Priests don’t have to be celibate – Cardinal

UNITED KINGDOM
Radio New Zealand

The most senior Roman Catholic in Britain says priests should be allowed to marry and have children.

In an interview, Cardinal Keith O’Brien said the next Pope would be free to change the current policy because the principle of celibacy wasn’t of divine origin, as it hadn’t come directly from Jesus Christ.

“I realise that many priests have found it very difficult to cope with celibacy as they lived out their priesthood, and felt the need of a companion, of a woman to whom they could get married and raise a family of their own.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.