From
Jane Anderson’s “Priest in Love: Roman Catholic Clergy and Their Intimate
Friendships” (a book of interviews with Australian priests) (p. 133):
“A
friend of mine had just finished a six-year term as full-time vocations
director for his diocese. He’s a
believer in married clergy and says celibacy isn’t working. His moment of glory was last year at a
conference of German-speaking vocation directors in Rome. They had a meeting with the Pope who asked
them what was their solution to the priest crisis in Western Europe.
“By
coincidence, my friend was next to Pope John Paul and said to him that one of
the answers was relaxation of celibacy and the use of married priests. The Pope reacted immediately, threw his arms
in the air and shouted, ‘Impossible, impossible’ – and then gave them a strong
defense of celibacy.”
Five
weeks after the conference, this priest was removed from his position because
his archbishop had been pressured by Rome “to get rid of him.”
. . .
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