Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, Urges The Church To Allow Priests To Marry

Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, has urged the Church to allow married clergy.

Here's a quote:

"Celibacy is a discipline, not a dogma of the church," Hummes was quoted as saying by the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper. "Certainly, the majority of the apostles were married. In this modern age, the church must observe these things, it has to advance with history."

A Vatican spokesman could not be reached for comment Sunday. But the Vatican has strongly resisted calls for relaxing its celibacy rule.

Here's the story: Cardinal Urges Church To Allow Priests To Marry

Why Cardinal Hummes would make such a statement in the press so soon after the Holy See made its present position on the matter clear is anyone's guess.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[Zarba]

1) Trial baloon?

2) He's lost his flippin' mind?

I find it amazing that someone at this level of power and responsibility in The Church would have so little regard for the doctrine of The Church, and that he would so willfully introduce confusion in the minds of Catholics on such an important matter.

He also shows little respect for the Holy Father in displaying such disloyalty.

[ionnes]

Hmmm...

Maybe because he's a wolf in sheep's clothing?

The Brazilian conference of "Catholic" Bishops has allowed "Call to Action" to share the same building.

That alone should give you a clue as to his tendencies against the Faith.

I think Benedict the 16th is taking to heart the saying "keep your friend close, and your enemies closer".

[Jeff Miller]

Because he is a progressive through and through, someone who was a fan of liberation theology.

I do wonder about the Pope's appointments so far such as Levada and now Hummes. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Doubt that is the way the Pope thinks, but Hummes has already issued a clarifying letter this morning so he really isn't going to get a chance to run wild at the Vatican. Of course the unifying threads of the Pope's appointments is that he had worked with them at the CDF and so knows them much better than we do.

[Kris]

I think it's time to bring back the Papal Tiara. Seems these cardinals and bishops keep forgetting who is and is not the Holy Father.

[Teófilo]

Something tells me the Cardinal was misquoted and his remarks "spun."

-Theo

[nocki]

This is a welcome development on the part of the Vatican hierachy. This signals openness and dialogue. Cardinal Hummes I believe is simply following the example of our Holy Father. When he assumed the office of the papacy, Pope Benedict XVI pointed out that his style of leadership is that of listening and dialoguing. The question of priestly celibacy is one in which continuing dialogue and discernment is badly needed rather than maintaning it with doctrinal rigidity. Afterall, while this indeed is a church law, this is also a human law. We need to be open and moderate on this matter. Look at the Holy Father, he has proven to be moderate rather than a rigid conservative. That's because he listens to the pulse of the Church. Look at his appointments of the archbishops of San Francisco and Washington, DC and his dialogue with Hans Kung. He has also rightly appointed Cardinal Hummes. Should we not take this signal from the Holy Father? Here, Cardinal Hummes follows the path of the Holy Father. This should be welcomed be all Catholics.

[DenverCatholic]

Allowing priests to marry?

That particular item is off the charts in my view.

Once you accept the vows of ordination, there is no going back. You accept chastity that fits your station - and for those becoming the "married to the Church" as ordained priests of Christ's body, there is no higher calling that can supersede it, including a subsequent marriage (which is disallowed). In short there is little theological support for marriage AFTER becoming ordained.

On the other side, I believe the Cardinal to be right if he is meaning to advocate allowing for married men to become clergy. This is *different* and please note the difference - priests CANNOT become married, but married men can become priests.

That being said, caution is advised: if we are going to break with a long-standing discipline and "small" tradition (one that is NOT dogma - so STOP treating it as such), we must not charge headlong into changes that may be regretted.

There MUST be much discussion, and the rules should be fairly restrictive. At a minimum, they should be no less (and probably much more) than those imposed on the permanent Diaconate. Things like "mature age" (minimum age 35), marriage must be steady and solid (evidence by at least a decade of marriage) *before* the process even begins, then 5 years of formation to the permanent diaconate; and further discernment -- those should be the STARTING place if married men are allowed to become priests.

In my view, they must become deacons first (meeting all the above criteria) as do all priests, except that married men should serve in the permanent diaconate for several years before being allowed to request to proceed. Say, serve as a deacon for at least 3 years in the diocese (and preferably the parish) in which they will become priests, then 1 year of additional discernment, and 1 additional year of final formation/seminary before full priesthood is ordained. And no remarriage should be allowed - if widowed, they become celibate, that is, chaste within their station. Once one becomes a priest, no marriage is allowed subsequent to becoming a priest.

The Eastern have much to teach us: as priests, married clergy should not be allowed to advance beyond the local parish priest (no married bishops, cardinals, etc).

Given those strictures, most reasonable people can agree that the faith is cautiously well served.

[Kris]

If we're going to break with such a longstanding tradition, we better have a good reason. I've yet to hear one.

The priest shortage is caused by poor catecheses in the post-conciliar Church. (Which I blame on bad bishops, not the council itself) Time and time again we hear stories which show wherever there is orthodoxy and loyalty to the magisterium there are vocations. The Eastern Rite churches, which allow their priests to marry, are experiencing the same problems the Latin Rite is.

There also seems to be a movement to use the married priesthood as a way to fight pedophilia among the ranks of the clergy. I don't buy it. A pedophile is a pedophile is a pedifile--no matter what his job is.

We have to be careful about the dialogue regarding celibacy. In so many cases, the people that support the removal of the discipline are willing to usurp the authority of the Holy Father and the Holy Church. If dialogue is to be had, it must be had in an atmosphere of obedience to the magisterium and the Holy Roman Pontiff.

[Pat S]

Even Protestant ministers have stated that the Catholic Church is correct in having its priests NOT marry. This is comes from married, Protestant Ministers who are well aware of the demands of both callings.

[Delance]

First of all, let me say that the story is a little over the edge, he didn’t say something inflammatory, mered stated an opinion. I agree, however, that the idea that the Church "as to advance with history" problematic to say the least.

Let me tell a little story.

Our president, the pro-abortion marxist Lula da Silva, whose mentor and idol is the excommunicated dictator Fidel Castro, went to the funeral of Pope John Paul II. At that time, he stated that he did not sin so he didn't have to confess.

The cardinal of Rio de Janeiro (my city), Dom Eusébio Scheid, when asked to comment on the subject, said: "Lula is not catholic, he's chaotic". The two words sound very similar in portugues (CATÓLICO and CAÓTICO). The press went nuts. Then Cardinal Hummes said that Lula is "Catholic on his own way". Seriously.

We still use the expression “Catholic on his own way” to describe just that. Very catchy. A pro-abortion Catholic, or a Catholic who believes in reincarnation, or a Catholic who believes that all religions are equal is just that.

There’s a small recap here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eus%C3%A9bio_Cardinal_Scheid

[olpham]

Cardinal Hummes is right on tract with the advance of history. Those who negatively react to this do not know history and the present situation. It must be pointed out that there are already hundreds of married Roman Catholic priests who are active in the ministry today. They are the former Lutheran, Episcopalian and Prebyterian pastors and priests in this country who have converted to Catholcism and have since been accepted into the Catholic priesthood. What's different between them and those original Catholic priests who have to leave the ministry when they got married? Come on, let's be open. Let's discuss. Let's debate. Cardinal Hummes was right, the discipline of celibacy in the Catholic priesthood is not a matter of immutable divine revelation but a human and church law that can be repelled if considered and acted accordingly upon. Why is it an anathema to discuss and connect the shortage of priests with the continuing insistence of celibacy? I'm reminded of the silence in our country about the ultimate reason for our invasion and occupation of Iraq. We're there for the oil. We're drawing blood for the oil. Similarly, in our beloved Church we seem not to care for continued drawing of blood with inadequate evangelization due to the shortage of priests worldwide by not openly and honestly discussing the question of priestly celibacy. He may have clarified his statement but Cardinal Hummes is right in pointing out the human and church - not biblical - origin of the law of celibacy. It's time the whole people of God discuss its merits and demerits in the face of the shortage of priests and the consequent slowing down of the work of evangelization.

[Kris]

It's hard to debate and dicuss seriously the merits, or lack therof, of priestly celibacy with trolls who feel the need to bring up left wing propoganda about the war in Iraq in the middle of a theological discussion.

I don't see where anyone has called for the debate to be stopped; however, I also haven't seen any solid grounds for dropping the discipline. Most of the time, those who call for "discussion" of the issues are just up for stirring the pot. The reality is, we are the lay faithful. We are subject to Holy Mother Church and the Holy Father. The magisteruim guided by the Holy spirit will figure out the best course for the Church. What we really need to do is pray.

[Clint]

The Polish National Catholic Church has had married priests and bishops for nearly 100 years. There are many former Roman Catholic priests who have joined the PNCC. There is this option for any dissatisfied clergy who feel that celibacy is not for them. The PNCC is Catholic and Apostolic with a valid priesthood and sacraments recognized by the Vatican. Bishops from both churches have been meeting twice a year since 1982. Celibacy is a recent inovation in the church and not really part of church history. As someone has already mentioned the Apostles were married.

[Kris]

The Apostles were also asked to leave everything and follow Christ.

[TerryC]

There is no reason to believe that the Apostles abandoned their families. The Bible speaks of whole families being Baptized. Jesus cured Simon's mother in law and even stayed at Simon's house. There were always women with the Teacher. One was Mary, his mother. Some were single women like the Magdalene. Others were most probably spouses of Christ's followers.
Certainly there were writings by Paul which were anti-marriage, based primarily on the belief that the second coming was to be within that lifetime. Paul almost certainly was not married, but there is every indication that general celibacy fro priest was a creation of the early middle ages.
Other rites in union with roam allow married men to be ordained. Even the Roman Catholic Church has allowed married men to be ordained, as mentioned above.
Secular historians will tell you that the Church pushed celibacy for priests to curtail property inheritance problems. They aren't just making that up. Look at some of the bad medieval popes and bishops and you can see some of that happening. certainly that is not the whole story.
From a spiritual standpoint I believe that the Eastern Church has it right. There will always be a place for men who desire to take a vow of celibacy, in monasteries and in the hierarchy. Married priest should primarily work at the parish level.
Celibacy is not a dogma of the Church it is primarily a personnel decision. As a retired priest I know, who is not generally known for his liberal views on most things, has said, "The Church does not have a problem with vocations. To say that is does is to say that God is not doing his job. the Church has a personnel problem. it is turning away qualified applicants, who feel God's call, because they do not match the Church's job requirements, because they are married."

[Kris]

I still don't see the justification. Dropping the discipline simply for the act of doing so isn't logical. All the rites in the Church are experiencing vocation shortages, not just the Latin.

I do mostly agree with your retired priest friend however. God is always calling men to the priesthood, but I don't think that not being able to be married is the hindrance. Rather, the secularization of the world and the disproportionate attention to worldly affairs has allowed the call of the Lord to fall on deaf ears. Also, the liberal theology presented in the "spirit of Vatican II" simply isn't appealing to the majority of young men. They do not want to serve and imitate the wishy washy, kumbaya God they are taught in modern Catholic institutions. Just a cursory look at those diocese that are succeeding in acquiring vocations shows that they are the same ones who allow true Catholicism and orthodoxy to flourish.

True faith and loyalty to the Magisterium and the Holy Father is the answer to the "vocation crisis," not the removal of a long standing discipline.

[David1]

When we consider whether priests can marry, I say we consider it for the following reason.

1) Will the man be a better priest given the nurturing and real-world experience of a wife and family.

In the past, I think this was the primary reason why celibacy was instituted. During that time, abuses led to the answer being "no."

Since those abuses do not exist anymore, we can take a fresh look at the question and answer it in today's context.

[Thomistic]

The Holy See has made its position on priestly celibacy quite clear, and has even gotten Cardinal Hummes to retract his statement.

Yet people still keep talking about allowing married priests as something normative in the Latin Rite as though that is a realistic possibility.

The way the pro-married priests crowd is acting is reminiscent of a sexually aggressive man on the verge of date rape who needs to be reminded that:

No means no!

[David1]

Just because there is no chance of any change in the opposition of the Vatican in the foreseeable future doesn't mean we should stop discussing it.

Comparing those of us who want to discuss it to date rape is a bit over the top don't you think?

[The Original Mark]

As a non-Catholic, can someone please explain the whole celibate priest thing?
Where in scripture is this justified?

[A Simple Sinner]

"Secular historians will tell you that the Church pushed celibacy for priests to curtail property inheritance problems. They aren't just making that up. Look at some of the bad medieval popes and bishops and you can see some of that happening.

See some of what happening? Look at some of the worst midieval popes and bishops and you will find men with mistresses and children, so I am not sure what you are getting at.

Further the notion (and I have heard it a million times) that the only reason priests aren't allowed to be married is because of inheritance is utterly ludicrous. Get a "historian" to repeat something enought and people will believe it.

see:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03481a.htm

Several of mypastors HAVE been married priests as I am a Greek Catholic. If you want to discuss the issue and talk about the pros and cons, that is one thing, but to attribute this tradition to a patent and utter falsehood as listed above, that is pointless.

And Clint, no the PNCC is NOT just another Catholic Curch. They have diverged and been innovative on such issues as auricular confession, and allowing for priests to marry after ordination, divorce and remarriage.

[roland]

Why this argument as to yes or no for married Roman Catholic priests? The fact is that there are already married Roman Catholic priests who are active in their priestly ministry in this country today. I'm refering to those former Episcopalian, Lutheran and Presbyterian priests and pastors who have converted to Catholicism and have been also received in the Catholic priesthood. There are hundreds of them. That's hundreds of reasons enough for everybody to stop the argument. Stay the course? Oh come on, the Church has stopped the course on this matter long time ago.

[Archbishop Peter Brennan]

Married Priests Defend Cardinal Hummes

Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Married Priests Now! Prelature said in a letter today to his bishops: “I would like to share with you my deepest concern with the situation of our Roman Catholic Church. I cannot personally accept the treatment which Cardinal Claudio Hummes has received in the Vatican after declaring clearly that celibacy is not a dogma but a church discipline. But as soon as he arrived in Rome he was questioned and forced to change his attitude to say that celibacy is a long standing law which has contributed a lot to the Catholic Church. We must protect and defend his integrity, and the dignity and status of the Church to tell the truth.”

Milingo continued, “This is what I have to say. If the Holy Father has appointed him responsible for the Congregation of the Clergy it is undoubted because he has the gift and the charism to run this congregation. In ecclesiastical language we say that when the Church appoints somebody to take certain great responsibility it means that they have discovered in him a certain worthiness and special divine grace to carry out the job. In simple words we say that we believe he has Gracious Status. That is a divine grace that supports his work and will influence his work. In the case of Cardinal Hummes what came out of his mind and heart immediately after his appointment to be head of the congregation of the clergy was to tackle the problem of celibacy. We believe this was the immediate inspiration of the Holy Spirit who presented the actual problem of the Church.”

His letter continued, “We know this about Archbishop Claudio Hummes, who is a simple Franciscan priest whose deep love, faithful service and distinguished church career to the people of God eventually raised him to the level of Archbishop of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was personally selected and recently appointed by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, to serve as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. In that capacity, he is entrusted with the heavy duty and awesome responsibility of advising the Pope and the rest of the Roman Curia on matters related to the life and ministry of the Roman Catholic Clergy. It is ironic that, while his advice and counsel are eagerly sought at the highest levels of decision making, Cardinal Hummes' explosive statement concerning celibacy as "NOT a dogma but a discipline of the Church," was not well received or welcomed. Cardinal Hummes was simply telling the truth. His statement came two weeks after the Pope met with department heads (dicasteries) of the Roman Curia, effectively slamming the door on any possibility of change to the Church's current stance on celibacy. Cardinal Hummes' prophetic voice immediately provoked the chastisement of the Vatican, leaving him with egg on his face while feebly attempting to re-shuffle his remarks by regurgitating stale Vatican pronouncements on celibacy, thus minimizing the impact of his original statement. The Vatican's dissatisfaction with the Cardinal's forthright and self-effacing statement impugned his integrity and damaged his sterling reputation as an uncompromising voice of truth. It is totally apparent that the Vatican has no tolerance or appreciation for independent-minded clerics who bring a Spirit-inspired and pastoral approach to matters affecting the growth, health and well-being of its clergy and parishioners. Persons who go against the grain are swiftly silenced and made ecclesiastical eunuchs for the sake of preserving the status quo. Cardinal Hummes has become a public relations nightmare for the Vatican and, unfortunately for the Congregation of the Clergy that could have benefited greatly under the aegis of Cardinal Hummes, his tenure may now amount to nothing more than an asterisk in the annals of Church History as another muzzled voice crying out in the wilderness to let the Holy Spirit once again renew the face of Catholicism.”

“It may be contagious,” Milingo said, “because today, in Belgium a survey of 234 priests revealed that a clear majority or 57% said their work load was too severe. The priests supported the admission of married men into the priesthood which did not surprise Cardinal Danneels who said, “Everyone knows celibacy is an ecclesiastical rule that could change.”” Archbishop Milingo wondered. “Can we expect now that Cardinal Danneels of Belgium will now be called to Rome and asked to clarify his statement?”

“We know that marriage is a sacrament and it is a higher calling than celibacy,” Milingo continued, “and the church will one day soon re-instate the married priesthood and that is the way Christ intended the priesthood to be lived because he called married priests first. St. Peter was a married priest. The Holy Spirit is moving the hearts of the cardinals and bishops and they will do what is right for the church.”

[Clint]

Simple Sinner; I dont know where u get your information from. I'm no expert on your religion and I can see your not on mine. The PNCC has both auricular and general confession. The rules about divorce and marriage are the same as the Romans Catholic Church.

[Kris]

RE: PNCC

From what I can find, it seems the PNCC rejects several key Catholic doctrines: Papal infallibility, the Immaculate Conception, and original sin.

If you don't acknowledge the Chair of St. Peter, you're not Catholic.