"I am a priest. I know I have a vow of obedience. But it does not mean we are puppets. Many people believe we should keep our mouths shut at all times. But that is not obedience..."Following his refusal to read a pastoral letter on IVF, theology professor Fr Rene Camilleri is perceived as a ringleader in an ongoing ‘priest's revolt'.
But in an interview, he insists that ‘internal dissent' is not only acceptable within an institution: it is necessary and healthy.
"You should have internal dissent; it is not something to be afraid of... Many might not be aware of this, but without internal dissent there would be no Church at all. It would be dead. There was dissent among the original 12, who were chosen directly by Christ Himself. Look at the history of the Church, with its heresies and its persecutions... what was this, if not dissent?"
He also shares popular suspicions that the Bishop's authority has been usurped, though not necessarily in the direct way suggesting by some media commentators.
On the subject of his own outspoken criticism of the Church, Fr Camilleri admits that he considered whether to keep his mouth shut.
"But the fact that the Church is not democratic does not mean it should be dictatorial. Vatican Council Two makes it clear that even bishops should listen..."