As a young priest Benedict XVI ‘called for the Church to investigate priestly celibacy’

[laszlo]

The priestly celibacy is only disciplinary matter. There was no celibacy requirement in the first 3 centuries of the Church, and there was and is no celibacy requirement in the Eastern Churches.

The example of the Eastern Catholics (in their territory where there are allowed to ordain married men to priesthood) clearly shows that one of the obstacles for the lack of vocations is the celibacy requirement. In Hungary the Greek Catholics have one priests of every 1000 people and each parish has its own priest, while a Roman Catholic church a priest serves over 2700 people and as a rule 2-3 parishes.

Despite the merits of the celibacy having a marries priest is much better than having no priests at all.

By accepting Anglican and hopefully Lutheran married ministers and ordaining them to the priesthood probably will pave the way to show that without celibacy requirement for priests the Church can survive, w/o priests she cannot.

 

[didymus]

Catholic Herald:

As a young priest Benedict XVI ‘called for the Church to investigate priestly celibacy’

As a young priest, Pope Benedict put his name to a document calling for the Church to seriously investigate the obligation to priestly celibacy.
Joseph Ratzinger was one of the signatories of a 1970 document calling for an examination of priestly celibacy which was signed by nine theologians.
The memorandum was drawn up in the face of a shortage of priests and other signatories included Karl Rahner and the future cardinals Karl Lehmann and Walter Kasper.

The German newspaper Die Sueddeutsche reported about the document today.
The memorandum, which was sent to the German bishops reads: “Our considerations regard the necessity of a serious investigation and a differentiated inspection of the law of celibacy of the Latin Church for Germany and the whole of the universal Church.”

File “interesting if true”, I’d like to see a link to the original document.

 

[Shiranui117]

It’d be nice to see this old proposal of Benedict’s come back, if he actually did support it.

 

[po18guy]

I would venture to guess that Joseph Ratzinger is a slightly different man, in the spiritual sense, now than he was then.

I still wonder why this obsession with the celibacy issue, since almost no one who questions it seems either to 1) qualify for, or 2) be interested in ordination. I note that many people are very concerned over whether or not someone else can do this or do that. And, so it is with many aspects of life.

 

[Redratfish]

Correct me if Im wrong, but I thought the issue of a celibacy based priesthood was a discipline, not a dogma. I understand that priestly orders take vows of poverty and Chastity, but I thought that the priests who do not take vows could eventually one day be married again.

Am I correct in this?

 

[po18guy]

Correct me if Im wrong, but I thought the issue of a celibacy based priesthood was a discipline, not a dogma. I understand that priestly orders take vows of poverty and Chastity, but I thought that the priests who do not take vows could eventually one day be married again.

Am I correct in this?

They take a vow of obedience. If that discipline changes, they vowed to obey whatever it becomes. Should it change, that does not mean that they must remain single, or that they must marry, as either state would then be optional.

 

[laszlo]

I would venture to guess that Joseph Ratzinger is a slightly different man, in the spiritual sense, now than he was then.

I still wonder why this obsession with the celibacy issue, since almost no one who questions it seems either to 1) qualify for, or 2) be interested in ordination. I note that many people are very concerned over whether or not someone else can do this or do that. And, so it is with many aspects of life.

There is an evident shortage of priests. Also there are quite a few married and qualified men in the US who could be good priest:

• 10000 permanent married deacons with growing number
• pastoral associates with theological degrees (I estimate 5000)
• the rest of the seminarians who left the seminary unfinished to marry

Many of them would be ready to serve as priest. Even part time, Sunday priests (for hearing confessions and celebrating Mass) would be significant relief.

For the younger ones, the example of the Easter Catholic churches shows that they have no shortage of priests where the celibacy is not required (in the are of the former Austrian-Hungarian Empire)

 

[UnworthyApostle]

This is a doctrine in the western church which I believe should be changed; as well as the Latinazation of the Eastern Churches in this regard. I beleive Holy Celibacy to be a good thing, by choice. To force it seems wrong in a way. I of course am an easterner.

 

[po18guy]

There is an evident shortage of priests. Also there are quite a few married and qualified men in the US who could be good priest:

• 10000 permanent married deacons with growing number
• pastoral associates with theological degrees (I estimate 5000)
• the rest of the seminarians who left the seminary unfinished to marry

Many of them would be ready to serve as priest. Even part time, Sunday priests (for hearing confessions and celebrating Mass) would be significant relief.

For the younger ones, the example of the Easter Catholic churches shows that they have no shortage of priests where the celibacy is not required (in the are of the former Austrian-Hungarian Empire)

The deacons are, in many cases, too old to study the additional time necessary for priesthood. How many of them even desire to become a priest? And, Heaven protect us from pastoral associates! Seeing some of them in action frightens me. Seminarians who left seminary made their choice. Saint Paul was right.

Is lowering the standard of discipline the solution? Lowering the standards for police officers solved a few immediate crises, but long term became a disaster - for Los Angeles, CA and Miami, FL. Criminals infiltrated the ranks. Wolves amongst the sheep. Sound familiar?

 

[UnworthyApostle]

“…it is a discipline…“Thank You for the correction. The nuances of theology can be confusing. You also say,”…changing it would involve momentous and drastic knock on effects…”: I am curious as to what you think they are.

 

[Digitonomy]

You described some practical concerns. What are some theological concerns?

 

[Digitonomy]

Here is the article from the Suddeutsche Zeitung. I haven’t had a chance to read it, but I didn’t find any links to the document in question when I scanned through it.

 

[Digitonomy]

The key passage from this article seems to be:

Sie betonen darin mehrmals, sie wollten mit ihrer Petition keine Entscheidung präjudizieren, das verpflichtend ehelose Priestertum abzuschaffen. Doch allein die Tatsache, dass sie sich zu einer ausführlichen schriftlichen Intervention bemüßigt fühlten, zeigt deutlich, dass sie am Sinn des Zwangszölibates zweifelten.

Unfortunately, my German isn’t up to the task of clarifying the Google translation:

They emphasize repeatedly that they would prejudice their petition with a decision to abolish the mandatory celibate priesthood. But the fact that they felt impelled to a detailed written intervention, clearly shows that they doubted the sense of forced celibacy.

 

[SonCatcher]

You described some practical concerns. What are some theological concerns?

Perhaps not a theological concern, exactly. However, suddenly reintroducing a non-celibate priesthood after all this time could cause much confusion over the relevance of the Catholic Church and erode her distinctiveness.

I wonder, though, whether it might be allowed within the Personal Ordinariates established for bringing former Anglicans into the fold. That might be something to investigate.

 

[laszlo]

Perhaps not a theological concern, exactly. However, suddenly reintroducing a non-celibate priesthood after all this time could cause much confusion over the relevance of the Catholic Church and erode her distinctiveness.

I wonder, though, whether it might be allowed within the Personal Ordinariates established for bringing former Anglicans into the fold. That might be something to investigate.

This is simply the matter of catechesis: a married priest is better than no priest of all.

If the decision will be made the process certainly will start with ordaining married permanent deacons and (male) pastoral associates to priesthood. Those already stand at the altar only their function is extended

 

[puzzleannie]

I love the choice of forum Catholic News
it is suddenly a news story that the pope said something 30 years ago, before he was pope
must have been a slow news day in Rome

 

[guiseppe_paolo]

He (the younger Benedict) may have been asking for the Church to investigate in order to confirm the blessings of celibacy that exists within our priesthood. Even if his initial support may have been for another viewpoint, how many of us have different views now as adults than we had when we were younger? As a child I was afraid of vegetables but now I realize that fear was pretty much unfounded since everyone knows that brussel sprouts are the only vegetable we need to fear. They may not be the “root” of all evil but I have always been suspicious.

 

[SamH]

He (the younger Benedict) may have been asking for the Church to investigate in order to confirm the blessings of celibacy that exists within our priesthood. .

Actually he asked that a “study” be conducted, many posters here seem to think his support for change was a forgone conclusion.

Just curious, was the study ever conducted?

 

[laszlo]

The deacons are, in many cases, too old to study the additional time necessary for priesthood. How many of them even desire to become a priest? And, Heaven protect us from pastoral associates! Seeing some of them in action frightens me. Seminarians who left seminary made their choice. Saint Paul was right.

Is lowering the standard of discipline the solution? Lowering the standards for police officers solved a few immediate crises, but long term became a disaster - for Los Angeles, CA and Miami, FL. Criminals infiltrated the ranks. Wolves amongst the sheep. Sound familiar?

The celibacy as standard came in after being priests meant a high level social acceptance, and there were more than enough candidates for priesthood (4th Century)

A policeman acts on his own power, priest acts on God’s power. This is essential difference for your analogy.

The priest by definition is needed to gave absolution for the sick.

James 5:14 Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.

The practice of the Esatern Catholics is satisfactory: only celibate man can be bishops, but married men can be ordained for confessions and holy masses.

 

[Nordar]

This is a doctrine in the western church which I believe should be changed; as well as the Latinazation of the Eastern Churches in this regard. I beleive Holy Celibacy to be a good thing, by choice. To force it seems wrong in a way. I of course am an easterner.

Everyone who enters the Seminary to become a priest is fully aware that they will have to take a vow of celibacy. It is not forced on anyone, they do have a choice take the vow or do not become a priest.