U.S. Shortage of Catholic Priests

Archbishop Mahony is quoted as supporting priestly celibacy since “married priests would not live at the parish rectory or be available seven days a week . . . because of family commitments they would be like others who live with family at home and work certain hours.”

This is a highly unreal and removed view of the matter. Married priests in the Episcopal and Orthodox churches serve their people with time and attention fully equal to those of their Roman counterparts (as do ministers in Protestant churches). Some of these priests do live in parish rectories, although many these days prefer to live a reasonable distance away, but the latter are easily available via telephone and automobile.

I have been a married Episcopal priest for 45 years, and I have never experienced an insurmountable conflict between family and duty. You simply work out whatever time is required for either. To state that clergy such as myself “live with family at home and work certain hours” is a distorted view of the actual situation. I, for one, have no hard and fast daily schedule; I simply respond to whatever has to be done anytime.

Celibacy has its own problems, and there is no sound rationale for imposing it upon all as an unvarying requirement for priesthood. Even St. Peter had a wife (“Jesus went to Peter’s house and found Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever.” Matthew 8:14). Nowadays, especially, we need to engage the whole spectrum of priestly ministry, married as well as celibate, and give every qualified person the opportunity to serve God and human beings.

REV. CANON

NOBLE L. OWINGS

Glendale