In February 2012 Tony Flannery, a redemptorist and founder member of the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland, was informed that the Vatican watchdog, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), was unhappy with some of his writings relating to the priestly ministry in the church.

Father Flannery, known for his views on issues such as female ordination and homosexuality, refused a Vatican edict to apologise for some of his positions and has been suspended from the ministry.

In his new book, A Question of Conscience, he offers what he describes as ‘the clearest exposé of the way the Vatican operates put in print’.

Father Flannery joined Pat on the show this morning. Listen back to the interview in full here: