A RETIRED bishop’s call to end celibacy for Catholic priests may not be realised for many years, a former Anglican church leader has said.
Dr Edward Daly, one of the most respected religious leaders in Northern Ireland and the Republic, says married men should be allowed to be priests in the church.
In his new book – A Troubled See – Dr Daly calls for urgent action to address the declining number of priests and says many “good men have been lost” due to the celibacy ruling.
He says: “I ask, in all charity, is it not time for our church to make a vocation to the priesthood possible and accessible for more men?"
“Something needs to done and done urgently and I hope that senior members of the clergy and laity make their views more forcefully known, views that are often expressed privately but seldom publicly. I see and meet men who would potentially be fine priests – but the rule of celibacy causes or has caused them to consider other vocations.”
The former Bishop of Derry says he has been “appalled and ashamed” by the revelations of sex abuse involving priests.
He also refers to the “dreadfully inadequate response of too many of those in authority” to allegations of abuse.
Former dean of Belfast the Rev Houston McKelvey said he “sympathised” with the comments made by Dr Daly.
“I have always had the utmost respect for Dr Daly and undoubtedly his comments will send a clear message to the Roman Catholic Church, not just across Ireland but much further afield, of the depth of feeling there is on this issue,” he said.
“But I fear that it could be many more years before any changes are made over celibacy.”
He said any such celibacy ruling in the Church of Ireland would have prevented himself from being ordained into the church.
“I have the highest regard and respect for my colleagues in the Roman Catholic church who have chosen a life of celibacy but I know for certain that I could not have been ordained if there had been a celibacy ruling.”
However, the significance of Dr Daly’s comments have been downplayed by a leading Roman Catholic commentator, who said a more drastic overhaul of the clerical system was needed to help the troubled church.
Garry O’Sullivan, editor of the Irish Catholic newspaper, said: “I don’t think there is anything really new in what has been said by Dr Daly. Certainly he is a senior and much respected cleric, but the problems facing the Catholic church in Ireland are much greater than just the issue of celibacy. There is a drastic need for major changes to the clerical system and a need to address the hierarchical nature of the church. On the issue of celibacy, I do not believe that the Catholic church could support [financially] a priest and his family, given the present state of affairs.”
A spokesman for the Catholic church said he did not wish to comment on bishop Daly’s remarks.