Silent Vigil outside the Apostolic Nunciature: April 29th
Today 20th April We are Church Ireland announces a silent vigil in support of those silenced priests , Sean Fagan, Tony Flannery, Gerry Moloney , Owen OSullivan and others who wish to remain anonymous.
It will take place at the residence of the Papal Nuncio to Ireland , Archbishop Charles Brown, the Apostolic Nunciature , 183 Navan Road , Dublin 7 on Sunday 29th April 2012 at 16.00 hours.
It is important that Irish committed Catholics show their solidarity with these priests who are articulating the views of the majority of Irish Catholics as evidenced in the recent Amarach survey.
We call for the revocation of these silences by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which punished these men without due process and through secretive procedures with no right of Appeal.
Gina Menzies is supporting this vigil and expresses her solidarity with these theologians .
‘We wish to thank the International Movement of We are Church ( IMWAC ) who at our request have issued a press statement in support of these silenced priests and for all theologians world-wide who continue to suffer unfairly at the hands of this secretive Congregation,’ stated Brendan Butler , spokesperson.’
Further information : Brendan Butler 086 4054984
It just happens that Sunday the 29th April is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations and the feast day of that great outspoken saint and doctor of the church, Catherine of Siena.One of her impassioned pleas was: “Speak out as if you had a thousand voices. It is silence that is killing the world.”
DEfinitely not a time to remain silent in the face of ecclesiastical institutional violence.
I am very sorry that I will be unable to be present at the Vigil on Sunday next for family reasons but I want to express here my solidarity with those who will be there.
I have the deepest sympathy and admiration for the four priests mentioned and for all who have suffered through being silenced by the Vatican in this way. As I said in a recent post on this website, I had hoped, in my naivety, that Vatican II had ended anathemas and silencings, but, sadly, that hasn’t happened.
I realise, of course, and accept that there has to be discipline in the Church, as in any group, but, at a time when others are ‘being brought in from the cold’ it is a sorry thing that loyal members of the church should suffer in this way for stating what many catholics are saying and thinking and for simply calling for debate on issues that concern them.
As several have already pointed out, none of those involved are talking about or taking issue with fundamental matters of faith.
I, too, call for the revocation of these silencings which have caused much suffering for those involved and for a more open church in which there can, at least, be debate on these issues.
This item will be linked on April 27 menu of http://www.v2catholic.com – to encourage people around the world to support the vigil by prayer. To understand crackdown on Irish priests and USA nuns, see this diagram http://www.v2catholic.com/background/2012/2012-02-29dysfunctional.jpg
Please note: The Silent Vigil of solidarity with the silenced outside the nunciature will start half an hour earlier than initially announced, that is now at 15:30. Come if you can.If not please join in prayer.
For family reasons I cannot be there physically to stand in Silent Vigil outside the Nunciature in support of our silenced priests: Fr. Sean Fagan,C.M., Fr. Tony Flannery,C.Ss.R., Fr. Gerry Moloney, C.Ss.R.,Fr. Owen O’Sullivan and those who wish to remain anonymous. I read on this website a couple of days ago a list of 93 other priests, bishops, cardinals, nuns monsigneur and theologians and seven women priests from Austria, Germany NO:77-83 who have been silenced in the past and probably ongoing at present. Among that list I read the well known names of No:48 Bishop Helder Camera, No:91 Archbishop Oscar Romero who was martyred, NO:2 Fr. Bernard Haring, C.Ss.R., several Jesuits including NO:21 Theologian, Karl Rahner, NO:10 Anthony De Mello and NO:88 Pedro Arrupe, NO:20 Liberation theologian,Gustavo Gutierrez, NO:16 Theologian Fr. Edward Schillebeecz O.P.,and Matthew Fox, O.P. from whose book “The Pope’s War” this list was taken. Some of those names mentioned above I would have read about and felt in agreement with in their sharing of their experience. The message I convey to those priests for whom this Silent Vigil is being held is this: don’t be discouraged, Be Not Afraid, you are not alone.
Without getting into the question of the orthodoxy of what any of the “silenced” have said or written, it seems to me there are some clear grounds for disagreeing with the actions that have been taken.
1. It seems that those against whom action has been taken have not always been informed who the accuser is. This is a clear contravention of the statement of the Synod on Justice in the World of 1971: “The Church recognises everyone’s right to suitable freedom of expression and thought. This includes the right of everyone to be heard in a spirit of dialogue which preserves a legitimate diversity within the Church. The form of judicial procedure should give the accused the right to know his accusers and also the right to a proper defence.” (40-45)
These principles are re-stated in the document The Church and Human Rights from the Pontifical Commission “Justitia et Pax”, 2nd edition, 2011.
2. The accused person is not even always informed of the specific teachings which are alleged to be unorthodox.
3. The fact that action is taken in secret, even with further threats should the accused person make the media aware of the action, is not a good way to procede, and can lead to a perception that even those taking the action wish to hide their actions because they are aware that they are not good.
4. To take action like this is not a good way of countering perceived errors. Dialogue is essential, and even if no agreement is achieved, a clear statement of what church authorities hold as the truth, with clear reasoning for it, is a far more effective way of countering error.
5. If the church is to work and speak for justice in the world, the church must be seen also to act justly (1971 Synod). To fail to do so is an obstacle to carrying out the mission of the church in the world.
I attended the silent protest yesterday and there was a great spirit present. These are wonderful priests who need our protection and support.