Survey on Mandatory Celibacy, 2003-2004
Oakland Diocese Comments from Priest Survey
#1 Dear Joan: I appreciate your taking this survey. I'm curious to know the
results.
Feel free to use my name publicly. Dialogue isn't a privilege but
an intrinsic
aspect of the Church's nature. I am scandalized by the Pope and
Bishops' efforts
to stifle and prohibit dialogue.
Sincerely and dialogically, Yes 51-60 not retired diocesan priest
#2 Dear Joan, Bless you for organizing this survey! You're great!
Bill O'Donnell
P.S. Secrecy is the sin of the evil of clericalism - publish away. (Bill died
on Dec. 8th - I had the privilege of being
arrested with him several times - Joan Mac) yes 71+ retired
diocesan priest
#3 Joan and Call to Action folks, Congratulations for doing the
survey of Oakland
priests. I'll be happy to participate in any way possible. Also, you can use
my name - for whatever that is worth.
May the Holy Spirit guide us all. Peace, Fr. John Yes 71 + not
retired diocesan
priest
#5 My experience of the discussion in the past two years has been that most
people ignore history. The discussion should not be based on our desires or
needs, but on who Jesus is! We are to conform ourselves to him.
There are many
ways of doing this, and celibacy is one such way of giving
ourselves completely.
Celibacy is often spoken of as a negation, or lack of respect for marriage.
For the church it is neither. It is a way of loving and giving
oneself completely.
I have no problem with your using my name and I am not a member of
Call to Action.
The only Call to Action I ever needed was my baptism. No 41-50 not
retired yes
order
#6. First of all, thank you for having the commitment to doing this survey.
I'm sure it has taken a lot of time and energy. Secondly, I am a
religious who
is also ordained. I have freely and lovingly chosen -- and continue to choose
-- to be celibate. After 30 years of religious life, I still find it to be a
viable, authentic, and deeply life-giving way of life. Most
Catholics, let alone
others, do not know the difference between Diocesan priesthood and commitment
to celibacy in the vowed life. PLEASE include and push to
catechesis to be done
on this in your desire for open discussions. Thank you.
(no signature) YES 41-50 member of religious order
#7 Thanks for the invitation to explain my position on the Call To
Action proposal.
It seems to me that pushing an "open discussion"
(whatever that means)
of the "mandatory celibacy rule for Diocesan priests"
would be non-productive
a the time, for the following reasons:
1. From the perspective of Rome, while the present pope is alive, nothing is
going to happen in this area of Church discipline. So the result would simply
be increased frustration on the part of those who see the need for
change.
2. In terms of the United States, I strongly believe that you do not need to
persuade the majority of American bishops or priests that a change
in this rule
is necessary. The celebration of the Eucharist is the center of our identity
as Church. Communion services with a liturgy of the word can never provide an
adequate substitute. The bishops and priests are desperately trying to supply
the Eucharist to the Catholic population, while dealing with the realities of
the growing shortage of priests.
3. When the election of a successor to John Paul II is imminent, I
suspect that
this topic will be on th short list for the cardinals' discussion before they
begin the conclave. It probably already is. The residential
cardinals (and they
far outnumber those in the Curia) know what the Church is up
against throughout
the world. While not every country faces the kind of shortage of priests we
do in the U. S., some places (e.g. Latin America, Africa) are much worse off;
and bishops in some places have found it impossible to maintain the
discipline.
4. Many bishops in various parts of the world have already made
their position
in favor of change abundantly clear. I believe the next pope will
move swiftly
to hand this matter over to the national conferences of bishops to
decide what
is best in each of their countries or regions. With the change in the Roman
perspective, the American bishops will then move equally swiftly to solve the
problem.
So for these reasons I think pushing the discussion now is pointless and, in
the long run, unnecessary.
#13 Yes - but it probably will not change anything at all! Yes
51-60 Not retired
diocesan priest
# 44 I affirm celibacy as a gift. It should be cherished and fostered in the
Church. I do not think that celibacy should be made a condition for
ordination
to the Diocesan priesthood. I strongly think that it is a serious in for the
Church leaders to make celibacy more important than the availability of the
Eucharist for the faithful. It is a grave violation of justice.
Removal of obligatory
celibacy for diocesan priests has nothing to do with sexual misconduct. With
or without celibacy, there will be sins committed against adults and minors.
The experience of the Eastern Church should have something to teach us about
this. Yes 61-70 not retired diocesan priest
#53 I have long thought that the great sin of the Church today is the making
of a necessary connection between celibacy and priestly ministry.
Celibacy which
is a free gift of the Spirit freely responded to I s made an idol, improperly
worshiped. The sin is to make Eucharist unavailable, to require the Church to
undergo utter famine. Thanks for asking! YES 70 + retired diocesan priest
#54 I cannot in conscience respond to your survey. I generally
favor open dialogue.
I object to the way the present survey frames the question. I am
not only publicly
committed to celibacy, I do not favor a change in the discipline Age 57 not
retired not religious
Diocese of Oakland California page 2 of 3
#64 Very Definitely Yes. (He commented on the 'no response can be linked to
any individual priest' by saying,) "sounds a bit as though we
were in Stalinist
Russia. Thanks so much for doing this.
Yes over 70 retired diocesan priest
#71 Thank you for doing the survey. Open discussion and conversation bring
clarity, mutual understanding and grace. The whole question of admission to
orders must be reviewed in our time.
Yes over 70 not retired yes an order priest
#74 I am for not-open discussion of the mandatory celibacy rule for Diocesan
priest. Open discussion would cause pressure, which is not good factor in the
consideration of such issues.
No 25-40 Not retired yes order priest
#77 You can feel free to use my name or further comments at any
time Yes 41-50
not retired yes order priest
#82 Excellent idea - Let's go for it Yes 51-60 Not retired yes an
order priest
#92 The Church is inconsistent in its treatment of
Anglican/Episcopal priests
who convert to Catholicism for whom celibacy is not an issue. Yes 51-60 not
retired yes an order priest
#99 Believe that priesthood and celibacy should be separate and individual
choices
Yes 85 retired diocesan priest
#104 Stop wasting your time and our time. Celibacy is a gift, not a burden.
Your goals are misdirected. NO 41-50 Not retired diocesan
priest#119 Available
competent ordained ministers are more important than maintaining obligatory
celibacy. Yes 61-70 Yes retired diocesan priest
#123 I support women's ordination too because in Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, no Roman or Greek, no women or men, all are one in Christ. Yes 25-40 order priest not retired