The prelate’s declarations go against the so-called German synodal journey that calls for the end of mandatory celibacy. Referring to the so-called German synodal path, Bishop Voderholzer warned of a severe decline in the understanding of sacramental ministry.
Newsroom (11/02/2022 2:25 PM, Gaudium Press) Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg spoke to Die Tagespost about priestly celibacy. Now that – particularly in Germany – numerous voices, including episcopal ones, are calling for the end of mandatory celibacy.
The Bishop of Regensburg reminds us that those on their way to the priesthood voluntarily accept celibacy. “Celibacy for the kingdom of heaven” must be assumed as something “that allows spiritual fruitfulness and witness to Christ.”
The celibate priest is not a solitary fighter. So that celibacy does not become “bourgeois bachelorhood,” special attention must be paid to the other two evangelical counsels: poverty and obedience.
As in Eastern Churches, a married priest does not cease to represent a challenge for the Church and the community. He recalled that in these Churches, it is possible to ordain someone who is already married. But it is not possible to marry someone who has already been ordained. Bishops, however, must always be celibate.
Presently, “if a secular priest voluntarily opts for celibacy under these conditions, he inevitably exposes himself to the suspicion of being homosexual or of wanting to be a bishop,” noted Voderholzer. And that among Protestant or Jewish communities, it has been seen that without compulsory celibacy, an “obligatory marriage” can cause priests to quickly “look for a bride next door.“
Referring to the so-called German synodal path, Bishop Voderholzer warned of a severe decline in the understanding of sacramental ministry.
With Infocatólica information.
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj
