Pope, aides to discuss celibacy issues: Vatican

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict has called a meeting of Vatican advisers for a "reflection" on issues related to celibacy in the Church following a schism led by a renegade African archbishop who wants priests to be able to marry.

The meeting, to be held on Thursday, was announced by the Vatican' s press office on Monday in a short statement that a spokesman said did not imply a review of current rules that priests remain celibate.

The statement said the Pope and leaders of Vatican departments would hold a "reflection on requests for dispensation from the obligation of celibacy and on requests for readmission to the priestly ministry by priests who had married".

Asked for clarification, chief Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the meeting was not being called to consider major changes in the celibacy rule but to discuss the issue generally and certain individual cases.

The main purpose of the meeting is to discuss the ramifications of the crisis sparked when Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo ordained four married men as priests at a ceremony in Washington D.C. in September.

That prompted his automatic excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church.

Milingo rejects his excommunication, which forbids him to receive the sacraments or share in public acts of worship.

He is planning a convention for more than 1,000 married priests - and their wives - in New York for December 8-10.

"The Holy Father has called on Thursday, November 16 a meeting to examine the situation created following (Milingo' s) disobedience," the statement said.

The Roman Catholic Church insists that its priests remain celibate and has ruled out letting them marry, which advocates say would make some men more willing to join the priesthood and ease the shortage of priests in many parts of the world.

Priests were permitted to wed during the first millennium, but marriage was condemned by the Church at the Second Lateran Council in 1139.

Milingo is not just a keen proponent of marriage, but tried it himself in 2001 at a mass ceremony held by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon' s Unification Church. The union was never recognized by the Vatican and Milingo later rejoined the Catholic Church.

A proposal discussed, and rejected at a synod of Catholic bishops last year, suggested that the Church ordain some "viri probati" - a Latin term referring to older, married men with families who are known to lead exemplary personal lives.

"Viri probati" also have a solid background in Catholic doctrine.

Catholic doctrine has always had tradition as one of its ceterpieces.

I'd be suprised if it changed, but I think the change would be a welcome one.

Children are humbling in so many ways.

Hmm...interesting.

On the other scope, Eastern Orthodox Preast MUST be married in order to become a priest 😂

So the Catholic Church is having slow progress opening thier mind not only to Gay Marriage, but to Clergy marriage as well....

Atleast it's a step....

I think it would be a good thing for them to reconsider. Peter from whom the papacy claims inheritance of authority was married. Why can't they be?

Why can't preists be female?

Oh thats right....women are unclean. Its tradition and the Bilbe says so!

Where?

My god, read Exodus and Leviticus.

Originally posted by Storm
It is a hopeful sign that they' re at least willing to raise the matter.

No, he was just the head of the Inquisition. Nothing to worry about if you're a true Christian (as in the real original Christians (Catholics))

Originally posted by Alliance
My god, read Exodus and Leviticus.

Originally posted by Alliance
No, he was just the head of the Inquisition.

Originally posted by Nellinator
Women are not unclean. Prove to me that they are by using the Bible or stop making your biased assumptions please.

GEN 3:16 - Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. (Women are evil and should be subjugated to men)

EXO - 23:17 Three items in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God. (Women are not called before god)

LEV - 12:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.
12:4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.
12:5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days. (Baby girls are twice as unclean as baby boys)

LEV - 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. (Women are dirty and such they bleed. ANything they touch during menstration is unclean and they cannot approach the altar of God)

LEV - 21:13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
21:14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife. (Women cannot marry twice, but men have no problem taking multiple wives)

NUM - 3:15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. (Women don't count as children of God)

DEU - 5:21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's. (Women are comparable to asses and houses (property))

JUD - 14:18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? and he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. (Women are cows)

Incase you think this is an OT thing,

LUK - 2:23 (As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord; (Only men)

TITUS - 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, (2:4-5)
"Teach the young women to be ... obedient to their own husbands."
2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (women are subordinate.

Is that enough, because its really a waste of my time if you can't read your own holy book.

Originally posted by Alliance
Please, you often spew ignorance. Biased assumption my arse.

GEN 3:16 - Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. (Women are evil and should be subjugated to men)

EXO - 23:17 Three items in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God. (Women are not called before god)

LEV - 12:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.
12:4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.
12:5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days. (Baby girls are twice as unclean as baby boys)

LEV - 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. (Women are dirty and such they bleed. ANything they touch during menstration is unclean and they cannot approach the altar of God)

LEV - 21:13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
21:14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife. (Women cannot marry twice, but men have no problem taking multiple wives)

NUM - 3:15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. (Women don't count as children of God)

DEU - 5:21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's. (Women are comparable to asses and houses (property))

JUD - 14:18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? and he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. (Women are cows)

Incase you think this is an OT thing,

LUK - 2:23 (As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord; (Only men)

TITUS - 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, (2:4-5)
"Teach the young women to be ... obedient to their own husbands."
2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (women are subordinate.

Is that enough, because its really a waste of my time if you can't read your own holy book.

GEN 3:16
All humans are evil by nature, not just women. This is biblical fact.

EXO 23:17
Taken out of context. They gather to bring their sacrifices from their farms and such. Men bring it and this is not sexist in the least. Nice try.

LEV 15:19
Blood spreads disease, it is a basis of Biblical medical law. They also weren't allowed to eat meat with blood in it. Just like men were unclean for seven days if they ejaculated. Stop trying to victimize women. They were simply being sanitary.

LEV 21:13
Men weren't allowed to commit adultery either. Men can reproduce faster which is why it was common practice back in those days. It's not really sexist, it is even understandable. Even at that, multiple wives was not encouraged.

NUM 3:15
By your admission neither do males under one month old. No, you pulled this way out of context. The males were counted as part of the census (hence the reason the book is called Numbers). Why, because these males were all set aside to become priests.

DEUT 5:21
It's amazing how you can sum it up like that. Women are in no way being compared in that way. In fact, the Hebrews liked to write things in order of importance. And look at that, the wife is more valuable than any of a man's possessions. Once again not sexist.

JUD 14:18
Wow, you must not have read this passage. This was said by Samson, notorious example of a womanizer which brought his downfall. One of the morals of his story is not be an idiot to women and to avoid sexual immorality. Samson was sexist, but it is not a reflection on God.

LUK 2:23
"Opening the womb" means firstborn male. He is the heir according to God. Not just males, it is only the firstborn son because he is the heir.

TITUS 2:4
You should probably take into consideration everything Paul has to say on the matter. Most specifically when he fully addresses the matter of marriage in 1 Corinthians 7. "The husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife".
The woman own his husbands body? Arise men and fight for your right to be strong and independent, blah, blah, blah. No if I said that I would be taking the verse out of context like you. Instead I take into consideration the fact that right before that it says that "the wife's body does not belong to to her alone, but also to her husband". This strongly indicates a equal relationship.

The Bible recognizes men and women as different but equal so get over it. The Bible is very supportive of women and shows women in positions of power in both church (deaconesses) and government (Deborah the Judge).

The word delusional comes to mind. Your rebuttals are flimsy and innacurate. I let the Bible speak for itself.

You book, taken literally, is dead wrong. Get over it. Accept the good parts of the religion. And move on.

Women are subordinate to men. That is not equal. Get it?

Women endure harsher punishements for the same crimes as men. That is not equal. Get it?

Women are often not included in the rites of god. That is not equal. Get it?

Originally posted by Alliance
Lots of verses and shit.

Please, tell me that you're joking.

Because pulling verses so far out of context and deliberately misinterpreting them causes me pain.

Originally posted by Alliance
The word delusional comes to mind. Your rebuttals are flimsy and innacurate. I let the Bible speak for itself.

You book, taken literally, is dead wrong. Get over it. Accept the good parts of the religion. And move on.

Originally posted by Alliance
The word delusional comes to mind. Your rebuttals are flimsy and innacurate. I let the Bible speak for itself.

You book, taken literally, is dead wrong. Get over it. Accept the good parts of the religion. And move on.

Women are subordinate to men. That is not equal. Get it?

Women endure harsher punishements for the same crimes as men. That is not equal. Get it?

Women are often not included in the rites of god. That is not equal. Get it?

Women are subordinate and so are men. They share equal ownership of each other and mutual consent is required. Adultery is punishable by death both ways. Men and women become "one flesh" as the Bible says. Very equal while being different. Men and women are equally limited.

What rites, women are allowed to go to the altar and sacrifice, they can worship, they can pray, they can take communion, and they can be baptized. What rites are they excluded from?

Originally posted by FeceMan
You have to be joking.

Please, tell me that you're joking.

Because pulling verses so far out of context and deliberately misinterpreting them causes me pain.

When you're an idiot and purposely ruin parts of the Bible in an attempt to validate your beliefs, you are the one who is delusional. Tell me, from which tardtheist site did you steal that list?

Originally posted by Nellinator
Women are subordinate and so are men. They share equal ownership of each other and mutual consent is required. Adultery is punishable by death both ways. Men and women become "one flesh" as the Bible says. Very equal while being different. Men and women are equally limited.

The Bible clearly states that women are subordinate to men.

Thats a fairly twisted view of "equal"

Originally posted by FeceMan
How dare you say that women are different from men, you sexist bastard...what with your...words...and stuff.

Originally posted by Alliance
The Bible clearly states that women are subordinate to men.

Thats a fairly twisted view of "equal"