Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, had as a young priest, signed a memorandum suggesting Vatican to relax celibacy rules.
Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, had as a young priest, signed a memorandum suggesting Vatican to relax celibacy rules.
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He reportedly thought it would attract more people to become priests.
According to AdelaideNow, Father Brian Lucas, general secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said there was a range of opinions on the matter.
He said the present mind of the Vatican was to keep the current practice, despite a perceived shortage of priests.
"Shortage is a relative term," news.com.au quoted Father Lucas as saying.
"The discipline and practice of celibacy would be an obstacle for some. Others see it as important," he said.
In a similar tone, Father Dean Marin, director of vocations for the Adelaide Archdiocese, said the priesthood was a way of life.
"By remaining celibate, the priest witnesses to the possibility of living totally for God," he said.
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