Catholics push for married priests

The Detroit News ^ | November 11, 2003 | Cathy Lynn Grossman

[american colleen]

WASHINGTON -- Amid complaints of a shortage of Catholic priests and calls to make celibacy optional to attract more men to the priesthood, one expert says there are enough priests to meet the demand.

Today, Call to Action and FutureChurch, two groups pushing for change in the church, say they will present 7,000 letters to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting here that call for the church to "open discussion" on letting priests marry. The groups are alarmed that the ratio of parishioners to priests -- the only ones who can consecrate bread and wine -- has hit a historic high. There are 66.4 million U.S. Catholics and 44,487 priests. That translates to 1,493 Catholics for every priest.

[american colleen]

That was the best thing about this article, it did start to touch on framing the "priestly crisis" topic with facts and not feelings. It'd be nice to have a person with no agenda put some boundries around the topic and fill it in with facts - either way - so the debate would be honest instead of emotional.

It as just a happy throw-away that the number of letters were included. Most people who belong to one of the groups belong to all of them.

[franky]

Yes. I go to confession and there are 3 people waiting. Next day I go to the 9AM or 11AM Mass and 200 or more receive. I am still perplexed.

[PFKEY]

There was a short discussion about priestless parishes and a couple of the bishops explained that "as you all know" some parishes were built for 30 or 40 people and these parishes were never meant to have a priest in residence, they are for quiet prayer and community gatherings.

This strikes me as odd. Is a parish the same a church byuilding in this case?

Would the Diocese build a church soely for quiet prayer and community gathers?

What exactly is a community gathering?

[american colleen]

This is in rural areas where there aren't many Catholics and so a regular parish couldn't be sustained. A "circuit rider" priest visits for Mass or Confession or Baptisms or Weddings but is not in residence - so there are no daily Masses and only one on a Sunday. The building is there and can be used for rosary get-togethers, etc. - stuff that you wouldn't need a priest for.

[FormerLib]

If this is being seriously considered, I would call your attention to the fact that the Orthodox Church only allows celibate priests to rise to the rank of Bishop or higher. Married priests can serve a parish very well but care should be taken to insure that the tradition of celibacy is not carelessly discarded.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Clerical celibacy hasn't always been Catholic policy though. It was enjoined upon the clergy by the Lateran Councils (2nd or 4th) in the late Middle Ages.

Incorrect. Suggest you read Canons XXVII and XXXIII of the Council of Elvira, 295-302 AD, for starters. Then motor on over to the Council of Carthage, 390 AD:

"Ut quod Apostoli docuerunt, et ipsa servavit antiquitas, nos quoque custodiamus."

"What the Apostles taught, and what antiquity itself observed, let us endeavor also to keep."

You are mistaken regarding Paul's instructions to Timothy as being absolute, for Paul himself was celibate.

[sinkspur]

Catholics don't go to confession now. How many would go if they had to confess their sins to a married man?

Eastern Rite Catholics don't seem to have a problem, nor do those who go to one of the nearly 100 married Anglican-dispensation converts.

Catholics favor married priests, overwhelmingly.

I suspect they would get over any discomfort about confession, knowing that the seal of confession protects them.

[bobjam]

Was Paul a bishop? If so, of what see? Paul told Timothy that the best why to determine if a Christian is cut out to be an overseer (episcopus) is to look at that person's family. "If he cannot manage his own family, how can he manage God's?" was the Apostle's reasoning. We saw how V Gene Robinson managed his family (abandoned his wife and kids for another man) therefore he has no business being a bishop. Apostolorum fide ambulemur.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Was Paul a bishop?

Since Saint Paul ordained Titus, amongst many others, then the answer to your question is, yes.