Benedict’s intervention comes as Pope Francis is weighing whether to allow married men to be ordained to address a Catholic priest shortage.
On Monday, the Vatican press office put out a statement affirming Pope Francis's commitment to celibacy and pointing out his recent statements on the topic."Personally I think that celibacy is a gift for the Church. I do not agree with allowing celibacy as an option, no. This could be a possibility only in the most remote of areas — I think of the islands in the Pacific ocean — where there are priesthood needs.
Benedict addresses the issue head-on in his chapter in the brief book, which is composed of a joint introduction and conclusion penned by Benedict and Sarah, and then a chapter apiece in between. True to his theological form, Benedict’s chapter is dense with biblical references and he explains in scholarly terms what he says is the “necessary" foundation for the celibate priesthood that dates from the times of the apostles.
The joint conclusion of the book makes the case even stronger, acknowledging the crisis of the Catholic priesthood that it says has been “wounded by the revelation of so many scandals, disconcerted by the constant questioning of their consecrated celibacy.”
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