Former Pope Benedict breaks silence on celibacy debate after synod

[webfact]

Former Pope Benedict breaks silence on celibacy debate after synod

By Philip Pullella

 

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis visits his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican, December 21, 2018. Picture taken December 21, 2018. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS

 

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Former Pope Benedict, in a new book written with a conservative cardinal, defends priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church in what appears to be a strategically timed appeal to Pope Francis to not change the rules.

 

Benedict wrote the book, "From the Depths of Our Hearts," with Cardinal Robert Sarah, 74, a Guinean prelate who heads the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

 

Excerpts were published on Sunday on the website of the French newspaper Le Figaro. The Vatican had no immediate comment on the book, which is due to be published on Monday.

 

In October, the final document of an assembly of Roman Catholic bishops, or synod, from the Amazon proposed that married men in the remote area be allowed to be ordained priests, which could lead to a landmark change in the Church’s centuries-old discipline of celibacy.

 

Pope Francis will consider it, along with many other proposals on issues that emerged during the synod, including the environment and the role of women, in a document of his own, known as an Apostolic Exhortation. It is expected to be issued in the next few months.

 

In 2013, when he became the first pope in 700 years to resign, Benedict, who lives in the Vatican and is now 92 and in failing health, vowed to remain "hidden from the world".

 

But he has given interviews, written articles and contributed to books, in effect breaking that pledge and cheering conservatives, some of whom do not recognise Francis' legitimacy.

 

Massimo Faggioli, a theologian at Villanova University in the United States, called it "a serious breach" by the former pope, who vowed "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor.

 

In his part of the book, Benedict says celibacy, which became a stable tradition in the Church only about 1,000 years ago, carries "great significance" because it allows a priest to concentrate on his vocation. He says "it doesn't seem possible to realise both vocations (priesthood and marriage) simultaneously."

 

In a joint introduction, both men say they could not remain silent about the October synod, which at times led to clashes between progressive and conservative Catholic media outlets, underscoring the polarisation in the 1.3 billion-member Church.

 

The proposal calls for older married men who are already deacons in the Church, have a stable family relationship and are proven leaders in their communities to be ordained as priests after adequate formation.

 

This solution to the shortage of priests, backed by many South American bishops, would allow Catholics in isolated areas to attend Mass and receive the sacraments more regularly.

 

For his part, Sarah says making exceptions to the celibacy rule would be a "a lie" that would set a dangerous precedent.

 

(Editing by Timothy Heritage)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-13

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[canuckamuck]

It seems obvious that the only kind of sex they are abstaining from is marital sex. Incidentally the only kind of sex the Bible approves of. The Bible clearly states that celibacy is too hard for most people and it is better to be married, and that church leaders should have stable families. I can't understand the Catholic's insistence on this designed to fail requirement.

[Samui Bodoh]

If the Catholic Church is going to discuss sex, how about a zero-tolerance, effective, strong, determined and continuing effort to rid the Church of Pedophilia? Led by the highest office in the organization? 

 

Other organizations, when faced with such vile accusations, managed to cleanse themselves; why not the Catholic Church?

 

Respectfully, this seems like MUCH more of a priority to me than whether priests in remote areas can marry.

 

 

[thasoss]

28 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

It seems obvious that the only kind of sex they are abstaining from is marital sex. Incidentally the only kind of sex the Bible approves of. The Bible clearly states that celibacy is too hard for most people and it is better to be married, and that church leaders should have stable families. I can't understand the Catholic's insistence on this designed to fail requirement.

Neither can i....and you make a correct point.Somewhere in the bible jesus said it would indeed be better if his disciples remained single because it would free them up spreading the 'good news' but it was n't obligatory as the apostle peter mentioned his mother in law,so he was obviously married.This whole celibacy thing is unnatural and is probably the cause of much of the priests problems,it's also possible it attracts the wrong people to the priesthood.

[canuckamuck]

10 minutes ago, thasoss said:

Neither can i....and you make a correct point.Somewhere in the bible jesus said it would indeed be better if his disciples remained single because it would free them up spreading the 'good news' but it was n't obligatory as the apostle peter mentioned his mother in law,so he was obviously married.This whole celibacy thing is unnatural and is probably the cause of much of the priests problems,it's also possible it attracts the wrong people to the priesthood.

You are right, except that it was Paul that said it. He said most people aren't able so it is better to be married.

[Tarteso]

Better stay in silence. No believe a single word of this corrupt institution. The Borgias return! 

[Langsuan Man]

You know like almost everything these days,  just follow the money

 

The reason the Catholic Church continues to push the celibacy <deleted> has to do with the fact that they don't want to have to support a married priest's family

 

The celibacy and marriage question and "dogma" came hundreds of years after Christ .   Celibacy was the mechanism to prevent priests from marrying, and thus have divided loyalty: Family or church, either or, not both  

[kotsak]

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8404614/

 

[justin case]

priestly celibacy

 

not allowed to love one special person

 

when they die, parents already dead, guess who gets ALL the money ... the church

 

 

people who cannot know REAL LOVE, tell how you and your family have to live

 

woehahahaha

 

 

[30la]

It is not good to see the two greatest impostors of the moment reunited!

[soalbundy]

A pair of wellington boots and a fresh sheep each year should solve that.

[bristolboy]

3 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

It seems obvious that the only kind of sex they are abstaining from is marital sex. Incidentally the only kind of sex the Bible approves of. The Bible clearly states that celibacy is too hard for most people and it is better to be married, and that church leaders should have stable families. I can't understand the Catholic's insistence on this designed to fail requirement.

The New Testament doesn't say that. On the contrary, St. Paul says 

"Now to the unmarried^[a] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. ⁹ But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion."

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+7-9&version=NIV

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

It seems obvious that the only kind of sex they are abstaining from is marital sex. Incidentally the only kind of sex the Bible approves of. The Bible clearly states that celibacy is too hard for most people and it is better to be married, and that church leaders should have stable families. I can't understand the Catholic's insistence on this designed to fail requirement.

It was instituted in the 15th or 16th century to protect church property from inheritance or paternity claims. Statistically predictable a certain percentage of priests would have their normal sex drives perverted into pedophilia by enforced celibacy. The diehards such as Ratzinger/Benedict are still focused on the money.

[bristolboy]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

It was instituted in the 15th or 16th century to protect church property from inheritance or paternity claims. Statistically predictable a certain percentage of priests would have their normal sex drives perverted into pedophilia by enforced celibacy. The diehards such as Ratzinger/Benedict are still focused on the money.

i think it was more like the 10th or 11th century. As for having their "normal sex drives perverted into pedophilia" why wouldn't they have sex with each other? Or sex with adult women? The headlines today are about sex with children because no one cares about consensual sex anymore. It's not the stuff of scandal.

[DefaultName]

2 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

You know like almost everything these days,  just follow the money

 

The reason the Catholic Church continues to push the celibacy <deleted> has to do with the fact that they don't want to have to support a married priest's family

 

The celibacy and marriage question and "dogma" came hundreds of years after Christ .   Celibacy was the mechanism to prevent priests from marrying, and thus have divided loyalty: Family or church, either or, not both  

Firstly; disclaimer, I'm not a Catholic.  Raised Church of Scotland, which long ago split from the Church of England, which Henry the 8th split from the Catholic church.

 

I was taught that, about 1,000 years ago, the Catholic church saw that married priests were leaving their money/goods to their families - as normal people do - and not to the church.  So it was a purely financial decision to make the "no wives" rule, nothing religious at all.

 

I do get annoyed at their charity drives, that church could buy and sell most countries but they ask for money from the poor.  ????

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, justin case said:

priestly celibacy

not allowed to love one special person

when they die, parents already dead, guess who gets ALL the money ... the church

people who cannot know REAL LOVE, tell how you and your family have to live

woehahahaha

Real love doesn't exist outside of Hollywood movies.

It's always been about the money.

 

In the current TV series remake of Dracula, there was a nun who no longer believed in god and they asked her, "If you don't believe in God, why are you still a nun" and she replied, "Like women in many failed marriages, I maintain the pretense in order to keep a roof over my head".

Edited January 13, 2020 by BritManToo

[Nyezhov]

Whatever they want to do is fine with me.

 

I understand that Tertullian condemned marriage, but he was steeped in Montanist thought and beleived in burkhas and suchlike, on the other hand, if you view the celiibacy requirement as an act of oneupsmanship with Pagan practices you do combat the allegation of philosophical mysogyny that the critics of Tetullian and/or Montanism have raised and which continue to plague Catholicism as a modern religion.

 

That being said, good luck  Catholic folks in getting your doctrines worked out to your satisfaction.

[Caldera]

Unless and until they stop fiddling kids, they won't be able to claim any kind of moral high ground when it comes to matters related to sexuality, as far as I'm concerned. I'd say if they allowed their priests a regular - healthy - sex life, they would be less of a magnet for child abusers and become a more attractive employer for regular guys.

 

Oh, and the emeritus should really learn to shut up. He came up with the idea to resign and to "hide from the world" all by himself in his infinite wisdom, after all.

 

[Gandtee]

Perhaps Pope Benedict is saying "I had to be abstinent, why should you lot be able to enjoy sex in an open handed manner?" Excuse the pun.

[Baerboxer]

 

So the former head of the Catholic Church, makes a solemn vow, and then breaks it when he fancies!

 

Says it all about that thoroughly corrupt organization whose main goal is increasing their wealth and power.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, DefaultName said:

Firstly; disclaimer, I'm not a Catholic.  Raised Church of Scotland, which long ago split from the Church of England, which Henry the 8th split from the Catholic church.

 

I was taught that, about 1,000 years ago, the Catholic church saw that married priests were leaving their money/goods to their families - as normal people do - and not to the church.  So it was a purely financial decision to make the "no wives" rule, nothing religious at all.

 

I do get annoyed at their charity drives, that church could buy and sell most countries but they ask for money from the poor.  ????

 

Indeed.

 

The Pope, the role not the individual which changes,  is apparently one of the top 3 or 4 land owners in the world. With so much wealth, why do they insist on screwing money from everyone they can and doing so little for the poor?

 

Thoroughly corrupt. 

 

 

[marko kok prong]

7 hours ago, kotsak said:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8404614/

 

What did Ricky gervais say "Roman Polanski thought it was the best dating movie ever"

[canuckamuck]

7 hours ago, bristolboy said:

The New Testament doesn't say that. On the contrary, St. Paul says 

"Now to the unmarried^[a] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. ⁹ But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion."

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+7-9&version=NIV

We are saying the same thing in different ways. Paul could see being single as an advantage, but knew it wasn't feasible for most people, and he knew it was better to be married than to be fornicating all about.

[Lacessit]

7 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Whatever they want to do is fine with me.

 

I understand that Tertullian condemned marriage, but he was steeped in Montanist thought and beleived in burkhas and suchlike, on the other hand, if you view the celiibacy requirement as an act of oneupsmanship with Pagan practices you do combat the allegation of philosophical mysogyny that the critics of Tetullian and/or Montanism have raised and which continue to plague Catholicism as a modern religion.

 

That being said, good luck  Catholic folks in getting your doctrines worked out to your satisfaction.

Coming from a guy who has previously admitted ( I'm avoiding the term confession ) to sex behind dumpsters, this is pretty deep. For crying out loud, will you please use a spellchecker? My OCD gene is being tortured.

[Lacessit]

8 hours ago, bristolboy said:

i think it was more like the 10th or 11th century. As for having their "normal sex drives perverted into pedophilia" why wouldn't they have sex with each other? Or sex with adult women? The headlines today are about sex with children because no one cares about consensual sex anymore. It's not the stuff of scandal.

In the time you mention, I think marriage was still permitted. However, I won't argue the point.

I can remember my mother's funeral was celebrated by a priest/ parson/whatever who was later revealed to be living the high life, while bonking several of his female flock. I think my mother would have been most amused.