An Open Letter to the ACP from Pittsburg
An open letter to:
The Association of CatholicPriests of Ireland
On April 14th,some of our Association of Pittsburgh Priests members distributed leafletsquoting Vatican II documentation to an assembly of “Catholic Men”concerned about the so-called threats to Religious Liberty in the USA. We were reminded that the eminent theologian, American John Courtney Murray,S.J. author of the Council’s document on Religious Freedom, was himself censored prior to that history-altering Ecumenical Council.
With this historic reminder before us, we congratulate the Association of Catholic Priests of Ireland and Fr.Tony Flannery and his Religious Congregation, publishers of REALITY magazine, for their serene response to censorship and silencing.
If REALITY magazine must paythe price by its being censored, it’s the seed that might die so that a new reality for the IrishChurch and the World, English-speaking Catholic Church can take on new life.
We are indeed indebted to Father Flannery and your Association for your website, www.associationofcatholicpriests.ieby through which we are kept informed, and for being a remarkable and lively media contribution to Church Renewal.
We admire the ACP April 9,2012 organizational statement of solidarity with Fr. Flannery and its defense of its own role in the current life of the Irish Catholic Church when it says:“We are and we wish to remain at the very heart of the Church, committed to putting into place the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
Let us pray for each other and the Universal Church’s leadership.
The Church Renewal Committee
J. Rothermel, Chair, jrothermel@gpcfb.org
Association of Pittsburgh Priests, P.O. Box 2106 Pittsburgh, PA 15230
16 April, 2012,
I am glad to seethe Irish priests have acted to become prophets in our church inspire of the danger of silencing by a curia bound on running roughshod over the universal church, contrary to the documents and spirit of the second vatican council. a council of all the bishops of the word which proposed that the authority should reside in individual bishops conferences to govern the church. The death of Pope PaulVI and the election of John Paul II was a tragedy that will take centuries to heal.
Irish Times reports 3 other silencings today.
The nasty tactic of buying up all copies of a book (and no doubt burning them) is a kind of soul-murder, especially when you remember that every word of the Pope reaches 1,200,000,000 faithful worldwide. This tactic was also used in the Modernist crackdown. It smacks very much of totalitarianism.
Special thanks to your Priests Association for your Open Letter to your Irish Brothers !!!!!!
And may other US priest’s association do likewise!!!!
God bless the Irish!
Has the ACP heard from Australia, where a much-loved bishop, Bishop Morris of Toowoomba, Australia, was removed from the ministry in an Inquisition led by Archbishop Chaput of Denver (at the time of the Inquisition)? Archbishop Chaput was later promoted into Philly by the Vatican to help the Church in Monsignor Lynn’s trial. Unfettered Freedom of Speech should be given all priests, bishops, archbishops and cardinals. Members of the Curia aren’t children, they are grown men, and they need to be able to stand up to healthy criticism!
I am truly inspired and consumed with hope by the Association of Pittsburgh Priests’ support of their courageous Irish brothers of integrity. May other priest associations in the U.S. respond similarly. It will take a global and unified voice to reform the priesthood, and articulate and bring to fruition a new vision of Church
The ACP leadership provides hope to this despairing American Catholic. God bless you and your work.