The Association of Catholic Priests says it has real concerns about the future of the Catholic Church.
Over 1-thousand people are attending a conference in Dublin today – aimed at planning a way forward for the Catholic Church here.
Members of the Association have recently faced criticism by the Vatican for expressing views which contradict Church teachings.
The meeting comes at a turbulent time for the Church – and it has been described as a first effort to bring people together to discuss the future direction of the Catholic Church.
It has been rocked in recent years by a series of high profile child abuse scandals – and most recently a BBC Documentary suggesting that the Primate of Ireland – Cardinal Sean Brady failed to act after hearing allegations of abuse against Fr Brendan Smyth in the 70s.
