Threatened with excommunication, Tony Flannery holds firm to his beliefs
Tony Flannery has done what few of us could. He sacrificed his career and his passion for his principles. It’s been anything but easy. All four of the Galway Flannerys joined religious orders. The …More
Tony Flannery has done what few of us could. He sacrificed his career and his passion for his principles. It’s been anything but easy.
All four of the Galway Flannerys joined religious orders. The three priests and one nun were the children of an ambitious Irish mother who well understood that an affordable religious education was her best hope of saving them from poverty.
“So I was third on the conveyor belt,” says Flannery, now 67, who grew up to love his Catholic faith, his Church, and his work as a Redemptorist preacher traveling from Irish parish to Irish parish holding revivals to renew that faith. He would have celebrated 50 years in religious life this year, save for this: For years now, he has very publicly spoken out against the Church’s stands on the origins of the priesthood, ordaining women to it, contraception, and gays – some of the same issues cardinals debated and commented on publicly at the synod in Rome.
But Francis was not yet pope when Flannery’s Vatican superiors …More
All four of the Galway Flannerys joined religious orders. The three priests and one nun were the children of an ambitious Irish mother who well understood that an affordable religious education was her best hope of saving them from poverty.
“So I was third on the conveyor belt,” says Flannery, now 67, who grew up to love his Catholic faith, his Church, and his work as a Redemptorist preacher traveling from Irish parish to Irish parish holding revivals to renew that faith. He would have celebrated 50 years in religious life this year, save for this: For years now, he has very publicly spoken out against the Church’s stands on the origins of the priesthood, ordaining women to it, contraception, and gays – some of the same issues cardinals debated and commented on publicly at the synod in Rome.
But Francis was not yet pope when Flannery’s Vatican superiors …More
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Prof. Leonard Wessell
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I am confused. At first I thought that Gloria.tv was presenting a hero (sounds like than in the text), but then his positions seem to be, well, "heretical". This seems to be Dr Bobus' interpretation below. Gloria.tv does take him for "heretical"?
If so, both Gloria.tv and Dr Bobus are not in accord with the Spirit of Francis, not to mention Kasper, Marx, Wuerl, etc. Should not orthodox Catholics …More
I am confused. At first I thought that Gloria.tv was presenting a hero (sounds like than in the text), but then his positions seem to be, well, "heretical". This seems to be Dr Bobus' interpretation below. Gloria.tv does take him for "heretical"?
If so, both Gloria.tv and Dr Bobus are not in accord with the Spirit of Francis, not to mention Kasper, Marx, Wuerl, etc. Should not orthodox Catholics "welcome" Fr. F into their midst and celebrate the "positive" features of heresy, e.g., courage to uphold the truth (as one sees it) and, then categorize Fr. F as a "gradual" heretic (leaving out which direction the graduality is moving)??? In the light of Pp Francis & Co's "Spirit" should not the Church withdraw any threatened excommunication? If the re-married or homosexual marriages (sic) are to be upgraded, why not heresy? If the "yes" or "no" aspect of sin is bothersome, as some bishops say, why not extend flexibility to heresy? Now, if Fr. F were saying the Mass in Latin, the flames of hell would be too cold.
If so, both Gloria.tv and Dr Bobus are not in accord with the Spirit of Francis, not to mention Kasper, Marx, Wuerl, etc. Should not orthodox Catholics "welcome" Fr. F into their midst and celebrate the "positive" features of heresy, e.g., courage to uphold the truth (as one sees it) and, then categorize Fr. F as a "gradual" heretic (leaving out which direction the graduality is moving)??? In the light of Pp Francis & Co's "Spirit" should not the Church withdraw any threatened excommunication? If the re-married or homosexual marriages (sic) are to be upgraded, why not heresy? If the "yes" or "no" aspect of sin is bothersome, as some bishops say, why not extend flexibility to heresy? Now, if Fr. F were saying the Mass in Latin, the flames of hell would be too cold.
St Thomas says that some believe because of faith; others believe (like Flannery) because of their opinion.
The latter are called heretics.More
St Thomas says that some believe because of faith; others believe (like Flannery) because of their opinion.
The latter are called heretics.
The latter are called heretics.