Letters

Celibate priesthood (letter)

Cyril Drew

Contents - Oct 2002 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Positive developments in liturgy - Michael Gilchrist Power without responsibility: the vendetta against Dr Pell - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Commission for Australian Catholic Women justifies its existence - Michael Gilchrist Liturgy: Vatican control over ICEL tightens - Dr William Oddie Bishop Power: Church teachings need to be 're-examined' - AD2000 REPORT US billionaire promotes orthodox teaching - Zenit News Service Catholic liturgy in the 21st century: major challenges facing the Church - Fr Peter Williams John Henry Newman's critique of liberalism - Michael Davies Letters: Archbishop Pell (letter) - Eamonn & Patricia Keane Letters: "The Pell Show" (letter) - Stephen Hitchings Letters: Justice? (letter) - Godwin Brown Letters: Shepherds (letter) - Br Con Moloney CFC Letters: Church "renovation" (letter) - B. Tooley Letters: Church re-design (letter) - Michael Barry Letters: Soul and body (letter) - Dr Nicholas Tonti-Filippini Letters: Zero tolerance (letter) - Alan A. Hoysted Letters: Letters to the Bishops (letter) - Mavis Power Letters: Catholic education (letter) - Dr Garrick Small Letters: US theologians (letter) - Fr G.H. Duggan SM Letters: Celibate priesthood (letter) - Cyril Drew Letters: Good response (letter) - C.G. Jarrells Letters: Novus Ordo (letter) - Maurice Collins Letters: New Zealand (letter) - Kevin E. Fennessy Poetry: The Great Deliverance - Marion Craig Books: The Courage to be Catholic, by George Weigel - Michael Novak (reviewer) Books: Completed Jew, by Andrew Sholl - Michael Casanova (reviewer) Books: Godfaring: On Reason, Faith and Sacred Being, by Francis Clark - Br Christian Moe FSC (reviewer) Books: New Titles from AD Books Reflection: Devotion to God through the Angelus and Rosary - Fr Fabian Duggan OSB

I find parts of Fr Fabian Duggan's article in your August edition inappropriate, if not disturbing. His statement that "allowing a married clergy would debase the whole concept of a celibate priesthood," in fact, for me, debases the importance of the married state.

What is he saying to other Christian denominations and the Eastern Traditions, which, in fact, allow for the choice of the married state or celibacy in their ordained priesthood? Are celibate men the only persons "who have their feet on the ground and their hearts in heaven"?

As you might suspect from the above comments, I am a married man (of some fifty years). We have been blessed with nine children and twenty-four grandchildren. It is interesting to note that most of the responsibilities of the priesthood are being accepted by pastoral carers and associates in our hospitals and parishes.

I was responsible in the early 1990s for lecturing to students taking BSS Family Studies and Pastoral Studies (the theological units) at Australian Catholic University (Christ Campus). It is gratifying to see so many of these students, along with others, relating in a pastoral way to parishioners and patients.

Is Fr Duggan suggesting that because these women and men are not celibate priests - because many are intimate with their husbands or wives - they cannot be also intimate with their God ("with their feet on the ground and their hearts in heaven"). Surely, since the Incarnation, all our activities have the possibilities of being sacred.

CYRIL DREW
Glen Iris, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 15 No 9 (October 2002), p. 15