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Catholic official calls for end to celibacy for priests

Published: 24 Nov 09 11:50 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20091124-23483.html

Alois Glück, the new head of Germany’s main Catholic association, on Tuesday called for an end to celibacy vows for priests.

“I would welcome allowing established married deacons to be ordained as priests,” the president of the Central Committee of German Catholics told daily newspaper Bild.

But Glück said such a decision could not be made only for Germany.

“The question of mandatory celibacy can only be determined within the Church globally,” he said.

Glück, a former conservative politician from Bavaria, was made the president of the lay organisation on Friday.

A Catholic priest in Hammelburg in northern Bavaria was suspended by the Church last month after he said he wanted to marry and announced he already had one child.

Pope Benedict XVI earlier this month raised the hopes of some liberal Catholics opposed to celibacy constraints by announcing the Church would welcome married Anglican priests wishing to convert to Catholicism.

The Local (news@thelocal.de)

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Your comments about this article:

15:46 November 24, 2009 by Kylerk
In other words - he wants priests who aren't Catholic.
18:15 November 25, 2009 by rednek1947
And when will they call for an end to having sex with young boys and each other?
03:33 November 28, 2009 by Eric Best
Enforced celibacy for priests was an innovation of the middle ages. In many countries, this secondary issue is now compromising a primary issue, the celebration of the mass, due to the lack of available clergy.

Mandatory priestly celibacy has had its time, and now its clearly time for it to go.
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