An outspoken priest who hails from County Galway has denounced a Vatican decision to ban women from the diaconate.
Redemptorist Fr Tony Flannery, from Attymon, near Loughrea, is a member of the Association of Irish Priests (AIP ) which this week expressed disappointment that no Irish bishop has spoken out against the latest ban on women becoming deacons.
A deacon is an ordained member of the Catholic church who may carry out most priestly duties except hear confession, or solely celebrate the Eucharist. Last week, a Vatican Commission issued a statement that it “rules out the possibility of moving in the direction of admitting women to the… Holy Orders”.
“This decision will only further alienate women in general,” Fr Flannery told the Advertiser. “Yes, the church is looking for lay people to run parishes now [with falling numbers of priests] and I can’t see younger women, or any women really, being enthused to get involved with this kind of message coming from some Vatican commission – we don’t even really know who they are, and it goes against the idea of synodality where all baptised people are equal, and talk through decisions together.”
Flannery, who is currently based in Tipperary, was suspended from his ministry by the Vatican in 2012. He says he was told he could return to full status if he signed an undertaking not to support the ordination of women as priests.
Bishop of Galway Michael Duignan published rules for Galway parish councils in 2023 setting out that they must represent the entire community, including men, women and at least two members younger than 30 years old.
“Despite global synodal consultations consistently identifying the role of women as one of the Church’s most urgent issues, the latest [Vatican] ruling… stands in stark contrast to the convictions of most of the faithful,” said Fr Flannery, on behalf of the AIP.
“Lay Catholics overwhelmingly support the restoration of women to the diaconate, and many also favour broader opportunities for women in ordained ministry. Yet the Church’s stated commitment to equality for women continues to be sidelined. If synodality is truly to guide Church governance, it must recognise the Holy Spirit at work in all the baptised – not only in Vatican-appointed committees,” he concluded.
