News (World)
World News
Pope affirms celibacy
- Written by: Alex Walker
VATICAN CITY, NOV 17, 2006 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, the Holy See Press Office released the following communique:
"In the Apostolic Palace this morning, November 16, the Holy Father presided at one of the regular meetings of the heads of dicasteries of the Roman Curia, for a moment of shared reflection.
"The participants in the meeting had at their disposal detailed information concerning requests for dispensation from the obligation of celibacy presented during recent years, and concerning the possibility of readmission to the exercise of the ministry of priests who currently meet the conditions established by the Church.
"The value of the choice of priestly celibacy in accordance with Catholic tradition was reaffirmed, and the need for solid human and Christian formation was underlined, both for seminaries and for ordained priests."
OP/PRIESTLY CELIBACY/... VIS 061117 (140)
Pragmatism drive celibacy
- Written by: Jan Repa BBC
BBC news: A meeting of senior Vatican officials called by Pope Benedict XVI has reaffirmed the Catholic Church's commitment to priestly celibacy. A growing number of Catholic priests have expressed a desire to marry. There are also men who have ceased being active priests in order to marry - but who now want to return to their vocation. But the Catholic Church forbids most of its priests from marrying or entering into sexual relationships.
Vatican stands by celibacy ruling
- Written by: Alex Walker
The Vatican has backed the tradition of celibacy for Catholic priests after a meeting between the Pope and advisers. The Pope and his cardinals discussed the case of a married African archbishop, excommunicated last year for ordaining other married priests.
"The value of the choice of priestly celibacy... has been reaffirmed," the Vatican said in a statement.
Thousands of the Catholic Church's 400,000 priests worlwide have left in order to marry in recent years. Read More
BBC World Service
- Written by: Alex Walker
Alex discussed with Fr Peter Scally this evening in Have Your Say, the subject of compulsory celibacy in the light of today's meeting in Rome. My letter of dispensation is very restrictive. It is prepared to take a valuable resource like myself and others and prevent it from being used for the benefit of the church. What other organisation which had spent so much time and money on its training would do this ?
"a priest who has been dispensed by this process itself loses the rights proper to the clerical state, and the honours and ecclesiastical offices; he is no longer bound by other duties connected with the clerical state he remains excluded from the exercise of the sacred ministry, with the exemption of those matters in Canons 976, 986§2, and therefore cannot give a homily. Moreover he cannot perform the extraordinary ministry of distributing holy communion nor can he undertake a leading office in the pastoral sphere.
Likewise he cannot fulfil any duty in Seminaries and in comparative Institutions. In other institutions of a higher grade of studies, which in any way depend on ecclesiastical Authority, he cannot perform an administrative position or the office of teaching." (from the rescript of dispensation from clerical celibacy)
Milingo and Celibacy
- Written by: Alex Walker
Pope Benedict XVI has met top advisers at the Vatican to study requests from Catholic priests who wish to marry.