Vatican reaffirms celibacy for priests

[SharonAnn]

By FRANCES D'EMILIO, Associated Press Writer 22 minutes ago

VATICAN CITY - The
Vatican on Thursday reaffirmed the value of celibacy for priests after a summit led by
Pope Benedict XVI that was spurred by a married African archbishop who has been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.

"The value of the choice of priestly celibacy, according to Catholic tradition, has been reaffirmed," the Vatican said in a brief statement summing up the three-day hour meeting of top Vatican prelates.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061116/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_married_priests

[Mz Pip]

1. Why meet at all?

If nothing changes what's the point? No change on birth control, no change on gays, no change on marriage for priests.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[FernBell]

2. Does this mean a priest can't MARRY a queer or he just can't bang him after they get married????

:sarcasm:

[pennylane100]

3. Does the ban include alter boys and girls.

They never seem to work up much outrage when these young people are abused. But sex between consenting grown-ups is clearly wrong.

[Delphinus]

4. That was my question,

which is why I showed here in this forum.

This is the hypocrisy that needs to be out there, front and center, on the hearts and minds of everyone in the Catholic religion.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. "altar"

"alter"="change"

[Book Lover]

5. This former Catholic has a question for Protestants

and others who belong to congregations with married clergy. One of the rationales I remember for a celibate priesthood was that an unmarried priest has no "outside" influences or demands on his time. It frees the man from having to serve two masters, if you will. Do you find you are poorly served by a pastor (or whatever) who is married because of familial demands on her or his time?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. I grew up as a preacher's kid and have spent my whole life in two

denominations that allow married clergy.

I think it's actually the other way around. The clergy person is so busy with demands from the parishioners that there is sometimes not enough left over for the family. Parishioners think nothing of interrupting dinner or calling in the middle of the night. Sometimes it's a real emergency, such as a sudden death. But sometimes it's just a parishioner who's an attention seeker.

From the point of view of the clergy person, it's good to have emotional support at home. If you're in a "giving" profession, such as the clergy, social work, nursing, or teaching, being single without an SO is hard (voice of experience speaking here), because there's no one to talk over your day with or to give you a back rub when you have a headache or to lighten your mood by making you laugh or to share the household chores or to give you some perspective by telling you about their rotten job. Eventually, you burn out and become depressed.

It's no coincidence that Catholic priests have a high rate of alcoholism. I once taught part-time at a Catholic college where a large number of the faculty were priests who lived in apartments on campus. When I attended the welcome reception for new instructors, the department chair warned us that the college food service staff were asked to report anyone who took more than two glasses of wine, because the college administrators were concerned about alcoholism among the priests on the faculty.

I've also heard of single Protestant clergy who become alcoholics for the same reason--burnout from having to meet the needs of so many people and having no one to meet their needs.

[Book Lover]

8. So no matter what,

the problem is that there is not enough clergyperson to go around for anybody. It makes the "You people owe me" attitude of many priests I have known a little clearer.

[TheBaldyMan]

11. Both Jews and Protestants PREFER their ministers to be married

I don't know about Islam but I suspect their view is the same, as well as most major religions.

It allows them to look at marriage with the benefit of an insider. It is a bit odd that a priest should give advice on a state that they had no personal experience of it themselves, having said that I think that RC priests who have been married probably would speak with greater authority than one who never had been.

Celibacy & sexuality in general is a matter for the individual. If a priest is happy with remaining celibate as a great many people do, then I have no problem with that. However for the majority celibacy is not the an ideal choice and in my view it is positively harmful to deny someone such natural expression.

Until the vatican faces up to this profound error the catalogue of scndals will continue, be it from children born to churchmen, being outed as gay or paedophilia within the priesthood.

[Barnaby]

9. In related news...

General Francisco Franco is still dead.

[TheBaldyMan]

12. welcome to DU Barnaby.

I hope you have a long and happy stay.
:hi:

[Danger Mouse]

10. That's too bad...

I read a wonderful book by a Catholic priest that was written in the 60's. Argues for marriage for priests among other things. I could go on and on about how wonderful it is...but always looking backwards they are...

[hunter]

13. There's too many priests anyways. What's the problem?

:sarcasm:

[TheJollyNihilist]

14. An irrelevant institution...

...makes another silly ruling.