Survey on Mandatory Celibacy, 2003-2004

San Francisco Archdiocese Comments from Priest Survey

#6 Not Sure 51-60 religious
Wait until there is a new Pope. It's coming but let's do it with respect for tradition and an openess to the Spirit working in the Church today.
Bringing in the press is a bad idea, It will alienate those we are asking to be open.

#7 No 61-70 retired
I support mandatory celibacy for Roman Catholic Priests and I oppose any movement to change the law as it stands.
You ought to accept Papal teaching on this matter and, in obedience, stop adding to confusion and dissent.

#12 Yes 51-60
1) Even greater need to evaluate, review & critique Church's traditional teaching on sexuality -- in general
Many of us are opposed.
2) Need to rethink & abandon traditional prohibition on Homosexual sex/relationship
Many of us oppose.
Thank you-- More power to Call To Action!

#14 No 41-50
As a Catholic priest, I consider myself "married" to the Church, just as Jesus Christ is the bridegroom and the Church is the bride of Christ.
I want to remain faithful to my "spouse" just as any married man should strive to remain married and faithful to his spouse.
We have such a problem in our society with men and women who violate their vows - and our society doesn't even know what marriage is (seeking to define it as something that it never was or will be) that I feel that those who call for a married priesthood should strive to help our society appreciate the deeper truth about just what marriage is (a reflection of Christ's love for his Church) before they seek to drag priests into society's quagmire.
I hope & pray that all priests & seminarians will realize what a great calling the priesthood (celibate) is. And I hope that all the men who've left the priesthood (divorced themselves from it, so to speak) may find peace.

#15 no questionaire returned, just a separate, unsigned page with the following:
I do think Call To Action can serve the Church.
I do not think surveying the clergy concerning celibacy is part of that service.
The issue is far to serious to be handled by a casual, non-professional survey by --with all due respects -- someone I do not know and whose qualifications are unknown to me. I hope the survey will be done on a wider scale by professionals who can formulate a proposal that is productive and possible -- and not just publicity. There is more to the issue than how many say yes and how many say no.
I am sending a copy of this note and your letter to the Archbishop. His copy will be signed.
Peace

#16 Yes 61-70
I have never viewed celibacy as integral to my being a priest.

#17 Yes 41-50 Religious Order
Our Orthodox brethern have always had a celibate clergy (i,.e. monastic) co-existing with a married secular clergy for the past 2000 years. I think it's time we learned a few things from them.

#18 Yes 51-60
Even without the current difficulty, I believe it is high time that the issue of celibacy for priests of the Roman Rite be openly and freely discussed and addressed.
After all, we just ordained a married man, a former Episcopal priest, to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. I am certain he will do fine, as would many other married priests if allowed.

#27 No 51-60
The Holy Father has clearly spoken on this matter. As a Catholic priest I am most content to conform myself to his teaching. And I sincerely wish that you would pursue your particular CTA agenda within the Episcopal Church, or some other body, and cease blunting the voice and witness of the rest of us who are quiet happy as Catholic,.

#29 Yes Religious
Thank you for this survey. It is a fine service to the church.

#36 No 25-40 Religious Order
While I can understand someone wanting to "reopen" the idea of priestly celibacy, I think people don't realize how complex the issue is. I know a Catholic priest who is married with children (all through the permission of the Pope). Staying on the practical level and not the theological level-- of which I fully support, there are many problems to having married clergy. First, the salary would double. The SF Archdiocese has one of the worst benefits programs for priests in the U.S. Which Catholic parish is willing to support a wife & children? Most Catholics are "cheap" when funding programs in their parishes. Who will pay for college education for children? Who will allow their priest time with their family? Also, one cannot compare Protestant clergy with married Catholic clergy-- it's "apples & oranges." Protestant clergy are "a dime a dozen." They can have as little as one year of training, while a Catholic priest is 6 to 8 years of training. Over-all, most Protestants do not have sacraments. The demand on their clergy is not the same., They don't have daily mass, confessions, & nightly hospital calls. I would pity the diocesan priest who would be torn between his family & his parish. I pity his wife & children, who would have an absentee husband & father. This is not a theological issue -- it's practical.
A Faithful Priest.

#43 No answers to questionaire
Discussion? To what purpose? Non Catholic ministers asssure us that the problems are not related to questions of celibacy but crisis of faith. Pedephelia is not cured by marrying or having the option of marrying.
25% of newly ordained are "Opus Dei" and Legionaires, etc.
40% of priests in US are gay
30% are over 60 years of age
P.S. Any woman who would want to marry me I know I would not want to marry her. Who would want to marry a man who was trained to be independent, single.-- single habits, a confirmed bachelor. From what I have experienced fellow priests who have married = miserable!!!

#49 Not Sure Over 70 Religious Order
I no longer live in San Francisco. (He gave present address)

#50 Yes 61-70
Thanks for doing this!
(Signed, pastor of San Francisco parish)

#51 Yes 61-70
Given the present position of many of our bishops on this matter, I think the results should be given first tot he bishops and then release in a low key matter to others. Press conference are not well received by our present bihsop.

#57 No
I will change my opinion on mandatory celibacy when the Holy Father changes his. Until then, NO.

#59 No 51-60 Religious Order
Most seminarian of my acquaintance have absolutely no interest in discussing the mandatory celibacy rule. They are entering seminary life much later than the group of angry "locked in the 1960's" priests from Milwaukee and Pittsburgh who signed the petition,.
No one in my religious order has to my knowledge expressed any desire to discuss the issue. Thank you.

#61 Yes 61-70 Religious Order
Long overdue

#64 Yes Over 70 Retired Religious Order
We should call for a Vatican III & mandatory retirement age for Popes.

#67 Yes 51-60 retired
1. Options are healthy, life-giving, & increase the quality of life.
2. Married clergy is part of our tradition. It is not a new idea.
3. Take a look at our Orthodox brothers in XT who are married -- with families.

#74 51-60
I have been a priest for only 5 years - a "mature" vocation.

#75 Yes 51-60
In the future, I would have no problem with my name being associated with any subsequent statements or petitions.

#76 no questionaire returned. Typed letter, signed as follows:
If the Call To Action group in San Jose wishes to survey the priests of San Francisco, please do not start the process by claiming that our responses need to be in anonymity for fear of retribution. My personal belief in this matter is a well known and I would be happy to fill out a public survey to that fact.
Sincerely yours in Christ.

#82 No 51-60
Why limit to diocesan only?

#88 No 61-70
Phone me. (I did phone and we had a conversation. He expressed some displeasure at the implication of anonymity and that a discussion would not add anything.)

#89 Yes 61-70 retired
An emphatic YES

#90 Yes 61-70
Thanks for doing this.
I think that at least 55% of the actual clergy is homosexual. I'm not saying they're acting out. If retired priests get this survey, they'll be for mandatory celibacy. So will a good portion of our homosexual priests.
A good number of bishops is gay. A good number of the curia is gay.
Straight guys (padres) find themselves left out of many priests gatherings, because they're straight.
As far as I'm concerned, the fat lady has sung. Time to change.

#98 41-50 gave name, address, and phone number
I am strongly opposed to this discussion concerning priestly celibacy. First of all, because this is the life that Jesus led, as did his precursor John the Baptist -- connected to the Nazente vow of Moses' warriors -- of abstaining until we reach the promised land. To quote Jesus at the Las Supper "I will not drink of this the fruit of this vine cup until I drink it with you in the kingdom" (MK 14:24)
Secondly, my own experience as a priest of 5 years has shown me that celibacy has allowed people in their pastoral needs especially, especially during crisis or illness, to feel comforted by my presence. Not really my presence, for I am a sacramental representation of Christ, the bridegroom of the soul. This sacrmental reality is very real.
Third, I bind and I identify with peoples poverty. Making celibacy optional is another compromise with comfort just as the professionalization and secularization of priesthood has. I find it unfortunate that priest meetings are dominated by discussion of salaries adn health benefits--- hardly befitting of disciples of Christ.
If you really care about the greatest problem of the American Catholic Church, it is that most American Catholics have compromised with comfort.
In the case of priest child abusers, you appear to make the false connection between priest lack of sex life and child abuse, as if sex's purpose is to let out frustration.
Yet the fact is child abuse is most often occurs in families, the perpetrator known to the victim. Often this is in blended families, 2nd marriages or relationships--- even more reason that we should uphold the meaning of marriage and of sexuality --- only in marriage for the two goods --- of union and procreation--- even more reason to uphold that authentic teaching of the Catholic Church.
What upsets me though about your bullshit is you take attention away from what the church should do and uniquely has the capacity to do, service of the poor and disenfranchised-- the very thing that celibacy frees us to do and signifies as union with.
I hope my comments are taken into consideration and not censored out like you usually do. (Transcribed as well as I could manage with the handwriting.)

#104 No Over 70 retired
I am opposed to the whole idea of a survey about this. But I return the completed form to be sure senior priests are heard from.

#107 Yes 61-70
Thank you for the survey. I will be very interested in hearing the results. I suspect most American born priests in the Archdiocese will be in support of optional celibacy and would welcome married priests back into full or part time ministry. Blessings. (signed)

#109 Yes 51-60
Thanks for doing this