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SUNDAY WORLD COLUMNIST and well-known broadcaster Fr Brian D’Arcy has reportedly been censured by the Holy See’s main theological watchdog.
The Tablet news magazine reports that D’Arcy was censured by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the theological watchdog previously headed by the current Pope Benedict.
The report, seen by the BBC, suggests D’Arcy’s column for the newspaper is now submitted to “a church censor” before its publication, though none of his columns have yet been edited.
The Congregation’s investigation followed an anonymous complaint, and its investigations involved the worldwide superior of the Passionist institute of which D’Arcy is a member.
Enniskillen-based D’Arcy has been an outspoken critic of certain parts of Church structures and teachings, including its stance on the use of contraception.
His most recent Sunday World column argued the need for the Church to pay heed to the results of a recent survey which showed that the majority of Irish Catholics rejected the Church’s stance on matters such as female ordination and the right of priests to marry.
D’Arcy’s censure comes in the same month as the founder of the Association of Catholic Priests, Fr Tony Flannery, was investigated by the Vatican for his liberal views. He had been forced to give up his monthly column in the Redemptorist Reality magazine as a result.
Last month a report from an Apostolic Visitation personally appointed by Pope Benedict said it had seen a “certain tendency” within some Irish priests to hold and profess opinions with those of the Magisterium, the Church’s superior teaching authority.
The Congregation last week criticised the group representing most of the nuns in the United States, saying nuns were devoting too much time and work to societal and social justice issues, and not enough on religious teaching.
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As long as the Vatican refuses to listen to its own people, it has no future in this country.
But then again, the Third World is its market for future growth.
To be honest I think you hit it on the nail. Market being the main word. The roman catholic has really shown it’s true colours in the last ten years or so. There isn’t a true Christian in the Vatican as far as I am concerned
Supporters of the Vatican’s actions on this and the silencing of other priests are cock-a-hoop. On this blog here:
http://lxoa.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/yet-another-prominent-dissident-irish-priest-censured/
One of the comments seems to be advocating the murder of Irish priests who don’t toe the Vatican line!
Screen Capture: http://bit.ly/JqfcyO
I did draw the attention of the blog owner to the comment and was told it was just a ‘figure of speech’ but coming from the supporter of a Church that has physically and sexually tortured thousands of Irish children I find the comment worrying and offensive.
yeah, the church should be run by mob rule and vote in the death penalty and guns in houses and vigilantism. That’d work sooo good wouldn’t it?? That third world scenario is just more sectarian propoganda. There is no ‘market’. You talk shite.
Eamonn, the Church is the people, not a bunch of geriatric conservative homophobic anti-womens rights men in Rome.
In 20 years time, there will be virtually no RC Church left in Ireland, and priests here will be missionaries from the developing world.
The Vatican has given up on the Western world, and is concentrating in growth in Africa and Asia.
Further down the page you said you wouldn’t be back, yet here you are again, funny that.
You also bleat on about the millions who joined Catholicism last year but just above you insist there’s no ‘market’
That’s twice you’ve contradicted yourself, never mind, contradictions and religion often go hand in hand.
I hope anyone googling your name for the shite you pass off as art see the hateful bile you’ve posted here. An alter ego is handy at times (pun intended)
The Church hierarchy are a joke, Father Brian is one of the Priests in Ireland that ordinary people can relate to, if the Pope and Bishops had any sense they would be using him and other Priests like him as spokespeople for the Church and not be trying to gag them. I have great time for some Priests but to be honest I don’t bother with the Catholic Church any more because of the high handedness of the hierarchy, whether it’s the way they deal with sex abuse by Priests to the censoring of the likes of Father Brian and so many other issues too many to go into here.
All the priests I know are decent down-to-earth individuals – a couple of them have partners – and are very human. There is a disconnect between the foot-soldiers and the hierarchy. The hierarchy should be worried. Attacking Fr. Brian might be akin to shooting themselves in the foot – not unusual for the Irish hierarchy I admit – but these times their foot is generally in their own mouth!
Brian D’arcy seems to be a good and honest man. Is it not wrong for good and honest men to have their words and thoughts censored by, let’s be honest, the Inquisition.
predictable bullsh1t. how do you know he’s honest??? What’s honest about bitching about your organisations policies, workers and boss while basking in the glory of being a priest??What would have been honest if he actually left the church. It’s be better for everyone except him. As a priest he holds some clout. As a layman who wants to know him. He’s had a long run. He should go.
would that the vatican were as quick to censor and punish its many priests who sexually abuse children.
They seem to be extremely good at protecting these priests and very slow to punish or censor them. Their arrogance and lack of spirituality is beyond contempt
they actually aren’t quick here. D’Arcy is bad mouthing the church for years. So there goes your predictable analogy.
First it was Fr Tony Flannery now Fr Brian D’Arcy. I cannot believe the arrogance of the Vatican. Do they really believe that silencing these wonderful examples of what Oriest should will make any of us think differently? Their actions really beggars belief.
Would someone please explain to the Pope the meaning of the word catholic. He seems to focus only on the word Roman. He should get on very well with George “if you are not with us you are against us” Bush, in hell if such a place exists
Eoin,
That’s the nub of the matter, Catholic just means ‘universal’. Roman Catholic means ruled from Rome aka the Vatican!
Unjust treatment for a good man from a power and money hungry institution that has little to do with the teaching of christ. Keep going Brian, Emperor Corruptasuaras XVI and his SS Bishops are near an end.
If we had an Honours system in this country……… this man would be accorded just that…….. Honours.
Don’t be silly: “honours” would go to the likes of “Sir” Tony O’Reilly, “Dr” Michael Smurfit, etc.
It was said by Christ that “false prophets will arise among you”. The falsest and most evil of them now sits on the throne of Peter. Protecting child molesters while attacking good men. I am so sickened by this action it’s hard to know where to turn. God bless all these good priests and keep them strong in the face of this evil.
Turn to god, if that’s your thing. Why the need for a middle-man?
The only thing I would censor are his jumpers.
how out of touch can a global religion be?? weather you believe or not the fact your not allowed question the Vatican makes those who do have faith look like fools to all those who question the church…. where does it say that to be a catholic you have to suspend all free thought??? i pity all the good priests out there tryin their best but having their hands tied by an out of touch Vatican
Time for Ireland to leave the ‘roman’ church and create an inclusive church of Ireland.
There’s already a Church of Ireland, lots of tea and cake, less burning in hell and misogyny. I’m sure they’d welcome some new recruits. Bring cake.
A certain Eddie Izzard sketch comes to mind…
CAKE OR DEATH?
Ha, glad you spotted my veiled Izzard reference! Though I’d argue C of I are less CAKE OR DEATH than CAKE! MORE CAKE! No guilt! We ordain women! Awesome jumble sales! Did we mention the lack of guilt? Have an astoundingly geometrically correct triangular sandwich!
Obviously I meant ‘examples of what a Priest should be’ #typo
Such a shame that someone forward thinking, loving and who actually practices what he preaches is being criticized by those above him who try to live in the dark ages. Shame on them
This is all good. Let these thundering eejits in the CDF censure Fr. Brian Darcy and hang themselves in the process. The last thing this lot should do when faced with a scandal is start clamping down on their own but it’s a bit too late for that. This is just another nail in the coffin for a bunch of gurriers that need an almighty kick in the arse.
bullshit. the church will still be here when you are long, long gone. You’ll be long in a coffin before it will.
Eamon, are you trying to defend the Catholic faith here or represent it as a haven for angry nutcases?
Dairmuid Martin actually!
Eamon is just demonstrating the colour-by-number tribalism that constitutes the Roman Catholic “faith”. Funny how all the catholic correspondents are so utterly petty and childish in their hate-filled postings. Spirituality, my arse.
Eamon: I am no fan of D’Arcy and other dissidents. I think these actions should have happened 30 years ago.
But your approach is completely out of line. Charity and respect for others are essential.
Another good apple is that Martin fella, not sure how to spell first name. I like him! Even though not a Roman catholic!!!
Martin Luther???
Michael Martin??
Augustine Martin, I think!
lol
you wont be back eamonn? you’ve been trolling hard enough all thread looking for attention i sincerely doubt it. i’d like to think this is the death throws of the roman catholic church as it existed up to now, it won’t go away that’s for sure, but i worry that it’s too ingrained into the irish psyche and tradition for it to disappear. i will never understand ppl goin for the big church wedding or making a massive deal out of a communion or some such who never go to mass. either you’re in or you’re out, if you’re in these are the people you are associating with, if you’re out you don’t get your day out in the church.
The Vatican must not believe in Freedom of though or expression. So must for “the truth shall set you free”.
Could of put it better my self the truth shall set you free and Fr Brian D’Arcy is not preaching the truth. he tell you what you want to here
Just another signal from the Vatican that it wants to drive more and more normal people away at a time when it should be trying its absolute utmost to encourage them back. Humility is what is needed from the vatican, but it appears to be beyond the capability and even more there appears to be a complete unwillingness to change. I am completely unsurprised by this news, because right now it appears the the gagging of reasonable and sensible priests is the only weapon left in the arsenal. Methinks that the days of this religious dinosaur are numbered!
youthinks wrong. It’ll be great to get rid of the al a carte, whatever your having yourself catholics though. Lots more will come back then. Do you know that the church received 13 million more members last year?? Most from religions that had tried to be everything to everyone like the almost extinct anglican church in america that has splintered and splintered into different churches with different ‘rules’.
A lot of truth in the comments here but D’Arcy the man is a media w*$#e. The Sunday World and him are well suited.
I don’t understand why everyone is so fired up. If D’arcy and his crew like being told what to do good luck to them. I myself didn’t and so I’m not a catholic any more. I enjoy laughing at the poor suckers from the outside. It’s time to shut up or get out. It’s not so bad out here
It’s not so bad in here either and we don’t waste our time either looking out at or laughing at you or even thinking about you.
Eamon, your contributions on this thread would indicate otherwise..
You seem to have taken it very much to heart, as is evidenced by the obvious anger conveyed in your posts..
Surely this goes against the teachings of your saviour? “Love one another as I have loved you” that was the general gist wasn’t it?
Love dude, not a stream of wretched bile and profanity..
Ha ha ha! Shanti, the bile, hatred, pettiness, and generally content-free postings of Eamon betray the fact that his “faith” is nothing but base tribalism.
No Jonathan – it reveals that he is probably young and possibly frustrated at priests who try to undermine his faith. It’s quite understandable actually.
That said, I agree with what Shanti said (for once!). Love is not an optional extra. It’s wrong to criticise dissident priests for being a la carte if you are a la carte when it comes to the most important virtue of all – charity.
Good. If an employee at the journal.ie publicly criticized the boss of the journal.ie, the policies of the journal.ie how long would he last before the boss called him to his office?? It wouldn’t be several years. As most of the people commenting here aren’t even catholics, I don’t see what it has to do with them. The church will still be in Ireland long after the journal and all it’s workers and readers are long gone. Better to get rid of those who basked in the glory of being a priest and became celebrities out of it while criticizing it. Far better with out them. NOW go on and give me 1000 thumbs down.Or more. I really couldn’t care less and won’t even be back to check.
“Most of the people commenting here aren’t Catholics” – really? What makes you think that? Just because they disagree, doesn’t make them non-Catholic. Is blind obedience a condition of Catholicism?
So the RC church is just the same as an online journal, Eamon?? You certainly provide food for laughter (of derision).
Censured: It’s hard to know if you are genuinely misinformed or just dishonest.
The reality is that abusing priests are censured. They are removed from priestly ministry. They are reported to the civil authorities. These are simple facts.
Did this happen in all places at all times? Scandalously, no it didn’t. But it is the norm now.
But acknowledging that reality is of course an inconvenience for some.
That’s some shed load of hate, that you are unloading upon us readers. Perhaps, you’re confusing Jesus with Hitler. To remind you, Jesus was for love and Hitler was for hate. Is that simple enough?.
Really? Do you regard the Vatican as “us”? How sad.
People its very easy to make fun of the catholic church
Talking about the recent discipline in general.. About time. There are a lot of priests who are abusing their authority by preaching and commentating against the core teachings of the Church. It is time these people were pulled up and made to either accept the teachings or go their own way. They are free to do either.
Im not a catholic anymore & have good reason. However just from listening to fr Darcy on the radio & tv he seems to be a very honest compassionate man & he makes a lot sence when he speaks. To ridicule him seems a bit short sighted as he would be the only person that would convince me of the merits of the catholic church. Now that church moves against a man that could change its fortune in Ireland.
I’m confused the Vatican has always been strict on priests preaching it’s theology up to recent times everyone toed the line
Ireland is too small for these people to get over excited about
It appears to me the Vatican council is dominated by conservatives since the latest pope was inaugurated in line with it’s main protagonist the Muslim world which also has gone ultra conservative mainly due to the Americans trying to influence and control the petroleum regions
My main grief is it’s treatment of women in the Muslim And catholic church
Whether these religions want to accept it or not technology is changing their flocks and if they don’t change and become more liberal in their teachings they will continue to contract
End of rant
The situation with Fr D’Arcy seems very straightforward to me.
If he writes about faith and morals his work has to be approved in advance. He can more or less say what he likes on other topics.
Employees have to follow certain policies in business. Politicians have to toe the party line or face being expelled. Most people do not have a problem with these scenarios; why should the Church be different?
Fr D’Arcy has been undermining people’s faith for 30 years. It’s about time something was done.
You are so wrong Al. Fr darc’y has being protecting people and their faith from being undermined, for the last thirty years. He has been a lone voice in the wilderness, just like Jesus. To say otherwise, is just cowardly and disingenuous, in the extreme. More and more, you appear to be the antithesis of your professed beliefs.
@Almar Either D’Arcy (and all other clergy) are employees of the Vatican or they’re not! Ratzinger says the clergy are not employees of the Vatican – well that’s what he told the courts in the US. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37182162/ns/world_news-europe/t/vatican-court-priests-are-not-our-employees/
If clergy ARE employees of the Vatican then it’s time that place was occupied and it’s assets divided amongst the many victims of it EMPLOYEES. For too long the Vatican has waged war on women and children and covered up the crimes of it’s EMPLOYEES!
As for Hitler … what the hell are you on about?
@ Jonathon. I was addressing the trolls, not you. Of course, I don’t think the Vatican represents us. Regarding Hitler, I admit it was a blunt analogy, but when dealing with the “I love to hate and hate to love ” segment of society, sometimes, when all rational avenues of discussion have been exhausted, then desperation can set in.
have your say