Pope Benedict possibly to End Celibacy for Priests

spike

spike

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Catholic priests, who've left the priesthood for married life may possibly be permitted to return to their calling. Pope Benedict will meet tomorrow with top Vatican officials to discuss lifting the celibacy requirement for priests seeking to marry, or who have already married.

Volunteer TV's Gary Loe spoke with East Tennessee clergy members, and what impact this could have. The practice of celibacy by Catholic priests is ancient, deeply rooted in Biblical history and written in scripture.

"It is a radical choice to make to give up something so precious," Father Vann Johnston said.

Father Vann Johnston, chancellor of the Diocese of Knoxville, says priestly celibacy reflects the way Jesus lived. Pope Benedict XVI called a meeting to examine the implications of the disobedience of archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, the Zambian excommunicated in September for installing 4 married American men as bishops.

The Vatican stresses the pope's meeting would not open a general discussion of the celibacy requirement for priests. It would instead only examine requests for dispensation made by priests wishing to marry and requests for readmission made by clergy who had married recently.

"I don't ever foresee a point where priestly celibacy would ever be totally done away with," Johnston said.

Sevier Heights Baptist Church officials on Alcoa Highway focus much of their work on strengthening marriages. Brother David Harkins says having married clergy members in any religion may be helpful, in that respect.

"I would guess that they're probably a lot of people who would consider the priesthood if they knew that they would not be excluded from it by being married," Harkins said.

Father Johnston says several former priests, now married, live here in East Tennessee and if permitted, might consider a return to the priesthood. Those men were not available for this news story because the church asks former priests to remain low key and not draw attention to themselves in this regard.

Father Johnston points out the Catholic church has ordained married men in good standing. Most recently, an increased number of Protestant ministers have become Catholic priests.
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http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/4661996.html
 
That must be a site related to the onion :lol:

They are actually caring for the priest's needs? does that mean they'll allow to rape children as well? :rolleyes:
 
Whatcha mean 'allow'? Considering they are rarely prosecuted or internally disciplined, I dare say it already constitutes defacto permission to do so.
 
This isn't as big of a policy shift as the headline makes it out to be. What it is, however, is a giant loophole.
Become a priest, leave the priesthood, get married, become a priest again. I would assume there would be checks in place to prevent widespread abuse of the policy. *cough*
 
well, if we have rrfield's assumption enshrined and in place ..i guess it can pretty much be left to be self-regulatory like in the good 'ol days ..

... sempa vigilante!
 
If ya don't want to be a celibate priest, don't be one.

See, it worked.
 
Tommorow Gonz will be solving another tricky moral maze ....

(maybe there should be a new thread? :grinyes: ... Gonz's guide to da moral maze ? )

heh ...:shrug: works for me!

personally - let em bonk like rabbits, provided they obey the creed and laws of their chosen religion ... i never saw where jesus was against sex ... he had brothers and sisters etc ... if a priest marries he should be allowed some nookie :shrug:
 
From glancing at the headlines, I'd say celibacy for priests ended some time ago. Now the expectation, that's another matter.
 
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