Have Veritas banned Fr Tony Flannery’s book?
Seemingly Veritas have made a decision that they will not stock Fr Tony Flannery’s new book ‘A Question of Conscience‘. A man, who called in there today, sent Tony the following:
I went to Veritas today to get your book but was told that they will not be stocking it – a ‘Senior Management’ decision. When I said I would like to speak to the ‘Senior Management’ who made the decision my request was met with a smile and a shrug.
It seems that ‘Senior Management’ (Veritas , as you know, is owned by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference) do not realise that this decision actually emphasises and validates the points made in the book!
I bought the book in Easons.
They just keep on giving. A lady the other day seemed to imply they could not lay hands on it! A bit of truth or veritas might be helpful. But I suppose this will only help boost sales – like a banned book.
The Inquisition has not gone away you know. It is alive and well under the guise of Veritas and by extension the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference and by further extension the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. I wonder is Tony Flannery’s ‘anonymous accuser’ the same ‘anonymous accuser’ that reported Sean Fagan when his book, Does Morality Change’ was published and which was under investigation for six years’. As Angela Hanley says in Quench Not the Spirit, ‘The Catholic Church, for all its preaching on justice, cannot sign the Declaration of Human Rights of the Council of Europe because of its own investigative/inquisitorial procedures. These procedures are also contrary to the spirit of articles 10 and 11.1 of the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights in relation to the accused person’ The decision not to stock Tony’s book is a step back to pre-Vatican ll times and if the ninety nine percent of ACP priests support this decision by passively doing nothing then all the efforts of the one per cent for reform and renewal may be in vain. Do not let yourselves be paralyzed by your fear.
Veritas Limited indeed!!
It must be the foreword by Mary Mc Aleese….
Tony Flannery’s book is available on Amazon, just bought one.
Quid est veritas ?
Irony, mendacity or tyranny that a chain of shops which calls itself ‘Veritas’ refuses to sell a book on the issue of conscience.
Bought various items in that store over the years. Just to let you know ‘Veritas’ – I won’t be setting foot in your stores again – and will be advising all I know not to purchase anything there either.
Mind control really is not an appealing selling point.
Take note any others. Telling a priest what to think, not think or what to read is one thing.
Don’t even try it here. 🙂
Surprised, Fr Tony? We must always remember that VERITAS is just the Classical Latin word for PRAVDA. “SENIOR MANAGEMENT” is Silver Age and Late-Medieval Latin for POLITBURO. GLASNOST and PERESTROIKA do not seem to have made their way into the shorter version of “Lexicon Recentis Latinitatis” published by Paul VI’s Latinitas Foundation and accepted by Benedict XVI’s “Pontificia Academia Latinitatis” – yet two of the Vatican’s essential staples are there: HOT PANTS [brevissimae bracae femineae] and of course PIZZA [placenta compressa]. The latter, for Vatican’s more queasy anglophone apparatchiks, may not go so well with their prandial lattes. (I assure you all: ‘placenta’ is perfectly good classical Latin for ‘cake’.)
May Tony’s new book sell like ‘placentae calidae’!
Well, that just about sums it up. It also clarifies something for me. When book buying I try where possible to support local bookstores. From now on, all my theological/religious books will no longer be bought in Veritas but on Amazon. If this is true, then they should change the name of the shop to Pravda. Shame on them, shame on them all.
@5
I am returning my loyalty card to Veritas with a note about where my loyalty lies. I will not be shopping there again in the future.
A question of conscience….
Has Veritas, by censuring/censoring Tony’s book, given it an unintended sales boost?
I have always tried to support Veritas, but not any more. I will never buy from Veritas again.
Initially I was really angry and upset when I read that Veritas was refusing to stock Tony’s book. Strange how those who consider honesty a virtue do not want to hear the truth. However, perhaps this is just ONE Veritas shop whose ONE manager has made this decision?? Perhaps the pink/red birettas know nothing about it, that it is entirely the decision of one very narrow minded, bitter shop manager. Can we find out? IF it is indeed the case then I believe that we should write to our own bishops (and I have the fortune of having two in my parish) and demand an explanation.
Mary V
(I am still mulling over the excellent article on Neal Carlin’s mustard seed. Thank you, Teresa. Hope people react to it.)
For those who would like to support a supplier other than Amazon and an Irish supplier other than Veritas, I am sure that Tony’s book would be available online through Kenny’s Bookstore in Galway, which supplies books very quickly and with no postage charges to anywhere in the world.74s
Before taking the step I indicated at @8 above and with the intention of establishing the truth/veritas of the matter,I phoned Veritas and was informed that “it had nothing to do with Fr Flannery or the content of the book, but was purely a commercial decision: a totally separate issue with the publisher of A Question of Conscience. Plus the management team is away in America for a week….but if you want the book you can get it at Eason’s, they have it in stock… and hopefully we will be able to move on”, Veritas dixit.” How convenient” Soline dixit.
Whatever moving on means…. Any more (reliable,truthful) information on this issue? Obviously Eason’s, Amazon etc… don’t have issues with the publisher…….Is it an other case of our old friend Mental Reservation being trotted out?
Now I see why they officially call themselves VERITAS LIMITED
Veritas dislikes theology and sells mostly books about popes and holy pictures. It is a disgrace to the Irish church and an insult to Irish intelligence.
Well it’s a strange time indeed for bookshops and the non religious ones are delighted of the extra business.
Just been to the three bookshops in Castlebar and they are sold out since Monday.
Westport was sold out after giving me the last one.
Could a list of shops which have it be made available on this site.
Further to Soline Humbert’s comments above – I rang the publishers of the book and was told that Veritas have not yet made a decision on whether or not to stock it. I was told in Veritas that they would not be stocking it – Soline was apparently told there was an issue with the publisher – the publisher says that Veritas have not yet decided. Curiouser and curiouser!!
And now this is reported on the Tablet website:
“One of the three co-founders of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) in Ireland is to step down from his leadership role while he considers whether to remain in the priesthood.
Fr Tony Flannery, who has been suspended from ministry and threatened with excommunication by Rome for expressing views at odds with church teaching, told The Tablet he would withdraw from the administrative team at the association’s AGM next month. He said the next six months may determine his future as a priest.
Speaking ahead of the launch this week in Dublin of his new book, A Question of Conscience, the first public account by a censured priest of how the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith deals with dissenting clergy, he said: “What does it mean to be a priest if you are not allowed to minister as a priest?”
I also tried Veritas in Cork for Tony’s book and got the same reply; instruction “from above”not to stock. That move alone will ensure great sales. I read it yesterday and have to say it is a riveting and courageous book. Thank you Tony. We all owe you a debt of gratitude.
I also tried Veritas in Cork for Tony’s book and received the same reply ; instructions “from above” not to stock it. this move alone will make for great sales. I read the book yesterday and it is a riveting and courageous book, Thank you Tony. We all owe you a debt of gratitude
This is no surprise to me.
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I became a reader for Veritas in the 1960s (reading Mss and advising on whether they should publish them). I advised that they should get away from publishing juvenile devotional and scaremongering pamphlets and get into the real issues then being discussed at Vatican II.
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I was dropped like a hot cake for my trouble.
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So I have always considered Veritas as a mere repository and peddler of devotional stuff.
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Mind you, on a recent trip in looking to see if they had an old copy of Handy Answers, I noticed a lot of more sophisticated books on the shelves.
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However, if they are drawing the line at Tony’s book, then they really haven’t changed much.
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And they had completely run out of Handy Answers.
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I have ordered two copies from the Knock Bookshop, which has always sold Tony’s books. The shop cannot say for sure they will be able to get it. They tell me it depends on the supplier.
Bitterly disappointed I couldn’t get to the launch. Any chance someone would report it in detail here, including giving us an idea of who did and who did not appear?
Intended buying the book at the launch, so have not bought it here.
A clarification re Veritas.
There are two Veritas companies with an address at 7/8 Lr Abbey Street in Dublin –
(i) Veritas Company Ltd (Directors: Maura Hyland, Sr Nano Brennan, and Fr Martin Clarke) and
(ii) its parent company Veritas Communications Ltd (Directors: Joseph Duffy, Maura Hyland, Sr Nano Brennan, Aidan Grimes, Therese Moylan, Patricia Barker, Fr Martin Clarke, Michael J. Burns, Rev Dr. Ruth Patterson, Ned Hasset, Pat O’Reilly, and Damian Byrne).
These are the people to ask if Veritas has decided not to sell Tony Flannery’s book.
So, having heard the story about “a senior management” decision, I trotted in to Veritas today and asked a hapless sales assistant where would I find Tony Flannery’s book. She replied that it would not be sold in the shop. I asked “Why not?” and the poor girl said “I only work here. It is a senior management decision”.
Maybe if umpteen people go in as (innocently) as I did it will give the senior management something to think about. What on earth are they afraid of?
The ” shoot yourself in the foot ” position of Veritas is typical of the official church and makes it a laughing stock to all thinking observers. It also validates Tony!s point of view.
Got the book in Easons and found it a disturbing read. Thought i was back in the 1950!s Some things never change!
Further to @13
So the Veritas manager this morning did not tell me the truth.There is definitely no issue with the publisher, as the publisher herself confirmed it to me this evening at the booklaunch. I suspected as much. As I said to the Veritas manager:”I have been too long a member of the catholic church to believe you…” Veritas ,after all, is owned by the Irish bishops conference. I can see how A Question Of Conscience would interfere with business as usual.
As an American bishop once candidly told Tom Doyle OP:” I only lie when I need to “…..
Veritas have definitely lost my business. My loyalty card, cut in two, is on its way to them.
I have just read Tony’s book and I wish to commend him for his bravery in facing down this medieval organisation.
I watched the Borgias and in my naivety thought it was fiction with a historial context, how wrong I was, they are alive and well, five centuries later and living in the Vatican, they certainly do not represent the humble Nazarene.
Pope John Paul II has left a poisoned chalice, in the form of the curia for any reforming Pope, during his long pontificate he has remade the Church in the image of a communist state i.e. centralise all power and have a secret police service to police it.
I pity Pope Francis, he will require the courage of Fr Tony Flannery to root out this nest of self serving vipers.
So far Pope Francis has talked the talk; sadly he will not be allowed to walk the walk, while the present Curia is in place.
According to Amazon uk, there are currently (Fri 6.06 am) copies available at Kennys of Galway.
Yesterday evening I tried to order from Amazon but they were out of stock and detailed 5 sellers, including The Book Depository with whom I have a kind-of account. The Bk Dep didn’t list this book so I ordered through Amazon Mkt place – and received confirmation of order. This morning Bk Dep is no longer listed on Amazon as having copies available for sale.
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But, this is not just a hoo-ha about a disapproved book. The real nub of this odd event is the tasering of a dedicated and principled priest-individual. We must all shout out for Fr Flannery and keep on shouting. Prayer is not enough. And WHAT ARE THE REDEMPTORISTS DOING ABOUT ALL THIS? Too many people have no backbone – filleted Christians.
Dairne@ 12, thank you for directing us to Kennys Bookstore in Galway.I phoned this morning (91 709350) to order my copies and while the very helpful assistant explained to me that they were sold out, she assured me they would have more copies available by Monday or Tuesday and I should have my books within a week.
Veritas must be losing a lot of business!!
I fail to understand why those who are having such difficulty sourcing Tony’s book are not purchasing it online from ACP website – free delivery.
See Patsy McGarry – Page 4 in today’s Irish Times.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/new-book-by-fr-tony-flannery-not-available-in-veritas-bookshops-1.1525618
For those in the Mid-West – O’Mahony’s Bookshops stocking Tony’s book.
Matt Cooper interview here:
http://bit.ly/1aJaBrm
The ‘Senior Management’ decision of Veritas will obviously give a great boost to sales of Tony’s book. Perhaps ‘Senior Management’ were having a ‘Senior Moment’ when they made the decision!
In response to Joe O’Leary – many of us like books about Popes & holy pictures. My intelligence is’nt insulted at all.
Someone mentions that Fr. Flannery is considering his future in the priesthood. I commend Fr. Flannery in this and hope that he will reach a logical conclusion since he believes that Jesus never created a priesthood among His followers but that they created it themselves to abrogate power. He can hardly remain in the priesthood in good conscience with that professed position.
@Sean.
Would it be a misreading of your comment to infer that you prioritise loyalty over truth? If that’s your position, I would go on to guess that you believe truth resides solely in Church teaching and in the Church leadership, thus obviating any need for anyone — such as Tony Flannery — to seek truth independently and/or to ask questions. In the absence of such a need, all that’s required is, as you say, loyalty.
Forgive me if I have put words in your mouth or extrapolated incorrectly.
If such is indeed your position, and if you practise such loyalty yourself, you will likely find it very difficult to understand how those who can’t accept the notion that truth resides only in the Church leadership would welcome a quest for truth such as Tony Flannery’s. For me, it doesn’t look like TF is “attacking the Church’s leaders”, but that he is seeking truth despite those Church leaders who are attempting to stand in the way. They do this, presumably, because, like you, they believe that they are sole custodians of the truth and that therefore Tony Flannery — and you and the rest of us — ought simply to accept the version of truth which they see fit to package for us.
Many, many people, however, reject this position because — no matter how holy — Church leaders are only men, not gods, and therefore liable to error. The briefest review of Church history reveals sufficient errors and u-turns as to invalidate any claim to an exclusive custodial role as regards truth.
Perhaps you perceive and cherish the divine in Church leadership, perhaps via apostolic succession (despite the undisputed errors and evils of numerous popes). As I said, this will likely make it hard for you to appreciate how so many others will only ever see Church leaders as men.
Obviously, my point is — respectfully — the opposite of yours, and I would encourage Tony Flannery and others like him to keep asking questions and pursuing the truth, even if it means over-riding or even abandoning what you have called “a sense of loyalty”
Voicing one’s opinions and searching for the truth is not a scandal . For me, what is giving “grave scandal to the lay people” is the manner in which the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has shamefully handled the child abuse crisis by putting the good name of the Church before the suffering of numerous children.
This policy can only have perpetuated the evil and furthered the suffering of the innocent. I also believe that loyalty must be earned and deserved.
Fr. B. Haring ” Liberation is absolutely unthinkable without freedom of speech”.Did Jesus not die to set us free?
Our liberty is His gift to each and everyone of us.
@34
Thank you Pól for the link to Matt Cooper’s very good interview with Tony Flannery
Sean @38, you must be joking…
Tony has been handed an opportunity here. This is as newsworthy as the actual book release itself. I’m sure there will be questions asked of him by the media. Whether or not he chooses to ask questions of the Vatican during this opportunity will decide his ability to “engage” people from abroad. You have to throw a bone to the media…they can contact the Vatican for the official word on things like Canon 213§3 and what is thier policy on dealing with feedback for the good of the church. I don’t think the media understands how the work of the ACP relates to Canon Law. They need to be educated somewhat too. Once educated, they will see how the ACP is enacting the most important part of Canon Law. Things have been changed in history for the “good” of the Church, haven’t they?
This treatment of Tony Flannery is wrong. Why do so many of us accept this?
Should we not take courage from Fr. John Hasset, and I quote his reasons for resigning from leadership of the Maynooth Deanery – “In this case it is the disrespectful and unjust treatment of Fr Tony Flannery that moves me to this action.
I would like to thank the Deanery members for electing me on the last two occasions to what is a gender-inclusive and dynamic Deanery. I am indebted to Ellie McKeown (Office of Evangelisation) for her formative and continuing work with the Parish Pastoral Councils of the Deanery. Bishop Raymond Field, the area bishop, has at all times been an encourager of Deanery initiatives. The Archbishop gives confidence to Deaneries to take greater responsibility for witnessing to the Gospel through Deanery co-responisibility in our diocese.
It is extremely distressing and depressing the manner in which Fr Flannery has been dealt with by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. I was ordained nearly 33 years ago and can say with certitude, that if the truth were told, some of his views are shared by many Priests of the Archdiocese of Dublin. It is a sad reflection on the rights of the person and the pre-eminence of conscience that a man of such integrity, kindness and stature is treated in such a manner. Of course, he is not the first and perhaps will not be the last to be thus treated as Rome is a law unto itself.
Fr Timothy Radcliffe, in a recent reflection on the 2nd Vatican Council, spoke of Pope Paul VI’s profound sense of the need for dialogue between the Church and the world but was nervous of enshrining dialogue in the core of its government. We now live in a Church where courage is silenced by fear, and one can only reflect that the Gospel we cherish and struggle to live seems to be a “dead letter” within Vatican bureaucracy.”
Can the Holy Spirit inspire us to do something concrete in not tolerating such treatment of a fellow human being and a Christian? How can we celebrate Mass and not do something more about this? Are we really so helpless!
I walked into every shop in Galway yesterday to get Fr Tony’s book and it was sold out in every shop! I was able to get it in Sammons in Ballinasloe. I read his book in one day and was touched by the sadness in the pen. To be rejected after 4o years of service to a church that teaches Justice must be so hard. Fr tony represents me, and so many like me who love our faith, it is a cross he carries for us all who want a Church that cares and is open to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Sean @38
The moral and theological teachings of the Catholic Church have lost all credibility. Bishop Eamonn Casey and Fr Michael Cleary, while preaching the high moral standards of the Catholic Church, both were in relationships with vulnerable women both of whom had children by them. Soon after these episodes the revelations contained in Ferns, Ryan and Murphy reports began to appear in the media of which the secrecy and cover up is still hard to grasp.
I would be very slow to judge Fr Flannery or any of the other priests who are trying to come to terms with these double standards in the Catholic Church, the Church they have dedicated their lives to. Misplaced loyalty will do more damage than the honest questioning of the commentators on this website. Your comment reminds me of the rich man and Lazarus.
For years (and I am going back to the 70s and 80s) as I visited Veritas bookshop it was obviously heavily stocked with the “New Theologians” all published by big well-known publishers (Kung, Ratne, etc). There was also shelp after shelf of the “New Psychologies” (which inflicted so much damage on the Church, particularly the misjudging of the abuse issue). What was very difficult to find was any books by ‘orthodox’ writers. Then one day, hidden away in a dark corner I stumbled across books by Joseph Ratzinger, published in cheap paperback by the little-known Ignatius Press. Finally, food for the soul! There are many more hidden ways of censoring and blocking opinion and discussion, and contemporary Liberals are the very worst practitioners.
I think this is wrong but also slightly funny. Remember when the Irish government banned thousands and thousands of books at the behest of the Catholic Church and not one priest spoke out against that.
I find it hard to believe (though very welcome) that Veritas is refusing to stock Tony Flannery’s heterodox nonsense. It would be easier to believe that they just have so much of it on their shelves that there’s no room for any more.
@Mike. The history of the Church is replete with individuals and groups claiming to have the ‘truth’ when what they have are private opinions that need to be tested. What marks out the Catholic tradition is that we claim to have a Magisterium tried and tested over many centuries and which has the responsibility of saving us from the most extreme opinions. A faithful Catholic should therefore show at least a basic willingness to listen to those in authority in the Church while this testing takes place. Many of the great theologians of the 20th century – Henri de Lubac, Yves Congar, von Balthazar, Karl Rahner and, indeed, Gustavo Guttierez – came under the suspicion of the Roman authorities and quietly submitted. In the end they were vindicated but it was right that they should initially obey and keep silence. I don’t see any signs of such humility in our Irish priests who resemble much more Hans Kung …
There is another issue. A priest religious takes a vow of obedience to his lawful superiors. These include the Pope in Rome and those who assist him in bodies such as the CDF. For the life of me, I cannot understand how such religious can blatantly disobey their superiors. They are not being asked to do anything immoral – simply to affirm that they accept the teaching of the Church as this is laid down in the Catechism and, indeed, in the documents of Vatican II. This is what I find so shocking and upsetting. To break one’s vow of obedience is actually as serious as breaking one’s vow of chastity.
@Nuala: I am as upset as anyone by the failures of some Irish clergy and Bishops but, I’m sorry, this does not lessen the credibility of the teachings of the Church. On the contrary, they illustrate the correctness of these teachings. If these priests had remained faithful to their vow of chastity, then none of this would have happened. Furthermore, if Canon Law had been applied, then the Bishops would have dealt with the issue more swiftly and more firmly. But this was the period when ‘law’ was meant to be replaced by ‘love’.
I am a child of Vatican II and lived through those years but, looking back, I realise how immature and naive the Irish Church was (myself included). We lacked, and still lack, priests and laity truly well-grounded in sound theology and spirituality and too quickly succumbed to the ethos of the contemporary society. I’m sorry but Tony Flannery is not offering a good example to the Irish Church.
The simplest thing is to boycott Veritas. I love the pun about the name being VERITAS LIMITED.
A university chaplain once tried to explain to me why 1984 was banned.
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I think it is significant, though hardly surprising, that those commenting here who approve of the “disciplining” of Tony Flannery studiously ignore the ‘modus operandi’ of the CDF – the peremptory summonses ; the secrecy ; the delivery of documents (through a third party) which were not headed,dated or signed; the extracts from his writings taken out of context etc. etc.These methods seem to me to be not merely contrary to natural justice but actually unchristian.
It is great to read all the comments to date and I hope these along with the attendance at his book launch will bring some comfort to Fr. Tony at this very difficult time in his life. I thank him for his great courage in writing “A Question of Conscience”. I too will no longer shop in Veritas and will write to tell them so. I miss Cathedral bookshop but will seek out another bookstore, hopefully here in Ireland.
Sean @48 (i hope you don’t disappear again).
‘Henry de Lubac, Yves Congar, von Balthazar, Karl Rahner, Gustavo Guittierez, Hans Kung and not a woman among them. Do you not see Sean, that in the twenty first century young women and men do not understand or accept this exclusion? I have seven kids all of them have had the privilege of third level education, not one of them practice the faith they were reared in. I could write volumes on all the situations and experiences that occurred in our house as they were growing through their teenage years. The Church’s moral teachings, its double standards had no relevance to those situations and experiences. The rot is not confined to ‘some Irish clergy and Bishops’ it goes right up to the top, the Vatican. The teaching and dogma of the Church is based on male thought, its out of date. Jesus of Nazareth who was a Jew tried to reform his Jewish religion. He saw the rot, the heavy burdens laid on people and died trying to reform his Jewish religion. Tony Flannery may not have to die trying to reform his religion, but the authorities will crucify him just the same, like Sean Fagan, in more subtle ways.
Sean @ 48
Your comments have raised many confusing questions in my mind. You name five eminent theologians (all men – have women no expertise in theology?)) who “came under the suspicion of the Roman authorities” – a nice euphemism for the inquisitorial procedures of the CDF – and who “quietly submitted” but were later vindicated. Since they were vindicated it seems that the “suspicion of the Roman authorities” was unfounded – indeed that the Roman authorities were in error (or, at the very least, gravely mistaken). Did the Roman authorities apologise or make any attempt to redress the damage done to the lives and reputations of these vindicated men? – Or did they take the view that “it is expedient that one man should die for the people” (John 11:50)?
Where is Christian Charity in all this? (See my comment @51)
Your use of the phrase “ the failures of some Irish clergy and Bishops”
is woefully inadequate to describe what was actually a cynical and prolonged cover-up by the Catholic Hierarchy at the highest levels.
Indeed your phrase is an echo from the opening paragraph from the pastoral of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference – ‘Towards Healing and Renewal’ – where they describe the “inadequate response by SOME (my emphasis) Church leaders”. All of this – and the treatment of Tony Flannery – seems to me to be redolent of the casuistry of a bureaucracy and far removed from the core message of the Christian Church.
I find the lack of theological input in veritas alive-o catechetical primary school books far more offensive than anything written by Fr Flannery – what do you expect when old maids and dog collars hold the reins
There are women who have been silenced also. I remember Lavinia Byrne IBVM who used to do ‘Thought for the Day’ on BBC Radio 4. Lavinia mentioned ordination of women in one of her books. She didn’t know it but the bullying process of investigation took place. This was 18 months before the Pope felt it within his remit to forbid any mention of such subjects.I don’t remember it all well, but she eventually left her congregation. More recently Elizabeth Johnson, a very readable American theologian, has been silenced. I think that was also because she mentioned ordination of women.
For anyone thinking of dropping off the N17 to buy Tony’s book in the Knock Bookshop – don’t bother. It won’t be selling there.
Bryan @55
Your vocabulary ‘old maids and dog collars’ troubles me. Being offensive and hurtful is not going to achieve anything. Conservative attitudes, and fear are not the hall marks of priests and elderly women any more so than of the young.
I’m not referring to conservatism or fear. I am referring to a group of puppets who run with decisions from the papacy. Do you remember the late 90s when Veritas sold DeMellos books and inserted a note of discontent. Who made that decision in or for Veritas? Perhaps “Awareness” does not fit with the truth in Veritas.
I am sure the conservatives will not be pleased with the Pope’s latest interview. The report (see link below) begins with
“Pope Francis has criticised the Roman Catholic church”.Perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/pope-rejects-catholic-obsession-with-abortion-gay-marriage-1.1533412
The full text of Pope Francis’ recent interview can be accessed at http://www.americamagazine.org/pope-interview.
Tony Flannery take heart! Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference take note.
A couple of brief quotes:
“The dicasteries (Departments) of the Roman Curia are at the service of the pope and the bishops,” he says. “They must help both the particular churches and the bishops’ conferences. They are instruments of help. In some cases, however, when they are not functioning well, they run the risk of becoming institutions of censorship.”
“We must therefore investigate further the role of women in the church.” “…..to think about the specific place of women also in those places where the authority of the church is exercised…”
“If the Christian is a restorationist, a legalist, if he wants everything clear and safe, then he will find nothing.”
An afterthought to my previous posting – I suppose Veritas, to be consistent, will not stock Pope Francis’ recent interview because of its heterodox views. Or perhaps the CDF will come down on him!
re:Mary 29.
Book Depository (Amazon) do sell Tony’s book. My copy was ordered from them.
Tony Flannery, take heart. Francis is on your side. What a blow for those anonymous bishops, clergy or laypersons who complained to the CDF about you.
To quote the Pontiff –
“It is amazing to see the denunciations for lack of orthodoxy that come to Rome. I think the cases should be investigated by the local bishops’ conferences, which can get valuable assistance from Rome. These cases, in fact, are much better dealt with locally.”
So, if our bishops are going to heed the “boss’s” words, who will be first to hold his hand up and say “Tony, come up and see me soon”.
I reckon the Veritas ban is excellent publicity to sell Fr Flannery’s book. At least it’s selling unlike a lot of Veritas titles. Veritas a distributor for Ignatious Press, says it all.
@Des 63. Let’s hope Head of Tony’s order,and local bishop (covering Athenry) Michael Neary take this matter in hands and do the decent thing. Rome might be glad to have it out of their hair ?
Oi!!! Watch it you lot!…my wee friend Margaret works in Veritas, Derry…VERY authentically Catholic…VERY Humble….and VERY Nice…don’t be goin’ blackening her name now! Be Nice and Forgiving and non-judgemental like proper wee Catholics! 🙂