Advent Group - Supporting Priests & Religious since 1969
Pope says married men could be ordained priests if world's bishops agree on it
- Written by: Alex Walker
A bishop who met with Pope Francis in a rare private audience on 4 April has said in an interview that the two men discussed the issue of the ordination of “proven” married men – viri probati – in a serious and positive way.
Bishop Erwin Kräutler, Bishop of Xingu in the Brazilian rainforest, spoke to the Pope about Francis’ forthcoming encyclical on the environment, and the treatment of indigenous peoples but the desperate shortage of priests in the bishop’s huge diocese came up in the conversation. According to an interview the Austrian-born bishop gave to the daily Salzburger Nachrichten on 5 April, the Pope was open-minded about finding solutions to the problem, saying that bishops’ conferences could have a decisive role.
Read more: Pope says married men could be ordained priests if world's bishops agree on it
BBC My Story
- Written by: Alex Walker
This week's theme is love and the winner is Adeline Harris with her story An Unconventional Love.
The full published book can be downloaded for free from the Winners' page.
Pope Cautions Against Dilution of Priestly Ministry
- Written by: Alex Walker
VATICAN CITY, MARCH 16, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is affirming the importance of the ministerial priesthood in the Church, and is calling for greater attention to the education of clergy.
The Pope said this today during an audience with participants of the Congregation for Clergy's plenary assembly, a Vatican communiqué reported. In this meeting, he also announced his intention to convoke a Year for Priests, beginning June 19, on the occasion of 150th anniversary of the death of the Curé of Ars.
The Pontiff cautioned his audience against confusing the baptismal and ministerial priesthood, stating that the two are distinguished on an ontological level, rather than by a variance in degrees. The second dimension, he said, "arises from [the priest's] sacramental configuration to Christ the Head."
Read more: Pope Cautions Against Dilution of Priestly Ministry
The Signs of the Times
- Written by: Alex Walker
Women outside Westminster Cathedral greeted warmly by church goers on the 1st February after the 10.30 am Sung Mass. There were about 10 members of the group handing out leaflets and there were clearly many people who were in favour of what they were doing. As the Church continues to lurch to the right, we need to remember that collegiality and the Spirit speaking through its members is still a reality in our Church, at least from those in the pews !
Dialogue is needed and needed soon. We can no longer ignore the signs of the times. The Church is imploading at the expense of regulations that have out-lived their usefulness or purpose. More information at www.catholic-womens-ordination.org.uk and http://www.womenpriests.org/index.asp
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