Milingo Responds to Benedict XVI on Celibacy

Chia di Soriano nel Cimino (VT) 17/11/2006 20.55 © sacerdoti lavoratori sposati - Redazione

For Immediate Release November 16, 2006

Washington , DC . Archbishop Milingo and the Married Priests Now! Prelature concur with the Holy Father and the Vatican finding that reaffirms celibacy according to prelature spokesman, Archbishop Peter Paul Brennan.  “Where we disagree,” said Brennan, “is in the enforcement of celibacy as a job requirement for the priesthood. Celibacy should be a freely chosen charism and not a job requirement. Not every priest has the charism to be celibate and this is the problem because the church forces it on him or he cannot be ordained. It is a requirement that violated human freedom.”

We can hardly believe that a meeting of the Cardinals who head the Dicasteries was called to simply reaffirm celibacy.  The report that was not released is the important one.

What did the Cardinals say about a married priesthood?  Is the Vatican in such a state of denial that it cannot see the need for a married priesthood?

“The Vatican ’s denial of the problem confirms and encourages our mission to recall married priests to full ministry,” said Archbishop Milingo.  “We are the only Catholic diocese calling for the ordination of married men, and for the return of married priests to full ministry, Milingo said. 

“Marriage is a sacrament of the church, celibacy is not.  Marriage is higher calling than celibacy. The marriage vow trumps the celibacy promise.  Our prelature believes that a married priest is a healthier priest, and that a married priesthood will give priests a healthy and proper outlet for their sexuality.  We are created by God as sexual beings and our sexuality needs to be celebrated as a blessing for ourselves and our wives. Marriage needs to be the normal option for priests,” Brennan said.

Married Priests Now! Prelature will hold a confernce in Parsippany , NJ on December 8-10 to celebrate marriage and the priesthood.  We will have a Catholic renewal of marriage vows during the celebration of the Eucharist for married priests and their wives.

Married priests can contact dvferrabolli@ verizon.net for conference details.

In St. Peter’s Square yesterday, a cleric was quoted in the news as saying that those priests who walked away from the priesthood to marry should not be received back as priests.  Our prelature reminds such clergymen that the Gospel of Jesus is about forgiveness.  And we remind him that the church is dying for want of priests.  Recalling the married priests is a wholesome remedy to help save the church.  The first priests called by Christ were married and the church has always had married priests.   “We are going back to the New Testament roots of the priesthood when St. Peter and the apostles were married,” said Milingo. 

 17/11/2006 20.55 © sacerdoti lavoratori sposati