Letters

Priestly celibacy (letter)

Barbara Chigwidden

Contents - Mar 2005 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Pray for John Paul II ... - Peter Westmore Vocations: Australian diocesan seminary numbers continue to increase - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Cinema: Hollywood's Kinsey whitewash - Bill Muehlenberg (reviewer) Moral divisions among the Christian Churches threaten ecumenism - Archbishop Barry Hickey Dissent: Notes from a theology unit at Australian Catholic University Church's future lies with orthodoxy, not dissent - Fr Paul Stuart Culture: Secularism, not religion, is threatened with extinction - David Quinn Events: Holy Week Celebrations - Classical Roman Rite A young Catholic's encounter with Latin at Chavagnes International College - Alexander Morrison Adult Education: Sydney Centre for Thomistic Studies continues a great teacher's legacy - Audrey English Letters: Priestly celibacy (letter) - Barbara Chigwidden Letters: Overseas priests and racism - Fr Peter Joseph Letters: Reporting abuses is not spying (letter) - Fr Edward P. Evans Letters: Mangled hymns (letter) - Michael Apthorp Letters: Orthodox young priest (letter) - John David Letters: Abortion (letter) - Fr Austin Kenny CP Letters: Leadership needed (letter) - Tom King Letters: AIDS prevention (letter) - Dr Arnold Jago Letters: Bible and Church (letter) - Frank Bellet Letters: Layman saint Bob Santamaria (letter) - J.W. McMahon Letters: Convert (letter) - Jeff Harvie Letters: Information sought on Kathleen Cecilia Butler (letter) - John G. Brown Letters: Latin Mass (letter) - Alan Freckelton Obituary: The passing of a holy, many-talented Jesuit - Fr Victor Ian Falconer SJ - Michael O'Callaghan Books: DOLLFUSS: An Austrian Patriot, by Fr Johannes Messner - Alice von Hildebrand Books: THE CASTLE OF HEAVENLY BLISS - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: Books to read in 2005 Reflection: The Holy Trinity and the Church: the truth will set you free - Fr John O'Neill

After listening to an interview on Radio National in which Fr Peter Fitzgerald and Paul Collins openly criticised the Catholic Church's stance on priestly celibacy, I thought it worthwhile to point out a few things they may not have considered.

It is very difficult today, with the high cost of living, to maintain our current priests. Yet with shrinking numbers of parishioners, it is proposed we support not only our priests, but their families as well!

Priesthood is a full-time and challenging vocation, just as marriage is also a demanding vocation, especially in the stress and strain of modern life. To think that large numbers of men can fulfil both vocations successfully in modern-day Australia is absurd. We would see not just married priests but divorced priests!

I realise there are exceptions for married convert ministers - but these are exceptions. And even for them, the Holy See has directed that married priests not be parish priests, but assistants or chaplains only - so that they do not neglect their families.

The Anglican Church has had married clergy for centuries, and is a living proof that married clergy is no solution to the priest shortage.

Don't Fr Fitzgerald and Mr Collins realise that the Apostolic See has spoken definitively on this issue, and that further discussion is futile?

BARBARA CHIGWIDDEN (MRS)
Ganmain, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 18 No 2 (March 2005), p. 14