Posted on 04/06/2017 6:53:55 PM PDT by ebb tide
Today, the German Bishops’ official website, Katholisch.de, published an interview with Cardinal Walter Kasper on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his own priestly ordination. In this context, the German cardinal also made some significant statements regarding the question of the viri probati — that is to say, on the ordination of married and morally proven men.
When the interviewer asked Kasper about the viri probati question, he responded, saying that there is an “urgent need for action.” There has been many a long-term discussion about this matter, but in the past, explains the cardinal, this topic “was not approved officially by Rome.” But now, adds Kasper, Pope Francis has said in a recent Die Zeit interview that “one should think about it,” even though the pope did not say “it will come.”
Kasper then shows his own sympathy for the idea of the viri probati when he says that “I consider such a discussion to be of the utmost necessity.” “We cannot go on as usual;” he adds, “this discussion is very urgent.” As an explanation, Kasper says that, when he was ordained, there were forty candidates ordained in his own diocese alone. “Now, there are 40 priestly candidates in the whole country.” Thus he brings up again the problem of the grave shortage of priests in Germany.
Cardinal Kasper insists upon the urgency by saying that the viri probati need to receive a formation; that is to say, it will take some preparation time before they can start working as priests. He adds that “the pope thinks that this discussion is worth it; he sees it positively.” One had to see what this concept of the viri probati means, explains the cardinal. Importantly, Kasper now says that the pope wishes that the national bishops’ conferences approach him with their individual proposals which he then can approve. Kasper goes on to say: “He [the pope] wants to leave the decision up to the bishops’ conferences.” They can “come to him and make a request.” “If this request is a reasonable request, I have the impression that he is willing to respond then positively to it,” adds Kasper. “It is now up to the bishops’ conferences.”
Such a process, as described by Kasper, could well have been designed to offer cover for the pope, creating the appearance that he is not soliciting such requests, but rather only receiving and considering them.
Cardinal Kasper has come to be known for his close relationship with Pope Francis. In the years that led up to the post-synodal exhortation Amoris Laetitia, the German cardinal had accented that Pope Francis himself supported his “Kasper proposal” which wanted to give access to Holy Communion for the “remarried” divorcees. His assessment, though widely dismissed at the time as his own wishful thinking, has since been proven true.
Now, Cardinal Kasper openly says that the pope wishes that the local bishops’ conferences make their more specific proposals to introduce the viri probati — that is to say, the issue of married priests — which the pope might then subsequently (and very likely) approve. (He did not at all speak, however, of the mulieres probatae. Not yet.)
The plan for further reform is thus laid out. It is only a question of time until the first national bishops’ conference will come up with the first proposals. Will it be the Germans again?
When the interviewer asked Kasper as to whether he will encourage Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the President of the German Bishops’ Conference, to make such a proposal, he responded: “He does not need it [such an encouragement]. Cardinal Marx wishes to push things ahead. But he cannot directly intervene into each local Church [diocese]. That has to be decided locally; one has to differentiate here.” [my emphasis]
This statement by Cardinal Kasper seems to stand in direct opposition to Cardinal Marx’s own recent March 2017 statement, according to which Marx is very hesitant to open up to the viri probati question, which was, he believed, more urgent elsewhere — namely, for other “extreme cases” in other places in the world with severe shortages of priests. Even so, Marx more or less contradicted himself a few days later, when he frankly admitted that in 2016 the seminary of his own Diocese of Munich-Freising had received only one new seminarian — certainly as serious a situation as the “extreme cases” he referred to in other countries.
The future will soon show us which Bishops’ Conference will take the first practical steps toward ordaining married priests — and whether they will be doing it with papal encouragement and approval.
It’s not against the NT so why not? We know a good number of the disciples were married.
No pope has ever taken votes from bishop conferences before.
Because a celibate can dedicate himself to pastoral ministry in a manner that a married priest cannot. This has been the happy experience of the Latin church for 2000 years. The more urgent question is why now, after 2000 years, are we having problems attracting men to the priesthood. It is time to take a second look at what we have been doing for the last 50 years and the damage that it has done.
Yet the disciples were able to make it work somehow. Paul didn’t have a problem with it as he outlined qualifications of church leaders which included allowance for a wife. Why not leave it up to the individual as lead by the Spirit?
Holy bishops have full seminaries.
I needed to make an appointment with a priest. His appointment book showed that he was full from 5am until midnight, seven days a week. He had to schedule me several weeks in the future.
What wife is going to put up with that?
At least for half of the 2,000 years. The first 1,000 years it was both married and single. To this day the Eastern Rite Catholics allow for married priests.
Bible-wise you are correct.p
Sounds like there’s a need for more priests in that case.
Not so. As is today, those who were married had to agree to constancy within marriage. If, as some claim, celibacy was introduced around the year 1000 then there surely would have been evidence that this was a novelty and there would have been protests against it. This does not exist. Rather, what we have is the renewal of what was already regarded as an apostolic tradition. Who would dare claim that it was only in 1994 that the Church forbade the ordination of women because John Paul II's Ordinatio Sacerdotalis was the first official document proclaim so?
The truth is that all that we know about the marital status of the Apostles is that Paul was unmarried and that Peter may have been married or may have been a widower. Anything else is mere speculation.
Why not leave it up to the individual as lead by the Spirit?
Because priest are not independent agents but rather ministers of the Church. Ordination is not for the good of the priest but for the needs of the Church. The Church has every right to impose what it deems necessary qualifications upon its candidates for the priesthood.
Indeed! The answer to the lack of priests is to return to traditional Catholic teachings and worship. We once had more that enough priests and by God's grace can have so again.
I fear that this drive for married priests is not because of the priest shortage but as a part of the continuing retreat from the demands of sexual self-control. Celibate priests are an affront to a world that insists that sexual license is the greatest good.
And the way to get them is a return to traditional Catholic teachings and worship. It worked in the past and can work again.
The truth is that all that we know about the marital status of the Apostles is that Paul was unmarried and that Peter may have been married or may have been a widower. Anything else is mere speculation.
14When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. Matthew 8:14 NASB
4Do we not have a right to eat and drink? 5Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 1 Corinthians 9:4 NASB
We know for certain Peter had a wife as did some or all of the other disciples.
Paul may or may not have been married. There is speculation his wife may have died. We don't know for sure.
What we do know is Paul was ok with men who served God being married or single.
The history of the RCC requiring priests to be single has more to do with money than following Paul's example.
But to your point...a church can establish criteria for the men called to serve. Those criteria must align with the NT though as all of the teachings of a church should.
And the way to get them is a return to traditional Catholic teachings and worship. It worked in the past and can work again.
Perhaps what is needed is a return to traditional Christianity as practiced in the NT.
That is what I said. Traditional Catholicism is the traditional Christianity as practiced in the NT.
Then there can be married priests.
You just killed your own argument and proved once again that Roman Catholicism is not traditional NT Christianity.
“Can be” is not the same as “must be.” And if you do not think that Catholicism is traditional NT Christianity, why do you even care?
To show the casual reader of these threads that Roman Catholicism is not Christianity.
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