Catholic Church ordains married father of two, given exemption to priestly celibacy

[Liberal_in_LA]

Catholic Church ordains married father of two
Move comes in Germany as Vatican struggles to overcome wave of clerical sex abuse scandals, priest shortages

A married father of two was ordained as a priest by the Catholic Church in Germany on Tuesday after receiving an exemption to priestly celibacy from Pope Benedict XVI.

Harm Klueting, a theologian and former Protestant pastor, will not have to adhere to the Church's celibacy law for the duration of his marriage, the diocese of Cologne said.

The case sheds light on a little-known 60-year-old Roman Catholic church law that allows ordained clergy from other Christian faiths to become priests.

"This happens seldom but it's not unusual," diocese spokesman Christoph Heckeley said, adding that it is more usual in Scandinavia.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41717752/ns/world_news-europe/

how about an exemption for women also?

[gratuitous]

1. Dear Catholic Church

If you're not going to ordain women, stop baptizing them.

[virgogal]

4. And stop accepting their donations.

[FBaggins]

6. Don't you think that if a woman gives money to the church...

...that's a good sign that she's ok with their policies re: women?

[virgogal]

8. Yes I do but I have been saying for years that the church would go

broke without donations from women and always felt that women were just taken for granted.

I left the church about 35 years ago so I am not affected anymore.

[virgogal]

2. This has happened before.

[Davis_X_Machina]

5. Thirty years ago....

....my daughter had a Catholic theology professor whose nickname was Father Father X, because unlike the other Fathers, he was a father.

No news. I just wish it was the thin end of the wedge.

[lapislzi]

3. Believe it or not...

This isn't the first case I've heard of.

A man with whom I went to high school, and tried, unsuccessfully, to corrupt, went on to become a Lutheran minister. Through the miracle of the Book of Face, I heard about him through the old high school grapevine. He's become a virulently right-wing Catholic and is lobbying to become a priest. (No friend requests will be coming from me!) Apparently, if accepted, he will be granted dispensation to maintain his married status. He has 2 kids.

Just another reason why religion in general, and the Catholic church in particular, makes my head explode.

[FBaggins]

7. Plenty more of these to come -

The RCC recently created a way of accepting anglo-catholics into their fold. While none of their bishops/priests have been ordained as priests yet, it's likely just a matter of time.

[demosincebirth]

9. Nothing new, its done all the time.