22/04/02
April 22, 2002
Pope rejects calls for an end to priestly celibacy
From Katty Kay in Washington
The Times
THE Pope has rejected demands for an end to priestly celibacy, dashing hopes that tomorrow's meeting with American cardinals to discuss the sex-abuse scandal will produce significant results.
In his most extensive comments on the crisis in the Roman Catholic Church, he insisted that avoiding scandal in the Church was a priority and ordered bishops to "diligently investigate" allegations of sexual misbehaviour in the priesthood.
American cardinals, on a mission to restore their own much-damaged credibility, prepared to meet the Pope with a plan to wipe out abuse in the Church, and at least one US cardinal said that the meeting must include a discussion of celibacy.
On the eve of their departure, Cardinal Edward Egan, of New York, who has been accused of protecting paedophile priests, acknowledged for the first time yesterday that he might have made mistakes in how he had dealt with the abusive priests.
There are growing indications of wide gulfs in the expectations of the Vatican, the American cardinals and the American laity from this meeting and many American Catholics do not believe that the Pope recognises either the seriousness of their complaints or the ferocity of their demands for substantial reforms.
A CBS News opinion poll this weekend showed that a 60 per cent majority of America's 64 million Catholics are highly critical of the way the Catholic hierarchy, and the Pope in particular, have handled accusations of abuse against priests.
The Pope did not directly refer to the three-month-old scandal in America, in which numerous priests have been accused of raping or molesting children, but his comments, which reflected a desire for discipline over reform, were unlikely to satisfy US Catholics, for whom an end to enforced priestly celibacy has become an urgent demand. Yet the Pope made clear that ending celibacy was not up for discussion. "The value of celibacy as a complete gift of self to the Lord and his Church must be carefully safeguarded," he said.
He made his remarks in a meeting with Nigerian bishops, who are fighting allegations that priests in Africa have had sexual relations with nuns. He told the bishops that avoiding scandal was vital.
Although the Vatican has been accused of covering up for abusive priests by ordering American dioceses to keep information about them secret, the Pope said the Church must now be more open. "It is of the utmost importance," he said, "that openness, honesty and transparency should always be the hallmark of everything that the Church does."
American bishops and cardinals have been accused of a systematic conspiracy to protect clergy at the expense of the welfare of children.
The cardinals, who are under enormous pressure, have made it clear to Rome that they expect more than an expression of sympathy from their meeting. They will propose a range of measures to deal with the problem, including the creation of a unified Church response to abuse; the ability to unfrock a priest more easily; a reconciliation of canon law with secular authorities; and discussion, at least, of priestly celibacy.
Cardinal Roger Mahony, of Los Angeles, the largest Catholic community in America, said that he would also push the Pope to consider broader changes, such as allowing priests to marry and women to be ordained.
April 22, 2002
Pope rejects calls for an end to priestly celibacy
From Katty Kay in Washington
The Times
THE Pope has rejected demands for an end to priestly celibacy, dashing hopes that tomorrow's meeting with American cardinals to discuss the sex-abuse scandal will produce significant results.
In his most extensive comments on the crisis in the Roman Catholic Church, he insisted that avoiding scandal in the Church was a priority and ordered bishops to "diligently investigate" allegations of sexual misbehaviour in the priesthood.
American cardinals, on a mission to restore their own much-damaged credibility, prepared to meet the Pope with a plan to wipe out abuse in the Church, and at least one US cardinal said that the meeting must include a discussion of celibacy.
On the eve of their departure, Cardinal Edward Egan, of New York, who has been accused of protecting paedophile priests, acknowledged for the first time yesterday that he might have made mistakes in how he had dealt with the abusive priests.
There are growing indications of wide gulfs in the expectations of the Vatican, the American cardinals and the American laity from this meeting and many American Catholics do not believe that the Pope recognises either the seriousness of their complaints or the ferocity of their demands for substantial reforms.
A CBS News opinion poll this weekend showed that a 60 per cent majority of America's 64 million Catholics are highly critical of the way the Catholic hierarchy, and the Pope in particular, have handled accusations of abuse against priests.
The Pope did not directly refer to the three-month-old scandal in America, in which numerous priests have been accused of raping or molesting children, but his comments, which reflected a desire for discipline over reform, were unlikely to satisfy US Catholics, for whom an end to enforced priestly celibacy has become an urgent demand. Yet the Pope made clear that ending celibacy was not up for discussion. "The value of celibacy as a complete gift of self to the Lord and his Church must be carefully safeguarded," he said.
He made his remarks in a meeting with Nigerian bishops, who are fighting allegations that priests in Africa have had sexual relations with nuns. He told the bishops that avoiding scandal was vital.
Although the Vatican has been accused of covering up for abusive priests by ordering American dioceses to keep information about them secret, the Pope said the Church must now be more open. "It is of the utmost importance," he said, "that openness, honesty and transparency should always be the hallmark of everything that the Church does."
American bishops and cardinals have been accused of a systematic conspiracy to protect clergy at the expense of the welfare of children.
The cardinals, who are under enormous pressure, have made it clear to Rome that they expect more than an expression of sympathy from their meeting. They will propose a range of measures to deal with the problem, including the creation of a unified Church response to abuse; the ability to unfrock a priest more easily; a reconciliation of canon law with secular authorities; and discussion, at least, of priestly celibacy.
Cardinal Roger Mahony, of Los Angeles, the largest Catholic community in America, said that he would also push the Pope to consider broader changes, such as allowing priests to marry and women to be ordained.