Retired US Catholic bishop gets married after bid to leave priesthood denied
Albany, New York, USAP An 84-year-old retired Catholic Bishop of Albany, who has been accused of sexual abuse and has unsuccessfully sought to be removed from the priesthood, said this week that he recently married a woman in a civil ceremony. Emeritus Bishop Howard Hubbard made the surprise announcement on Tuesday during a tumultuous time […]
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 […]
Beyond the pandemic, reimagining Italy’s Catholic clergy
AP When coronavirus struck inside Europe’s largest diocesan seminary, it upended the intense educational routine and spurred soul-searching among the nearly 130 young men studying to become Catholic priests. At Seminario di Milano in northern Italy, which has been preparing clergy since the mid-1500s, communal life turned into strict confinement to individual rooms, classes and […]
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 […]
Bishops worry divisions on “details” at synod distract from big picture
Vatican CityRNS Halfway into a three-week gathering of bishops at the Vatican to discuss the Amazon region, participants warned that inside divisions over ordination or inculturation risk missing the forest, so to speak, for the trees. “In focusing only on certain themes, there is the risk of losing the broader outlook,” said the Vatican’s chief […]
ESSAY: ABOLISHING THE PRIESTHOOD WILL NOT SAVE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
US Catholic commentator THOMAS REESE, in an article first published by Religion News Service, responds to calls for the abolition of the Catholic priesthood…