Alternative Priests´ Council Hits Back on Mandatory Celibacy

The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy (ACCC), which represents 300 of Australia´s 1650 Catholic priests, has begged to differ from the more established National Council of Priests (NCP), which wrote to Rome urging the October Synod of Bishops to reexamine the celibacy requirement for priests.

ACCC National Chairman Fr. John Walshe has issued a statment regretting the assumption of media reporting that the NCP represents all of Australia´s priests, when in fact its membership only around 50%. While the ACCC is the smaller of the two organisations, Fr Walshe says it is the more "youthful," claiming that most members are priests under 40 years of age.

"The ACCC supports the continued practice of mandatory celibacy because it stands as a unique witness to total service of Christ and a witness to the life to come," he said. "In a world that struggles with commitment, chastity and discipline the witness of celibacy is powerful and godly."

Fr. Walshe also suggested that the anti-clerical celibacy argument "is based upon a questionable analysis of the practice of celibacy in the Church of the West prior to the tenth century." He claimed "scholarship has unearthed that priests of earlier ages who were married often were required to live 'Josephite marriages' once they were ordained" which "often meant the separation of priest-husband and wife."

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3 posted on 01/31/2005 8:02:17 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

4 posted on 01/31/2005 8:07:06 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

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