Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Egan To Church: Consider Allowing Priests To Marry


It's a centuries-old debate. But a possible push for change is coming from an unexpected source: Cardinal Edward Egan.

Take the archbishop of Toulouse, France, Robert Legall, for instance. He says there's no need to change celibacy for priests.

"To stay in celibate ... I think so, yes," Legall said.

But his New York counterpart, Cardinal Egan, in a recent radio interview suggested that sooner or later the church would have to consider allowing priests to marry.

"I think it has to be looked at. I am not so sure it wouldn't be a good idea to decide on the basis of geography and culture. And not take an across-the-board determination," Egan said.

The cardinal pointed out that some eastern Catholic churches allow married priests, and since 1980 Episcopal priests who became Catholic priests are allowed to stay married.

"I think it could happen and will happen," said Rev. James Martin Jr. of America Magazine.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/cardinal.edward.egan.2.965903.html

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