Note: This article was first published September 12, 2013 by Yahoo! News.
"Celibacy is not an institution but look, it is also true that you can discuss (it) because as you say this is not a dogma, a dogma of the church," Archbishop Pietro Parolin [right] said in an interview with Venezuelan newspaper El Universal. "The efforts that the church made to keep ecclesiastical celibacy, to impose ecclesiastical celibacy, have to be taken into consideration. One cannot say simply that this belongs in the past."
Parolin, who was named Cardinal Secretary of State late last month, is considered the most powerful official at the Vatican after Pope Francis.
According to the National Catholic Reporter, Parolin's comments "are raising eyebrows" in Rome, "with some wondering if they herald looming changes in Catholic teaching and practice."
But Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Holy See’s press office, told NBC News the comments were "in line with the teachings of the church."
It's not clear when celibacy became mandatory for priests, HuffPost Religion notes, but the first written mandate for chastity dates to 304 C.E., when Canon 33 of the Council of Elvira stated that all "bishops, presbyters, and deacons and all other clerics" should "abstain completely from their wives and not to have children."
And "a definitive ruling was handed down at the Second Lateran Council of 1139, which ruled that priests were forbidden to marry."
Parolin's admitted question of priestly celibacy represents “a great challenge for the pope."
In 2012, before becoming pontiff, Francis addressed the issue, saying he was in favor of maintaining the tradition "for the moment."
"It is a matter of discipline, not of faith," he said. "It can change."
As Francis said, the prohibition against marriage for priests "can change". It's about time that the clergy has some choice in the matter. The Protestant denominations have shown that marriage is not an impediment to serving the church well, or to personal sanctity, for that matter. Let the discussion begin.
ReplyDeletePocreation is the greatest human urge. Allow clergy to be married. Try it for 5 years or 10 years. It is simple and easy.You will have proof that this is right. No more child sexual abuse headlines, no more dioceses needing to declare bankruptcy.
ReplyDeletePope Francis;
ReplyDeleteIt is just plain wrong for the Pope to defrock and punish priests who have sexually abused child victims, AFTER these crimes have been committed. And here in the U. S., there are front page headlines. Churches have paid out millions of dollars in court settlements, there are archdioceses declaring bankruptcy. You can end this vulgar, disgusting sickness right now.
(a) Victims are damaged for life. Some commit suicide.
(b) Priests are following the strongest human urge, to reproduce.
You can bring dignity and respect back to the Church by allowing priests to marry.