Association of Catholic Priests backs Bishop Daly’s call to end celibacy

Having said that, I think married priests is an idea whose time has come. Particularly for a Church whose main narrative seems to be preservation of the Church and it's establishment, rather than the Faith. As to the cost issue - sell some of the wealth of the Church. That's come about strictly by human hubris.

Pedophilia is not affected by marital status. There is a significant number of married child molesters, and the occurance rate of molestation is the same in the priesthood as in the general population. The scandal is the fact that priests do it at all, and worse, the Church actively covered it up and prevented the perpetrators being prosecuted.

Let the priests get married and 99% of the molestation will end. When you are denied sex, even masterbation, ultimately the sex drive wins out. And the alter boys (there weren't any alter girls) were the handiest victims and also the easiest to terrorize re what would happen if they ratted out the priests who abuse them....................Its time to burn the vatican to the ground with the hierarchy - most of it - entombed in it. Freedom demands!!

A bit more History: Christ’s church began with married clergy gathering in small groups and celibacy was left as an option taken up mainly by monks and religious hermits of the day. It wasn't until Constantine AD313 who legalized Catholicism in the Roman Empire that the church started to “take on Roman customs” that would forever change our church. The celebration of the Eucharist became a highly structured ritual that imitated the ceremonies of Rome’s imperial court with vestments, genuflection, kneeling, and the strict formality of Mass. The church began to mirror Roman government. Large buildings, church tribunal courts, rulers and subjects began to replace the family-based small communities that were served by a local priesthood. In this time of power and legalism, certain medieval popes abused their authority. In 1075, Pope Gregory VII declared that nobody could judge a pope except God. Introducing the concept of infallibility, he was the first pope to decree that Rome can never be “in error.” The hierarchy viewed married priests as an obstacle in control of the church and in the eleventh century, attacks against the married priesthood grew in intensity. Finally in 1074, Pope Gregory VII legislated that anyone to be ordained must first pledge celibacy. Soon after Pope Urban II ordered that married priests who ignored the celibacy laws be imprisoned for the good of their souls and had their wives and children sold into slavery.

One additional Scripture is helpful. St. Paul under Divine inspiration strongly encouraged celibacy, but not anything like a universal law of celibacy for priests or anyone else. "Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas (Peter)?"(1 Corinthians 9:6-7). The Vatican is only being asked to bring Roman Catholic Church laws into compliance with the Word of God in this matter.

A very noble and saintly aspiration but not for all jacer, including monks and nuns. The thousands of fatherless children of clergy is one example, or maybe you have the their only human mentality which only proves my point, not to menion the exploitation of women, religious or not.

Every Christian, Catholic or not, knows that marriage is not denied to priests of the Christian Church and that the Vatican’s preference for chaste priests is not written in stone. I don’t think Bishop Daly’s call is anything new. I support the idea of married Catholic priests but I also recognise the huge sacrifice of priests and nuns, who opt for chastity in the name of Christ, Who, remained a chaste man until His death on the Cross. I think it’s that example that the Catholic Church’s leaders and most Catholic priests aspire to... and a very noble, saintly one it is too. Monks and nuns are famous for removing themselves from all earthly things in order to devote themselves to the spirituality of Christ. (Pls leave aside responses on those who failed that aspiration to the horrendous detriment of the abused; think about the vast majority of priests who are as good as ever at delivering and practicing Christ’s example). I'd agree that removing celebracy will not increase vocations to the priesthood. Those who are called will answer the call anyway.

Allowing married Anglicans into the Catholic priesthood was the height of arrogance on the Vatican's part, and was driven not so much by their marital status, but their overall concurrence with the Vatican's anti-liberation theology positions.

Look, Rabbi's, Protestant ministers and Pastors of other denominations all marry and have done it for years and years. I back Bishop Edward Daly and Father Hoban. Ditto on what McNamara31 wrote. So why should any man or woman have to be made to observe the act of celebacy, when it is completely unhealthy mentally and physically. The Catholic Church and all it's wealth and lawyers will surely figure it out We honor and pray to a LOVING GOD. Life is LOVE isn't it?

I think it's strictly a money and health insurance issue with the Church. They don't want to have to pay for insurance for the priest, his wife and children, plus a family will have to have their living expenses covered.

Blessed be you all whom have written before me. The stakes are high. I don't personally give a darn about the RCC. I want a Christian Catholic Church. If Rome wants to get on board great, if not, then goodby... may you squalor in your old antiquated dark aged misguided patriarcial pediphelic ways. It's time to bring light into the Church; time for a authentic "Renewal"!: 1) Option to marry for priest and nuns, ordination of men and women into the priesthood. 2) Open communtion for all Christian believers (who give's a tinker's darn if it's the "actual" or the "symbolic"! The point is - as Christ said "Do this in remberence of me". 3) Continue to hold Mass on Saturday nights and on Sundays and keep them to an hour or less. 4) Continue with confessions (it's good to get guilt off ones chest). 5) Continue parochioal schools. 6) Be a wanting participating leader in ecumenical services and events. 7) Add more hymns to sing that may have roots in other Christian denominations. FOR GOD'S SAKE, JUST DO IT! Nuff said.

Bishop Daly's suggestion is an idea that is long overdue but it will not solve the far larger problem of the Vatican's continued complicity both in covering up child abuse and in it's refusal to admit that this cover up was done on very high levels. They seem to believe that they are a law unto themselves. Catholic churches in Ireland are emptying by the day. Unless child abuse and the conspiracy around it are fairly dealt with, it won't make a difference who is allowed to be a priest as there will soon be no congregations.

I see a "conflict of interest" problem. Lawyers, psychs, and doctors are not to have relations with their clients or patients, and for good reason. But inthose cases, the client/patient relationship is clear, and has a beginning and an ending. But what about priests? Should not all parishioners be regarded in the same manner? How would a parishioner know if the preiset regrds her as a parishioner, or as a "client", to use a term from the above example. I don't see how there can be two classes of priests, and two classes of parishioners, Likewise, from th eparishioner's view, how are they to know which priest is "available", etc. Some things to think about.

The scriptures say nothing about compulsory celibacy for the priests only: "1 Corinthians 7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. 8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. 9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn." - to me that means those that are strong can go for it and those that are weaker should get married.

It's doable. Protestant pastors usually get a modest home (parsonage) and salary from their congregations. Not all Protestants are tithers, especially in this economy. Just look around at all the Protestant pastors & their families - they aren't rich but they're not on welfare and wearing rags, either. Their families seem to do well on a modest lifestyle. Oh, well, count on the Pope to bring the hammer down on this idea, anyway. I still think priests should have the option to marry.