Sunday, October 27, 2019

What Will Pope Francis Decide on Married Priests in the Amazon? What Will the Holy Spirit Decide?

As reported in the New York Times (front page on Sunday) and other news outlets as well, at the conclusion of the Amazonian Synod in Rome, bishops from the Amazon region have advised Pope Francis to allow the ordination of married men (of proven virtue) as Roman Catholic priests in this vast and challenging region of the world.
Sadly right now, people of the Amazon region, who are dealing with an array of problems, do not have a sufficient amount of priests to minister to them. I was disturbed to learn recently that many can only receive Eucharist three times a year due to the lack of priests. That is unacceptable to God and all others of good conscience. Besides the sacraments being deprived, they also lack pastoral care. It's simply unjust.
What would the Holy Spirit recommend? I hope and pray that Pope Francis prays and fasts during the coming months, before making a recommendation.
Mandatory celibacy is a Church law, not a doctrine and church laws can be changed.
In my humble opinion, this law is hurting the church and it's evangelizing efforts.
For some, the discipline works and helps foster spiritual growth, but for others it's too restricting. Not all can live without companionship, love, nurturing touch, and the comforting presence of another in one's life. Why can't there be an Order of Married Priests, so you can have both celibate priests (if that is their call) and married priests. Not one or the other but both options.
So let's see what Pope Francis decides. According to what I've read, "the pope is expected to respond to the proposals by the end of this year."
If he decides to keep the status quo, then he can just assume that Protestant evangelicals will continue to evangelize (along with their wives), in the Amazon region and Catholicism will continue to lose Catholics to Protestantism. That's the reality and that is what the bishops from the Amazon region have spoken of to the Pope and others.
This is not about a liberal or conservative point of view or the purity and theology of the priesthood.  This is about people who deserve better from the Church. They deserve Eucharist, Reconciliation, they deserve to have caring, thoughtful priests in their midst to perform baptisms, marriages and celebrate Mass. Whether they are married or not, does not matter to the people of the Amazon. They only want and need and deserve spiritual and religious fulfillment and communion with God through frequent Holy Communion.
NJA

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Amazon Synod-Moving Forward in the Church With The Spirit

The news coming out of the Amazon Synod is quite dramatic and forward thinking. "Most bishops who lead dioceses in the Amazon support the ordination of married men of proven virtue, as a way of addressing the lack of priests in the region, said the retired Bishop Krautler of Xingu, Brazil, speaking to journalists after a Vatican press briefing on October 9th." (America Magazine)
How sad to read that there are thousands of indigenous communities in the Amazon who only celebrate Eucharist a few times a year. That's terrible. No Catholic should be deprived of the great gift and grace of Holy Communion. No wonder so many bishops from the Amazon are in support of married priests. They have a crisis on their hands. Sadly, there is degradation in parts of the Amazon rain forests, due to wildfires and exploitation and other pressures on indigenous people, at least they should have local priests celebrating Mass, the sacraments and available for pastoral care. It's as clear as day to me, it makes so much sense, that the crisis could be lessened by adapting and changing the church law of celibacy to meet the needs of the people of that region, who have spiritual and religious needs which are not being met.
What would Jesus do? Come Holy Spirit Come!
NJA