To Live of Love

To live of love is to sail afar and bring both peace and joy where'er I be. O Pilot blest! Love is my guiding star; in every soul I meet, Thyself I see. Safe sail I on, through wind or rain or ice; love urges me, love conquers every gale. High on my mast behold is my device: 'By love I sail!' - st. therese

7.05.2011

the year of the priesthood: they need our prayers now more than ever


Austrian Priests to Disobey Pope


Vienna - More than 250 Catholic priests in Austria are ready to disobey the pope and allow women to preach, the head of a progressive clergy platform confirmed on Wednesday.
Helmut Schueller said the Priests' Initiative he leads has been pushing for admitting women and married men into the clergy for years, without results.

The movement published a manifesto earlier this month, and its members have let trained laymen and female religion teachers preach.

They have also defied the Vatican by administering the sacrament of Holy Communion to divorcees and to people who have left the church.

"I think we will create a forward thrust in the Church by making these practices visible," Schueller said.

The platform's views are shared by a majority of the clergy, according to a poll conducted one year ago. It showed that 80% of Austria's priests would like to end the marriage ban for their profession, and 51% would like to admit women in their ranks.

The Catholic Church, however, has reacted sharply to the priests' initiative.

The Vatican is aware that there are not enough priests and it is legitimate to voice concerns, said Bishop Egon Kapellari, the deputy head of the conference of Austrian bishops.

"But it is something else entirely to call for disobedience, to threaten the unity of the global Church and to revoke common obligations," he said in a statement on Tuesday.
- SAPA


"For the priestly office is indeed discharged on earth, but it ranks amongst heavenly ordinances; and very naturally so: for neither man, nor angel, nor archangel, nor any other created power, but the Paraclete Himself, instituted this vocation, and persuaded men while still abiding in the flesh to represent the ministry of angels. Wherefore the consecrated priest ought to be as pure as if he were standing in the heavens themselves in the midst of those powers." - St. John Chrysostom 

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