JUERGEN BAETZ
\nPublished: Feb 4, 2011BERLIN (AP) \u2013 University theologians in Germany have called on the Catholic Church to abandon the vow of celibacy for priests, open up the clergy for women and accept gays couples.<\/p>\n
The 143 professors said the church must implement bold reforms because of \u201ca crisis without precedent\u201d following the discovery of widespread sexual and physical abuses by clergymen a year ago.<\/p>\n
More Christians than ever have turned their backs on the Catholic Church in the past year, they said. \u201cThe Church has to understand these signs and move beyond its ossified structures to regain new vitality and credibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
The appeal, published in newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung\u2019s Friday edition, called on the church\u2019s leadership to stop excluding gay couples and remarried Christians.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Church also needs married priests and women holding positions in the clergy,\u201d the appeal said \u2013 in clear defiance of the Vatican\u2019s dogmas.<\/p>\n
But Germany\u2019s Bishops Conference on Friday cautiously welcomed the appeal, saying it could enhance the ongoing reform discussion, while noting several proposals contradicted the church\u2019s principles.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn some issues, the memorandum is in conflict with theological convictions and church regulations that are highly binding,\u201d Bishops Conference Secretary Hand Langendoerfer said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The appeal \u2013 signed by a few Austrian, Swiss and by almost a third of Germany\u2019s Catholic university theologians \u2013 is a rare challenge to the clergy establishment and the Vatican, because the church has a veto right in appointing theologians at Germany\u2019s state-run universities.<\/strong><\/p>\nBut the wealthy Catholic Church in the homeland of Pope Benedict XVI sees the number of its followers dwindling, leading to lower proceeds every year, and ever fewer young men choosing to become priests.<\/p>\n
Several leading lawmakers from Chancellor Angela Merkel\u2019s Christian Democratic Party \u2013 among them parliamentary Speaker Nobert Lammert and Education Minister Annette Schavan \u2013 last month also appealed to Germany\u2019s bishops to fight for the vow of celibacy\u2019s abolition, citing \u201cthe increasing lack of priests.\u201d<\/p>\n
The theologians, in turn, said the challenges are already obvious for a long time, but there are still no church reforms within sight.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe disturbance of open dialogue without any taboos does not go well with everybody, especially when there\u2019s a papal visit upcoming,\u201d the theologians said, referring to Benedict\u2019s planned visit in September.<\/p>\n
The professors also called for a more democratic and less centralized church, including giving the faithful a say in appointing their priests and bishops. \u201cWhat can be decided locally, should be decided there,\u201d the appeal said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From AP News service. The appeal ties all sexuality issues into one big bundle: celibacy, female ordination and gay couples. Has anyone been following this story? What are the prospects? JUERGEN BAETZ Published: Feb 4, 2011BERLIN (AP) \u2013 University theologians in Germany have called on the Catholic Church to abandon the vow of celibacy for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[2396],"class_list":["post-13701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","tag-roman-catholicism"],"yoast_head":"\n
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