Married Catholic Priests Call On Vatican For “Optional Celibacy”

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The Latinamerican Federation of Married Catholic Priests called on the Vatican to accept “optional celibacy” for members of the Church and acknowledge as something natural that clergy members can marry.
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The proposal will be presented directly to the Vatican by the federation, seated in Belgium, following a congress that will take place later this year announced from Ecuador, Mario Mullo president of the organization.
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“Our position is the same that that of the International Confederation of married Catholic Priests and Wives, which is precisely to work for the “optional celibacy”, underlined Mullo who stated that the Catholic Church “mandatory celibacy”, is anachronic.
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Recent scandals involving paternity claims against former bishop Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo and the revelation of romantic scenes in with a woman in a Miami beach involving a popular priest Alberto Cutié have triggered the discussion inside the Catholic Church said Mullo.
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“We’re working and struggling for an optional celibacy in the Catholic Church and we are not against having celibate priests, because we believe it all enriches the Church”, he added pointing out that the Catholic Church should not have such an intransigent position “as is the current hierarchy of the Vatican”.
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Mullo said that optional celibacy is the “outcry of the Catholic people” and is needed to avoid the emergence of so “many scandals”.
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He said that according to the latest statistics from the International Confederation currently “there are approximately 150.000 married priests in the world”.
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“In 1990 it was believed we were 100.000 but in these last few years there has been a considerable increase in the number of married priests that have abandoned celibacy”.
The fact a priest marries does not mean he is no longer a member of the clergy, said Mullo, but rather that he can’t exercise sacramental activity, which means celebrating mass.
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“It’s an ad divinis suspension such as has been applied to the President of Paraguay and father Alberto in Miami who are impeded from celebrating mass, although nobody can deny them the right to priesthood because that is a gift from God”.
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Mullo said mandatory celibacy is an anachronic situation that has been discussed since the Middle Age and before at the different Church councils. “The Church must listen to the voice of the people that is the voice of God and many times gives the orientation which is not understood or listened to in the Church”.
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“Sometimes very drastic decisions are taken, which have no support in the writings or dogmas of the Church and a natural law is prohibited when priests are banned from getting married”, he remarked.
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en.mercopress.com/2009/05/14/married-catholic-priests-call-on-vatican-for-optional-celibacy
 
:shrug:Well if the argument is that vows were broken so let them be broken all the more, then divorce should be allowed to lead to second spouses because many have done this also.🤷
 
While I acknowledge that opposition to celibacy is a valid topic for debate, I would argue that we need mandatory celibacy now more than ever.

If people are choosing not to become clergy because they cannot have sex or if current clergy are fighting for the option of sex, THESE PEOPLE HAVE THEIR MINDS ON THE WRONG THING. Further, if one cannot devote himself to celibacy, he is not cut out to be a clergyman.

Perhaps these people need to turn off there oversexed television shows so that they can concentrate on more important things.

Finally, even if mandatory celibacy WAS overturned on a limited basis, fornication is still a mortal sin and unchangeable. I wonder if this former bishop and Miami priest have thought about this?

In my view, all priests caught in sexual relationships ought to be automatically reassigned to a monastery for a year. Where he can reexamine that whole vow of chastity commitment.
 
Based on the arguments that many groups give for allowing priests to marry, you would think that our Church would have an abundance of permanent deacons. But after 40 years since the permanent diaconate was restored in the Church, most parishes still don’t have a permanent deacon assigned to them and the number of married men studying for the permanent diaconate is probably small in most cases. As someone else mentioned earlier, the goal of someone preparing for the priesthood or the diaconate should be to serve others and save souls, and to continue that work after they’re ordained. But too many of them get caught up in worldly ambitions and desires and lose sight of the true role for priests and deacons.
 
"Mullo said that optional celibacy is the “outcry of the Catholic people” and is needed to avoid the emergence of so “many scandals”. "

So the Church would be scandal free if celibacy is optional?
A small number of priests causes scandal, but they don’t speak for the rest of the priests. Just cuz they can’t live up to it, they think the tide should change?

In this sex crazed world, it’s no surprise that priests are not immune to it. Even married people failed in their vocation, what makes priests any better. It would take a devout Christ-center man who will live up to the priesthood. Anything less is not good for the Church. Man sins and non-celibacy will not resolve the problem. There will be other scandals that’d come about from the married priests then what next.🤷

The Church needs men who are in love with Christ and His Church. Period.
 
I still don’t see what would be so bad about allowing married men to become Priests.
 
Am I to understand that married priests who are former Protestants ordained under JPII’s pastoral provision are to maintain celebacy even though still married?
 
Since celibacy is a discipline and not a doctrine, it can and may be changed in the future. But if it does change to allow married priests, don’t expect it to be a cure-all for the problem of declining vocations in those areas experiencing it. The only solution is for more people to turn to Christ and do His will. He will provide us with the vocations we need if we follow Him and answer His call to whatever vocation He desires for us.
 
cyberwolf001 said:
I still don’t see what would be so bad about allowing married men to become Priests.
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His devotion will be split…50/50…60/40…80/20 ?

Which would you prefer?

Not only that, but your contribution would have to be more.
 
mark_a said:
Am I to understand that married priests who are former Protestants ordained under JPII’s pastoral provision are to maintain celebacy even though still married?
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No that would break their vows to their wives. They are not permitted to remarry if their current wife dies. They are then held to the Roman Catholic Form.
 
I am a Husband & a Father, I can’t imagine adding the responsiblity of the Preisthood to my awesome vocation. I mean I work hard, probably harder than most, But my priority is my family. I look at our awesome preist “Father Frank” see how busy he is, no way could he devote his time to both parish family & physical family - both would suffer greatly. Preist are on call 24/7 all year except when he gets his 3 weeks vacation. It just doesn’t make sense.

By the way we have an ex-Anglican married priest in our parish, “Father Steve” a beautiful preist and family man. But no way does he have time and does not devote the same amount of time that as Father Frank. How can he, he has feet in two different worlds.

Peace!👍
 
cathgal said:
His devotion will be split…50/50…60/40…80/20 ?

Which would you prefer?

Not only that, but your contribution would have to be more.
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It works well enough for other Rites in the church.
 
This will not necessarily remove or cut down scandal considerably. Especially those for paternity suit claims.

The fact of the matter is many people still see the Church as a cash cow and will attempt to see what money they can get from the Catholic church.

I agree with CathGal:
So the Church would be scandal free if celibacy is optional?
A small number of priests causes scandal, but they don’t speak for the rest of the priests. Just cuz they can’t live up to it, they think the tide should change?
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cyberwolf001 said:
It works well enough for other Rites in the church.
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Most of the other Rites that you are talking about are small parishes. These priests don’t get transferred every few years. The dynamics are just not the same.

I would not wish on anyone having to keep one foot in two such different worlds. Sure some can make it. Those that can’t make it as singles sure won’t have the strength to split themselves into small pieces and succeed at everything.
 
i love it. Optional Celibacy???

Come on, allowing Priests to marry does not solve any problems, it only quadruples their problems! They have 2 families, not one, they are not celibate, but must still be faithful to their wives while trying to serve Jesus full time???

Optional celibacy is like optional Catholicism, it’s like cafeteria catholics who want the fun stuff, but not the tough stuff!!!

This is definitely an either/or situation, not a both/and!

Optional Celibacy is like optional gender, it is impossible.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
 
KathleenElsie said:
Most of the other Rites that you are talking about are small parishes. These priests don’t get transferred every few years. The dynamics are just not the same.

I would not wish on anyone having to keep one foot in two such different worlds. Sure some can make it. Those that can’t make it as singles sure won’t have the strength to split themselves into small pieces and succeed at everything.
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My dear I assure you the Eastern Rites are not all that small, nor are the Orthodox who do just fine with the same.

I’d say leave it for the families to decide. Especially these days when families can expect to move a lot to find work it’s not like it once was.
Mark77 said:
i love it. Optional Celibacy???

Come on, allowing Priests to marry does not solve any problems, it only quadruples their problems! They have 2 families, not one, they are not celibate, but must still be faithful to their wives while trying to serve Jesus full time???

Optional celibacy is like optional Catholicism, it’s like cafeteria catholics who want the fun stuff, but not the tough stuff!!!

This is definitely an either/or situation, not a both/and!

Optional Celibacy is like optional gender, it is impossible.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
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Well this is a discipline that can be changed remember. So do not take it friend like people are wanting to change say the doctrine of the Real Presence.
 
It makes NO sense that the Church allows Former Protestant clergy to become Priests and still have a family in the Catholic Church and yet say to “Joe” the cradle Catholic married man, “No, you can’t be a Priest”.

Some people say that it would be “too much” to fulfill Priestly duties and Family duties. For some it would be, but not for all and if the Church were to permit married men to become Priests it would help parishes.
 
Celibacy is a discipline and can be and has been changed in the history of the Church. Right now, the Latin rite (aka Roman Catholic) of the Catholic Church is the only rite to have the discipline of mandatory celibacy for priests. I support the discipline that the Pope expects the priests to adhere to.

However, if it ever does change, I do not see parishes being able to support a priest with a family, esp a “Catholic” family. Many parishes are barely getting by. Then there are parishes like the one I am in that needs at least three priests. If all the priests were married and had “Catholic” families the parish would be broke.
 
These issues get hot every couple of years. No amount of hand wringing on my part will affect the decisions the Church makes under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so I try not to get too hot headed about it. My concern is that the public discussion is filled with incomplete or misleading information. The issue of celibacy cannot be treated in a vacuum. The article quotes Mario Mullo, president of The Latinamerican Federation of Married Catholic Priests as saying, “Our position is the same that that of the International Confederation of married Catholic Priests and Wives, which is precisely to work for the “optional celibacy”. Do some Google searching on the Confed of Priest and Wives and you open up a Pandora’s box of nagging issues, not from the group itself but from the countless fringe groups groups looking for a chance to ride on the “Optional Celibacy” train. For instance advocates for womens ordination, homosexual ordination (and if heterosexual priests can have intimate relations why not homosexual priests?), democratic election of Bishops, “Rent a Priest” as a valid alternative to the priest shortage, and even pro-choice and feminist groups looking for opportunities to break up what they consider a male hegemony.
 
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