Top Austrian clerics call for debate on celibacy
Austrian Bishop Paul Iby called for scrapping the marriage ban for
Catholic clergy in an interview published today, adding to the growing number of
top clerics in the country who want to put this tradition up for
discussion.
Catholic clergy in an interview published today, adding to the growing number of
top clerics in the country who want to put this tradition up for
discussion.
The push to tackle the so-called celibacy issue comes as the
Catholic Church is searching for the causes of sexual crimes committed by
clergymen.
Catholic Church is searching for the causes of sexual crimes committed by
clergymen.
“Rome is too timid in such questions,” Iby told the daily Die
Presse. The bishop heads the Church in Burgenland province.
Presse. The bishop heads the Church in Burgenland province.
Priests should be allowed to choose whether they would like to
marry or not, he said, in order to attract more men to this profession.
marry or not, he said, in order to attract more men to this profession.
Austria’s highest-ranking cleric, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn,
said in March that the marriage ban should be examined as one of the possible
roots of the sex scandals, along with the way priests are trained, and with the
impact of the sexual revolution of the late 1960s.
said in March that the marriage ban should be examined as one of the possible
roots of the sex scandals, along with the way priests are trained, and with the
impact of the sexual revolution of the late 1960s.
Besides Iby, two other bishops have also called for reviewing
celibacy, expressing views that pit Austria’s relatively liberal Church against
the more conservative Vatican.
celibacy, expressing views that pit Austria’s relatively liberal Church against
the more conservative Vatican.
Iby also said discussions should be started in the medium term on
allowing women to become priests, as well as on changing the Church’s stance
towards homosexuality and divorce.
allowing women to become priests, as well as on changing the Church’s stance
towards homosexuality and divorce.
“But nothing is moving ahead in Rome,” he said.
Earlier this year, the 75-year-old cleric had asked the Vatican to
let him retire.
let him retire.
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