Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait. There’s nothing in the Bible that says priests have to be celibate? And they are anyway? That’s like finding out this whole time that penguins could fly but someone at the top told them not to so they all just went along with it.
Granted, we are no experts on the rules of the priesthood, but Bishop Edward Daly of Derry, 77, has more than a passing familiarity with same and he believes the ban on marriage for priests should be lifted. He cites the lack of scriptural demand as one of the reasons.
“Celibacy was introduced by the church to ensure that in the event of death, any diocesan possessions would revert to the church rather than his family,” The Daily Mail quotes Daly as saying on a radio show. Bishops were leaving diocesan property to their sons, Daly said, hence the reason for the rule, but in this day and age celibacy is driving many good candidates away from or out of the priesthood.
Daly is best known for waving the bloodied white flag while helping victims of the shootings on Bloody Sunday in 1972 (really famous pic on Wikipedia). His book, titled “A Troubled See: Memoirs of a Derry Bishop,” was released this week and in it Daly discusses his views on priests being allowed to marry. Naturally some disagree but the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland hailed Daly’s opinion, saying that both celibacy and marriage should be options for priests.
Granted, we are no experts on the rules of the priesthood, but Bishop Edward Daly of Derry, 77, has more than a passing familiarity with same and he believes the ban on marriage for priests should be lifted. He cites the lack of scriptural demand as one of the reasons.
“Celibacy was introduced by the church to ensure that in the event of death, any diocesan possessions would revert to the church rather than his family,” The Daily Mail quotes Daly as saying on a radio show. Bishops were leaving diocesan property to their sons, Daly said, hence the reason for the rule, but in this day and age celibacy is driving many good candidates away from or out of the priesthood.
Daly is best known for waving the bloodied white flag while helping victims of the shootings on Bloody Sunday in 1972 (really famous pic on Wikipedia). His book, titled “A Troubled See: Memoirs of a Derry Bishop,” was released this week and in it Daly discusses his views on priests being allowed to marry. Naturally some disagree but the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland hailed Daly’s opinion, saying that both celibacy and marriage should be options for priests.