Edward Cardinal Egan open to discussion on letting priests marry
BY STEPHANIE GASKELL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Updated Monday, March 23rd 2009, 7:56 AM
Edward Cardinal Egan says the Catholic church should consider ending celibacy rules and allowing priests to marry.
"It's a perfectly legitimate discussion," Egan said during a recent interview on an Albany radio station. "I think it has to be looked at."
The cardinal's remarks are seen as a not-so-subtle signal to his replacement, Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan, to keep an open mind on the controversial issue.
"I'm not so sure it wouldn't be a good idea to decide [whether priests can be married] on the basis of geography and culture, not to make an across-the-board determination," Egan said in the March 10 interview.
Egan noted that priests in the Eastern European Catholic churches, such as the Romanian, Maronite and Melchite churches, are allowed to be married with "no problem at all."
A spokesman for Egan declined to comment on his remarks Sunday.
The Catholic Church has opposed marriage for its priests for centuries. The last three Popes, including Pope Benedict, have refused to even discuss the topic.
The church's strict rules have become increasingly controversial, especially in the U.S.
In 2003, nearly 200 priests in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee petitioned the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to consider the idea because of the shortage of priests. They were dismissed by Dolan.
Dolan is set to replace Egan on April 15.
sgaskell@nydailynews.com
BY STEPHANIE GASKELL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Updated Monday, March 23rd 2009, 7:56 AM
Edward Cardinal Egan says the Catholic church should consider ending celibacy rules and allowing priests to marry.
"It's a perfectly legitimate discussion," Egan said during a recent interview on an Albany radio station. "I think it has to be looked at."
The cardinal's remarks are seen as a not-so-subtle signal to his replacement, Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan, to keep an open mind on the controversial issue.
"I'm not so sure it wouldn't be a good idea to decide [whether priests can be married] on the basis of geography and culture, not to make an across-the-board determination," Egan said in the March 10 interview.
Egan noted that priests in the Eastern European Catholic churches, such as the Romanian, Maronite and Melchite churches, are allowed to be married with "no problem at all."
A spokesman for Egan declined to comment on his remarks Sunday.
The Catholic Church has opposed marriage for its priests for centuries. The last three Popes, including Pope Benedict, have refused to even discuss the topic.
The church's strict rules have become increasingly controversial, especially in the U.S.
In 2003, nearly 200 priests in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee petitioned the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to consider the idea because of the shortage of priests. They were dismissed by Dolan.
Dolan is set to replace Egan on April 15.
sgaskell@nydailynews.com
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