Priestly Celibacy

Meet the saint who called out corrupt priests

By Maryella Hierholzer, Our Sunday Visitor, February 21, 2024 St. Peter Damian Feast day: February 21 “May Christ be heard in our language, may Christ be seen in our life, may he be perceived in our hearts” (Sermo VIII, 5). This was the prayer of St. Peter Damian, Italian... read more

Swiss bishop calls for women’s ordination, end to celibacy ahead of synod

By AC Wimmer, Catholic News Agency, September 25, 2023 A Swiss bishop called for the end of mandatory priestly celibacy and for the ordination of women in an interview published Sunday, just days ahead of his participation at the Synod on Synodality in Rome next week.  “It’s... read more

Celibacy and the Priesthood

[Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, O. F. M., Cap. spoke at our July 12, 2019 Monthly Forum Luncheon] By Fr. Thomas G. Weinardy, OFM. Cap., Catholic Thing, April 30, 2023 In a recent interview, Pope Francis addressed the question of celibacy and the priesthood in the Catholic Church.  He said... read more

Another pope can take up priestly celibacy issue, says Francis

Aletia, March 14, 2023 Pope Francis says he does not intend to consider changing the Church's practice on the issue. In a very long interview broadcast on March 12, 2023, by the Argentine news outlet Perfil on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of his election, Pope Francis spoke about,... read more

Pope Francis discusses revising priestly celibacy in new interview

By Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency, March 10, 2023 In a new interview, Pope Francis has discussed the possibility of revising the Western discipline of priestly celibacy. “There is no contradiction for a priest to marry. Celibacy in the Western Church is a temporary prescription:... read more

Pope Francis Removes Conservative African Cardinal From Vatican Post

Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea is often mentioned as a possible future pontiff. [But] Cardinal Sarah was considered out of step with Pope Francis’ approach to liturgy, homosexuality and relations with the Muslim world .ROME— Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Robert Sarah... read more

It’s an issue

By Phil Lawler | Jun 02, 2020 A friend recently called my attention to a debate held at the Oxford Union last June, on the resolution: “This House believes the Catholic Church can never pay for its sins.” It wasn’t really much of a debate. With their focus on the sex-abuse scandal, the... read more
Bishop Athanasius Schneider

Bishop Schneider analyzes Pope’s Amazon text: ‘a glimmer of hope’ despite deficiencies

Although Querida Amazonia’s stance on priestly celibacy comes as a relief, the document contains ‘lamentable doctrinal ambiguities and errors,’ Bishop Schneider writes in exclusive in-depth analysis By Diane Montagna, LifeSiteNews, February 19, 2020 In a new in-depth analysis of the... read more

German theologian spearheads transition to a ‘gender appropriate’ Catholic Church

By Claire Giangrave, National catholic Reporter, February 19, 2020 From left, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri and Sister Augusta de Oliveira hold a copy of the post-synodal apostolic exhortation "Querida Amazonia" written by Pope Francis during a press conference at the... read more

Pope shares with U.S. bishops his frustration with reaction to Amazon text

Catholic News Service, February 13, 2020 ROME - Pope Francis told a group of U.S. bishops that, like them, he is accused of not being courageous or not listening to the Holy Spirit when he says or does something someone disagrees with - like not mentioning married priests in his document on the... read more
The Apostle Peter

A Watershed This Week?

By Robert Royal, Catholic Thing, February 10, 2020 This week may mark a watershed in modern Catholicism. On Wednesday, the Amazonia Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation will be released (more on that later in the week). Ever since that head-spinning event (Pachamama was only the most conspicuous... read more
St. Patrick's Seminary & University in Menlo Park, California.

The State of the Seminary and Reasons for Hope

Archbishop Charles Scicluna, left, and Spanish Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, right

Top Vatican official says celibacy, homosexuality not cause of abuse crisis