Pope Benedict XVI delivered a strong and stern speech on the issues of celibacy, female priests and “disobedience within the Church” leading up to Easter at St. Peter’s Basilica at morning mass on Holy Thursday. Reaffirming what he has stated repeatedly during his seven year regime alongside his controversial speeches on abortion, birth control, homosexuality & marriage, the Pope declared that women could not become priests, celibacy must continue to be practiced and that instead of being disobedient, certain priests should be obedient no matter what they think is best for the Church in this day and age.
The Pope was primarily referring to a growing movement supported by hundreds of priests and others in Austria and other countries of the world called “Call to Disobedience” which is working to allow women into priesthood, make celibacy optional for priests and even give communion to Protestants and remarried Catholics who did not go through annulment.
Moreover, calls for reforms to take place within the Vatican have become a din in the ears of the Church from millions all over the world especially after hundreds of thousands of Catholics left the pews worldwide after the shocking child sex abuse scandals swept under the rug by the Vatican were discovered and criminal priests went unpunished.
Pope Benedict XVI, regarding female priests, further backed up his position with a 1994 letter written by his predecessor Pope John Paul II who said that the Church has “no authority” in ordaining women to priesthood due to the infallible divinity of God’s teachings and the precedence set by Jesus Christ himself in choosing only males for his inner circle.
Pope Benedict XVI also basically said a “What Would Jesus Do” statement, saying that among Christ’s many concerns is the “true obedience” shown by believers as opposed to so called “human caprice”, again referring to the justified disobedience shown by the rest of the world.
Pope Benedict XVI emphasized that the disobedient priests should look towards God & the saints of Catholicism for guidance rather than critically thinking of how to fit the archaic Church in an increasingly modernizing world.
(Cover Photo: REUTERS/Max Rossi)
