Old ways are hard lost

CNS STORY: African archbishop rebuked for seeking change to celibacy rule

African archbishop rebuked for seeking change to celibacy rule

Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Zambian Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, whose 2001 marriage to a Korean acupuncturist capped a long series of controversial actions, announced July 12 in Washington that he wants to change the Roman Catholic discipline on celibacy and "reconcile" an estimated 150,000 married priests worldwide with the church to allow them to resume priestly ministry.

Archbishop Milingo's announcement drew a sharp rebuke from church officials on both sides of the Atlantic.

"The Holy See has not yet received precise news about the aim of (the) visit to the United States of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, former archbishop of Lusaka, Zambia," said a July 13 statement from the Vatican press office.

"In any case, if the declarations that have been attributed to him about ecclesiastical celibacy turn out to be true, the only possibility would be to deplore them (the declarations), given the fact that the discipline of the church in this regard is quite clear," it said.

Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, in whose archdiocese Archbishop Milingo made his declaration, said, "His appearance in Washington has once again placed himself in opposition to the practice and teaching of the church on the matter of priestly celibacy." He added that Archbishop Milingo's involvement in a move to end the celibacy rule "comes as a surprise and is also a disappointment."

Archbishop Wuerl noted that "as recently as the Synod on the Eucharist in October 2005, bishops from all over the world reaffirmed again the value of celibacy and the significant place it has in the life of the church and her ministry."

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From reading the rest of the article it doesn't seem that this should necessarily be a "surprise".

Archbishop Milingo renounces his marriage and his brief alliance with Rev. Moon's movement in an August 2001 private audience with Pope John Paul II -- although in the CNS interview he said that he considered himself still married.

He was removed from public ministry once and "renounced" his ways to Pope John Paul II. Now he's back to his old ways it seems.

However, Archbishop Wuerl's statements seem to follow along the lines of the positive words I've seen about him lately.