[SteamshipTime]

The author asserts that neither Jesus nor the apostle Paul considered celibacy to be a requisite for discipleship, and until Gregory VII, after the Church had already existed with married priests for over 1,000 years, no one else did either. Thus, celibacy appears to be a purely human gloss on St. Paul's teachings that can be rescinded for any rational reason. The debate then shifts to the purely human realm of whether there are valid reasons to retain celibacy or not. You insist that merely by provoking this rational debate, the author is anti-Catholic. I don't see how that follows from this article.

[Rum Tum Tugger]

During the course of the article, the author slams Catholic teaching on many subjects other than celibacy. For example, he questions whether Christ founded his Church on Peter -- a direct attack on the very foundation of the Church. He also attacks Papal infallibility. I'd say that's anti-Catholic. I suspect you agree with the author though.

[foghornleghorn]

No, just bringing up the issue is not "anti-Catholic", but the author's distortion and outright falsification of history borders on it. For just one instance, papal supremacy and infallibility were accepted as far back as the third century, in available records, and undoubtedly had a long history before that. These were no "late inventions", even if celibacy (a mere regulation, not a doctrine) may have been.

[saradippity]

I hope you will pursue the Church teachings on celibacy and perhaps read the new testament yourself. This article,while it does show why so many Catholics are so woefully misinformed,is drivel.The fact that it was published in a purportedly Catholic newspaper is a clear indication of the contention of many that there is a church within the Church,that is gnawing away at the structure for the distinct purpose of collapsing it. If the USCCB was anything other than an oppurtunity for bishops to go on r&r and schmooze and booze they would take steps to put this propaganda machine out of business.Although given the way they have addressed or non-addressed the present scandal,they probably subsidize the NCR.