Benedict XVI had doubts about celibacy

Pope Benedict XVI had doubts about the sense of maintaining the rule of priestly celibacy as a young professor of theology in Germany.  This is indicated by a document, which until now had remained unpublished and published by the magazine ‘Pipeline’, mouthpiece of the Circle of Action of Regensburg (AKR)-group of Catholic critics than it does today echo the newspaper “Suddeutsche Zeitung.

Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, appears among the signatories of that document, dated February 9, 1970 and sent to the German bishops’ conference.  A draft document was on file with the theologian Karl Rahner, one of the signatories, and his former colleague made it available for AKR.
“Our reflections suggest the need for an urgent review and differential treatment of the rule of celibacy for the German church and the universal church,” says the document whose signatories are, in addition to Ratzinger, people like Karl Lehman, later Cardinal and president of the German Bishops Conference, and Walter Kasper, now cardinal in the Roman curia.
Ratzinger and other theologians expressed concern that the celibacy rule not only lead to a shortage of candidates for the priesthood but also to a decrease in the talent of those who choose the priesthood. Theologians point to the difficulty of celibacy in the world today.  On the one hand, living alone often leads to loss of recognition of the priests in their communities. Furthermore, the practice of sexual continence in a world of erotic stimuli becomes increasingly difficult.
The document warns that if the issue of celibacy is not discussed at the highest level, sooner or later it will be discussed at a lower level, and express their fears about a loss of authority of bishops and a mass defection of priests.  The document recalls that celibacy is not dogma, and says that if you can not recruit enough young priests then the Church is bound to change.
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