if he agreed to write, sign and publish a statement agreeing, among other things, that women can never be ordained as priests and that he would adhere to church orthodoxy on matters like contraception and homosexuality. The
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of t ...
pointed out that Flannery's views could be construed as "heresy" under church law, and threatened "canonical penalties," including
excommunication
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in Koinonia, communion with other members o ...
, if he did not change his views.
Views
In the past he has denied the church's teachings on a variety of controversial issues, including the ordination of women. As a result, he was investigated by the
Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of t ...
. In April 2012 he was penalized by the Congregation.
As of January 2013 he was reported to have rejected the Vatican's orders to remain silent, stating, "I refuse to be terrified into submission."
In a piece published in 2010 in ''Reality Magazine'' Flannery expressed doubt regarding
transmission of priestly authority from Jesus to the priests of the Catholic Church, raising the possibility that the claim of authority was made by a group of early priests on their own behalf:
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.
Recanting that assertion is one of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
's demands.
On 1 October 2020 it was reported that the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of t ...
was insisting that Flannery sign four oaths before being returned to ministry. Some theologians see this as a throwback to the past in silencing theologians. Some also find fault with the principle that those in religious congregations cannot speak with the Congregation directly, but only through their religious superior.
Personal life
He is the youngest in a family of four. He has two brothers: Peter, who is still a Redemptorist at Esker
Monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
in
Athenry
Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th-century street-plan. The town is also well known by virt ...
, and
Frank, the
Fine Gael
Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann. The party had a member ...
Director of Organisation and Strategy. He also has a sister, Geraldine, who is an
acupuncturist
Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientifi ...
in
Tuam
Tuam (; , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midland Region, Ireland, midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parishe ...
.
Bibliography
* ''The Death of Religious Life?'' (
Columba Publishing 1977)
* ''From the Inside'' (
Mercier Press
Mercier Press is a publisher based in Cork, Ireland. It is the longest established independent publishing house in Ireland.
History
The company was founded in 1944 by Seán Feehan and initially published religious books. In 1946 they publishe ...
1999)
* ''For Love or Money'' (Mercier Press 2001)
* ''Waiting in Hope: Reflections on Advent'' (
Veritas
In Roman mythology, Veritas (), meaning Truth, is the Goddess of Truth, a daughter of Saturn (mythology), Saturn (called Cronus by the Greeks, the Titan (mythology), Titan of Time, perhaps first by Plutarch) and the mother of Virtus (deity), Vi ...
2003)
* ''Come back to Me: Reflections on Lent'' (Veritas 2004)
* ''Keeping the Faith'' (Mercier) 2006
* ''A Question of Conscience'' (Londubh Books 2013)
See also
*
Association of Catholic Priests
References
External links
*
Redemptorists in Esker, Galway Independent.ie, 15. 9. 2013
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flannery, Tony
Christian clergy from County Galway
Redemptorists
Roman Catholic dissidents
Living people
1947 births
20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests
21st-century Irish Roman Catholic priests