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Historical Note: Readers unfamiliar with the so-called "Dark Ages" should be aware that the concept of celibacy among the Christian religious, both in the Roman Catholic and in what is now called the Celtic church, was not universal. While there were always ascetics who sublimated physical love in a dedication to a deity, it was not until the Council of Nicea in 325AD, that clerical marriages were condemned but not banned. The concept of celibacy in the Roman Church arose from the customs practised by the pagan priestesses of Vesta and the priests of Diana. By the fifth century Rome had forbidden clerics from the rank of abbot and bishop to sleep with their wives and, shortly after, even to marry at all. The general clergy were discouraged from marrying by Rome, but not forbidden to do so. Indeed, it was not until the reforming papacy of Leo IX (1049-54AD) that a serious attempt was made to enforce the western clergy to accept universal celibacy. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, priests below the rank of abbot and bishop have retained their right to marry until this day. The condemnation of the "sin of the flesh" remained alien to Celtic Church concepts for a long time after Rome's attitude became dogma. Both sexes inhabited abbeys and monasteries which were known as "conhospitae", or double houses, where men and women lived raising children in Christ's service. A knowledge of this fact is essential to an understanding of some of the tensions of this story. Peter Tremayne "Shroud For The Archbishop" A Sister Fidelma Mystery Headline Book Publishing, 1995 ISBN 0-7472-4848-6 | ||||||||||||||||
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Welcome! The Vatican�s acceptance of almost one hundred married Protestant ministers into the ranks of the priesthood is a pastoral implementation of Pope John Paul�s 1993 statement in the New York Times that �Celibacy is not essential to the priesthood.� Such ecumenical openness sends a clear message about the acceptability of married priests and simultaneously creates a precedent for welcoming back the reserve of qualified priests who have enriched their reception of Holy Orders with the sacrament of Matrimony. We must not forget that the married priesthood is the original and traditional priesthood of our Roman Catholic Church. St. Peter, and thirty nine popes after him, were married and served our Roman Catholic tradition with distinction. Despite our loss of clerical support and status, we married priests have not put our light under a bushel basket. We hold down full time jobs, lovingly care for our families, and continue to actively minister to Roman Catholics who ask for our help. Twenty one Canon laws validate their requests and justify our pastoral response. Details on specific canons can be found at our married priest web site: http://www.rentapriest.com/. According to a study completed by CARA (Church World, Feb. 1996) over seventy percent of Catholics do not attend Church regularly, but faithfully identify themselves as Roman Catholic upon census. Demographically, those 48 million Catholics constitute a major religious group in the United States. We married priests actively provide spiritual and sacramental ministry to these Catholics who still love their tradition despite their institutional status. Our motto is: �Jesus never turned anyone away, and neither will married priests.� I believe that welcoming back married priests will not only provide a much needed personnel enrichment to our parishes, but also create an atmosphere of openness and reconciliation that will bring many Catholics back to the full practice of their faith. God bless you for your practical insight in discussing the advantages of welcoming back married priests to full ministry. From the private letters of support we have received from members of the US hierarchy, more than a few bishops are waiting for permission from the Vatican to reinstate married priests with the same Roman Catholic welcome they have been allowed to extend to married ministers from other Christian denominations. | ||||||||||||||||
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