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[Adventurer]

The Pope Lays Down the Law on Celibacy
A shortage of priests has some calling for a loosening of the traditional restrictions, but Benedict makes clear it won't happen on his watch
By JEFF ISRAELY/ROME
SUBSCRIBE TO TIMEPRINTE-MAILMORE BY AUTHORBenedict: Why He Won't Liberalize the Church

Posted Thursday, Nov. 16, 2006
Pope Benedict XVI believes Catholicism is growing sick in its historic birthplace of Western Europe, where a shortage of priests is both a symptom and an aggravating condition. But the 79-year-old pope made clear Thursday that he does not think opening up the Church to a married priesthood is the cure. After a roundtable with top Roman Curia cardinals to discuss the case of renegade Zambian archbishop Emanuel Milingo, who was excommunicated in September for having ordained four married men, the Vatican publicly reaffirmed "the value of the choice of priestly celibacy."

The question of specific dispensations and the broader question of celibacy is not a matter of fixed church doctrine, but has long been a tradition in the Latin church, while Eastern rite churches allow married men to become priests.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1560503,00.html?cnn=yes

[Ya-ta Boy]

Personally, since reading about the Indian eunuch tax gatherers, I've decided Catholic priests are wimps without true convictions. If they really, really believed in celibacy and dedication to their diety, they'd snip it off in a moment of divine sacrifice. Seems to me they want the best of both worlds: keep the tool to bone boys and frustrated housewives with while getting the respect for giving it all up for JC.

[mindmetoo]

And yet still no women for the priesthood. It would strike me as hypocritical if the church let priests bone women but didn't let the women preach.