{"id":20989,"date":"2013-02-22T15:35:40","date_gmt":"2013-02-22T20:35:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=20989"},"modified":"2016-09-30T16:59:46","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T20:59:46","slug":"british-cardinal-argues-for-married-priests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2013\/02\/british-cardinal-argues-for-married-priests\/","title":{"rendered":"British cardinal argues for married priests\u2014UPDATED"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Details:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Roman Catholic priests should be allowed to marry and have children, Britain\u2019s most senior Catholic cleric said Friday.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Cardinal Keith O\u2019Brien, who heads the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, said the requirement for priestly celibacy is \u201cnot of divine origin\u201d and could be reconsidered.<\/p>\n

He told BBC Scotland that \u201cthe celibacy of the clergy, whether priests should marry \u2014 Jesus didn\u2019t say that.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that \u201cmany priests have found it very difficult to cope with celibacy,\u201d and while he had never considered marriage himself, \u201cI would be very happy if others had the opportunity of considering whether or not they could or should get married.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien, 74, will form part of the conclave of cardinals that chooses the next pontiff, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.<\/p>\n

Benedict announced earlier this month that he will step down Feb. 28 \u2014 the first pope to resign in almost 600 years.<\/p>\n

The cardinal said that the next pope would be free to consider changing church policy on issues, such as celibacy for priests, that were not \u201cbasic dogmatic beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that \u201cwe know at the present time in some branches of the church \u2014 in some branches of the Catholic church \u2014 priests can get married, so that is obviously not of divine origin and it could get discussed again.\u201d<\/p>\n

In recent years a number of traditionalist Anglicans opposed to the ordination of women and other changes have joined the Roman Catholic Church. The pope granted special dispensation for married Anglican clergy to stay married and be ordained in the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien also said it was time to think seriously about having a pope from outside Europe.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read more.<\/strong> \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

UPDATE:<\/strong> Deacon Keith Fournier helpfully clarifies the church tradition on this subject<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0 To my way of thinking, the good cardinal had a valuable point to make, but made it badly by bungling a few basic facts. Read Deacon Fournier\u2019s post for more.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Details:\u00a0 Roman Catholic priests should be allowed to marry and have children, Britain\u2019s most senior Catholic cleric said Friday. Cardinal Keith O\u2019Brien, who heads the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, said the requirement for priestly celibacy is \u201cnot of divine origin\u201d and could be reconsidered. He told BBC Scotland that \u201cthe celibacy of the clergy, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,42,52],"tags":[11191,11194],"class_list":["post-20989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pope","category-priests","category-vocations","tag-pope","tag-priests"],"yoast_head":"\nBritish cardinal argues for married priests\u2014UPDATED<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Details:\u00a0 Roman Catholic priests should be allowed to marry and have children, Britain\u2019s most senior Catholic cleric said Friday. 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