New President of German Bishops Supports Optional Celibacy
Robert Zollitsch, the Archbishop of Freiburg, is the surprising new president of the German Bishops' Conference. Considered a liberal, Zollitsch has advocated easing the celibacy requirement for priests. After Cardinal Karl Lehmann announced his resignation, Archbishop Reinhard Marx was considered his likely successor. But the German bishops elected Zollitsch instead. In an interview published in Der Spiegel, Zollitsch said that celibacy was a "gift," but not essential. Furthermore, he said it would be a "revolution" if the celibacy tradition within the Catholic Church were dissolved. (www.dw-world.de) |
Winter 2008
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