Essay: The Catholic Church needs married priests now
US Catholic commentator THOMAS REESE, in an article first published on Religion News Service, says that at the Last Supper, Jesus said, ‘”Do this in memory of me”. He did not say, “Be celibate”…
Catholic Synod: In Vatican summit’s closing document, agreement that synodality is church’s future
CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ, of Religion News Service, takes a more in-depth look at the final document from the Catholic Churches’ synod…
In Kenya, married ex-priests follow Vatican synod’s discussion of clerical celibacy
Nairobi, Kenya RNS As a summit of Catholic bishops in Rome considers allowing priests to marry, a young Kenyan clergyman drew attention to the question of celibate priests on Sunday when he married a woman and was ordained in the Catholic Charismatic Church, a splinter tradition, on the same day. Rev Edwin Githang’i Waiguru, a […]
In reforming the priesthood, Pope Francis insists on middle ground
Vatican CityRNS With broad strokes and a balancing act, Pope Francis weighed in on the polarising tensions in the Catholic Church concerning the future of the priesthood. While upholding priestly celibacy as “a gift”, the Pope distanced himself from the “perversion” of rigidity while speaking at a Vatican conference on Thursday. As Catholic bishops and […]
Luxembourg cardinal calls for revised Catholic teaching on gays; German archbishop backs loosening of celibacy rules
Vatican CityReuters A prominent liberal cardinal who leads a body representing European bishops has called for “fundamental revision” in Catholic teaching on homosexuality, and said it is wrong to fire Church workers for being gay. The remarks by Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich to the German Catholic news agency KNA were among the most direct calls […]
Presbyterian Church in America leaders say those who identify as gay are not qualified for ordination
RNS Pastors and church leaders in the Presbyterian Church in America passed an overture at its General Assembly this week saying those who identify as gay are not qualified for ordination in the conservative Presbyterian denomination. The overture includes any identity Christians may profess “that undermines or contradicts their identity as new creations in Christ,” […]
New book by Pope Francis points to continuity with predecessor John Paul II
Vatican CityRNS While the newly elected Pope John Paul II stood before Catholic cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on the 16th October, 1978, half a world away in Argentina a middle-aged priest named Jorge Mario Bergoglio was following the election on the radio of his car. In that moment began a connection between the Polish […]
ESSAY: ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS HAVE BEEN CELIBATE FOR A 1,000 YEARS – BUT THAT COULD CHANGE
In an article first published on The Conversation, HELEN PARISH, a professor in history at the University of Reading in the UK, looks at the debate over priestly celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church…
ESSAY: TWO POPES ARE ONE TOO MANY
US Catholic commentator THOMAS REESE, in an article first published on Religion News Service written amid controvery over Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s new book, suggests five rules for dealing with retired popes in future…
Retired Pope Benedict promotes priestly celibacy in new book, suggesting rift between two popes
Vatican CityRNS Former Pope Benedict XVI, who once vowed to remain hidden from the world after resigning, is once more speaking out. In a new book, set for release in February, the retired pontiff champions priestly celibacy at a time when his successor, Pope Francis, is considering allowing more married men to be priests. His […]