The founder of Ireland's Association of Catholic Priests has said he has found it hard to maintain faith in the Church after being silenced four years ago.

Fr Flannery, a member of the Redemptorist Congregation, complained about the lack of support he had received and of the lack of process around his case at the Vatican, where the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith silenced him in 2012 for questioning whether Jesus founded the priesthood. He has also been criticised for his liberal views on women priests and homosexuality.

"I just think it's so frustrating, the Irish bishops have never even contacted me in the last four years. Never shown me any element of support," he told Miriam O'Callaghan on RTÉ Radio 1. "They are in senior positions in an institution that is conducting affairs in a totally unjust and abusive fashion and they do nothing about it and I find that intolerable."

Last August he was prevented by a bishop from giving a talk in Cork because he was told he was not allowed to exercise a public ministry, the Irish Examiner reported.

The Association of Catholic Priests, a voluntary organisation set up in 2010 to reflect on the Catholic Church in Ireland and on society, has more than 1,000 members. It is not recognised by the Church, however, and has never been asked to meet the Papal Nuncio to Ireland.

Father Flannery said some had suggested he should leave the Church and the priesthood. He said that instead, he has decided to work on bringing about reform.

"I'm now at this stage very involved in the international church movement, which is extremely stimulating and exciting and has opened up a whole new world to me. And in some ways this is the best period of my life right now."