Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich, one of Pope Francis' most trusted aides, has spoken out in favour of banning mandatory clerical celibacy. He also supports allowing Catholic priests the option of marrying.

Four days earlier, Archbishop Heiner Koch of Berlin made the same recommendation in an interview with Der Tagesspiegel, a Berlin-based daily newspaper.

"It would be better for everyone to create the possibility of having both celibate and married priests," Cardinal Marx said.

"For some priests, it would be better if they were married. Not just for sexual reasons, but because it would be better for their lives and they wouldn't be so lonely," the cardinal said.

"I think that things as they are cannot continue like this," he added.

Cardinal Marx commissioned the ‘Munich Report' on clergy sexual abuse in his Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

The report severely assesses sexual abuse perpetrated between 1945-2019 in one of Germany's largest dioceses.

It alleges that at least 235 priests sexually abused "497 known victims", pointing out that the numbers are likely even higher.

The report found that former Munich and Freising archbishop, ex-pope Benedict XVI, mishandled four abuse cases in Munich in the 1980s before becoming a pontiff.

Archbishop Koch said that although celibacy is a "strong testimony of faith", it does not have to "be the exclusive route to priestly ministry".

The 67-year old Koch said he knows "how strong the faith and preaching power of many married people is".

"I always say this to young priests: living alone is not so easy", said Cardinal Marx.

"And if some say: without the obligation of celibacy, they will all get married! My answer is: so what! If they all marry, it would at least be a sign that things are not currently working."

Sources

La Croix International

National Catholic Reporter

According to the German Catholic news agency KNA, Koch made the pledge when he met with the Lesbian and Gay Association of Berlin-Brandenburg (LSVD) representatives.

The archbishop said this was important so that the marginalization and discrimination of the LBGTQ community could be addressed in the church without fear.

Koch said he regarded the double marginalization of Catholic gays — within the Catholic community as well as in the LGBTQ community — as "problematic and painful."

The LSVD had requested the meeting with Koch to look at the contradictions within the Catholic Church. They referred to the solidarity shown toward LGBTQ people in the wake of the Vatican's renewed rejection last March of any church blessing for homosexual couples, KNA reported.

Ulrich Kessler, a member of the board of LSVD, said he had been surprised and thrilled "that the rainbow flags were waving from Catholic Church spires and on church internet pages. It is also pleasing that many church congregations had called out for blessing services."

Koch asked for understanding that, as bishop, "for the sake of the unity of the church, I cannot disregard such a position from Rome."

At the same time, Koch said he was committed "without reservation to award God's blessing to the love and relationship of people."

He pledged that he would continue the discussion, including within the framework of the Synodal Path reform project of the Catholic Church in Germany.

But he said he regarded it as problematic "when church political pressure should be exerted by means of blessing services."

This remark was seen as a reference to an action last May dubbed "Love Wins," when blessing services were held in many Catholic churches around Germany for same-sex and divorced couples in a protest against the Vatican.

Sources

National Catholic Reporter