Letters

Clerical celibacy (letter)

Gerard Wilson

Contents - Oct 2003 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The role of the Catholic in public life - Peter Westmore After 25 years: the impact of John Paul II's pontificate - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Ethics: Bishop Fisher and Dr Philip Nitschke in Sydney euthanasia debate - Frank Mobbs Saints: The Beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Youth: Thomas More Winter School in Sale Diocese has Eucharistic focus - Michael Casanova Melbourne Archdiocese responds to John Paul II's Year of the Rosary - AD2000 Report How fatherhood is crucial to children's faith - Fr Robbie Low Why Catholic teaching on marriage is 'good news' for all humanity - Eamonn Keane AD2000 readers' generous response to Queensland Lourdes appeal - Jenny Davies and Nicole King Orthodox US Catholic colleges and universities continue to flourish - Julia Duin Letters: Original Sin (letter) - Niall Browne Letters: Individual confession (letter) - John Cassar Letters: Clerical celibacy (letter) - Gerard Wilson Letters: New bishops (letter) - Anne Lastman Letters: Thomas Groome (letter) - Dr Susan Moore Letters: Education crisis (letter) - Alex Sharah Letters: New RE program (letter) - Paul Chigwidden Letters: Inspiring hymn (letter) - Kevin O'Hagan Letters: Footy Show (letter) - Alan A. Hoysted Books: I The Lord Am With You Always: Prayers and Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration - Msgr Peter J. Elliott (reviewer) Liturgical Time Bombs In Vatican II, by Michael Davies - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: Crisis In Religious Education, by Eamonn Keane - Damien Tudehope (reviewer) Books: Great books at the best prices! Reflection: Why the tabernacle should be centrally located in our churches - Fr Sebastian Camilleri OFM

I would like to compliment John Young on his article about the Church's discipline regarding celibacy in the priesthood ("Clerical celibacy for the sake of God's Kingdom: the Church's teaching", August AD2000).

Many of us with a keen interest in intelligently defending the Church against the constant attacks in the media and elsewhere, but do not have the time to find and read the appropriate literature, can profit enormously from such articles.

In his usual lucid and unostentatious way, John Young seems to have said all that is necessary to justify the Church's discipline on this matter. Those of us who have been used to defending clerical celibacy primarily on what he calls "secondary reasons" now know what is the biblical basis of the discipline: "Celibacy chosen for the love of God is a higher state than marriage". We also know that this has been the Church's constant and infallible teaching. All the references necessary are there to justify the claim.

This is just the sort of explanatory article most of us need to keep abreast of those inside and outside the Church who seem to have the leisure time to undermine the Church's teaching in every imaginable way.

GERARD WILSON
Greensborough, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 16 No 9 (October 2003), p. 14