Letters

Priestly celibacy

Tim Coyle

Contents - Jun 2006 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Pentecost: Church needs a spiritual kick-start - Michael Gilchrist China defies Holy See to 'ordain' two bishops - Peter Westmore (reviewer) News: The Church Around the World Books: Look for AD2000 Books online at freedompublishing.com.au! Vocations: Sydney seminary's growth continues - Michael Gilchrist The Da Vinci Code: did the Church vilify Mary Magdalene? - Frank Mobbs Education: Why do CEOs use Groome's RE method? - AD2000 Report Is dialogue possible between Christians and Muslims? - Cardinal George Pell Respect: New text book series vilifies the Catholic Church - Kevin Donnelly The John Paul II Institute after five years - AD2000 Report Liturgy: Catholics at prayer: why we stand and kneel - Fr Sebastian Camilleri OFM Letters: The new barbarism - Fr. B. McGrath Letters: Victory? Letters: Disturbing exhibit - Veronica Sidhu Letters: Thank you from India - Fr. A. Joseph Letters: Meditation - Rosemary Chandler Letters: Priestly celibacy - Tim Coyle Letters: Pope Benedict and liberation theology - John Schmid Events: VIRTUS Retreat 7-9 July 2006 Books: Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: Letters to a Young Catholic, by George Weigel - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: The Defamation of Pius XII, by Ralph McInerny - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: Dear Son, Dear Daughter: God's Plan for Catholic Marriage and the Family - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: Stimulating reading from AD Books Reflection: Pentecost, launching of the Church - Cardinal Francis Arinze

While advocating the ending of mandatory priestly celibacy, have the abolitionists given some thought to the practicalities?

For instance, how is a young priest going to provide for his family and children's education? Where are the priest and his presumably largeish family going to live? How will they afford the expensive holidays Australians like to take? How is the parish going to cope when the priest's adolescent children are obviously living immoral lives? Obviously there's a lot of emphasis on sexual pleasure, as if that makes a good priest!

I am also concerned that some of the abolitionists of celibacy accept sterilisation. But how can a Catholic priest teach the moral norms of married life when he or his wife have had an immoral sterilisation? I don't want to think about abortion, but in any married life that temptation is there today. Pope John Paul was obviously very wise and far-sighted.

TIM COYLE (DR)
Cairns, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 19 No 5 (June 2006), p. 16