Commenting on the retired pope’s new book, Dr Austin Ivereigh, Vatican expert and biographer of Pope Francis said, “It’s a totally imprudent and ill thought-out intervention which has the effect of undermining Francis’s authority.”

"I made the decision to be a priest and to stay a priest. I can look back on life and say that anything I have done, I have done for the right reasons – the decision may be right or wrong, but I did the best I could to make a right decision.”

‘I encourage the faithful to pray for the success of this synod, the purpose of which is to serve the good of humanity,’ said Bishop Alan McGuckian, Chair of the Irish Bishops’ Council for Justice and Peace.

“I believe the hour has come to deeply commit ourselves to open the way of the Church to renewal and reform.”

Fr Brian D’Arcy has called for the Church to allow married men and women to be ordained as priests.

“While we can all agree that justice must prevail, and the truth must come out, maybe everyone needs a little compassion. This is a human problem, not a clerical one.”

Let us pray together that priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.

“All reasonable and fair options should be considered as possible, so this neither rules in or rules out various outcomes” – Mgr Gearoid Dullea, executive secretary to the Irish Bishops’ Conference.

Censured Redemptorist priest Fr Tony Flannery to deliver lecture at Edinburgh University on ‘Celibacy, sexuality and the crisis in the priesthood’.

“Your lifestyle will be a protest against the stifling hedonism that is presented as the best we can hope for. Belief in God is not repression of our dignity but an invitation to the individual greatness that is God’s dream for each of us.”

“People from abroad are often astonished at the level of antipathy to the Church displayed in our country.”

One of the things I pray for every day is a sense of humour! – Pope Francis.

The question of celibacy is already being discussed at the highest levels in the Vatican – Noel McCann, ACI.

Former trainee priest who alleges he was harassed by a member of staff while studying in Maynooth files complaint with Gardaí’s sexual assault unit.

Missionary priests who left over celibacy tell their stories in television documentary which was directed by the wife of one of the 13 ex priests interviewed.

"Make sure that the sacrifice of celibacy is matched with simplicity of life-style. A pampered celibacy is a counter-sign of Christ’s call.”

One of the ways the bishops are dealing with the vocations crisis is by “borrowing back" from Churches where Irish priests and sisters served.

Marking the 10th anniversary of the World Priest apostolate, Archbishop describes it as an affirmation of the men who commit their lives to the Lord.

“It seems to me that, in the Church, we don’t know homosexuality because we don’t know homosexuals, yet we have them all over the place" explains Vatican prelate.

“We do have to push for a more cohesive approach to bringing in prospective student priests” - Mgr Hugh Connolly.

Dominican warns priests' association that they are contributing to the vocations crisis.