Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s New Secretary of State Says Celibacy Is Up For Discussion
The new Pope has said some radically progressive things since assuming power earlier this year. From his declaration that atheists can get into heaven, to his claim that he won’t “judge” gay priests, Francis is already proving to be open to some changes. Now, the Pope’s second-in-command is saying that the clerical celibacy may be up for debate.
“It is not a church dogma and it can be discussed because it is a church tradition,” said Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s new Secretary of State.
See excerots of his interview with National Catholic Reporter,
Speaking of celibacy —
The work the church did to institute ecclesiastical celibacy must be considered. We cannot simply say that it is part of the past. It is a great challenge for the pope, because he is the one with the ministry of unity and all of those decisions must be made thinking of the unity of the church and not to divide it. Therefore we can talk, reflect, and deepen on these subjects that are not definite, and we can think of some modifications, but always with consideration of unity, and all according to the will of God. It is not about what I would like but what God wants for His church.
What does he want?
God speaks in many ways. We must be careful to this voice that guides us on the causes and solutions. We have to take into account, at the moment of taking a decision, these criteria as well as to the opening to the spirit of the times.
It’s not exactly a call to arms, but even the mere suggestion that there’s room for discussion on the issue is a big step for the Church. In 2006, a group of progressive Austrian priests launched a protest movement of sorts, called the Pfarrer Initiative, wherein they encouraged their fellow priests to break celibacy vows as a means of forcing change on the issue. Then-Pope Benedict responded by questioning their motives and insisting that they were acting not out of concern for the Church, but simply to fulfill their own “preferences and ideas.”
Parolin was careful to note, however, that celibacy can’t be done away with overnight.
“The work the church did to institute ecclesiastical celibacy must be considered,” he said. “We cannot simply say that it is part of the past.”
When you think about it, though, the phrasing of this suggests that maybe Parolin wants to “simply say that it is part of the past,” but recognizes that it’s impossible, due to how institutionally entrenched the policy is.
It’s obviously way too early to speculate as to whether this will ultimately have any effect on Church doctrine, but when taken in totality with some of the Pope’s recent statements, Parolin’s comments do hint that, under his new leadership, the Church may be becoming a bit less ideologically-rigid.
Let’s Hear your thoughts.