Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer © Maria Irl (KNA)
Regensburg Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer has defended celibacy as a way of life for Catholic priests. "Celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of heaven is the way of life of Jesus and the apostles," Voderholzer stressed.
He made his comments on Wednesday evening at the service for the Solemnity of the Diocesan Patron Saint Wolfgang in Regensburg. From the beginning it was held in high esteem because of its testimonial character.
It had been lived by monasticism, but also by bishops and priests, long before it had been made obligatory for the Western Church in the Middle Ages.
To claim that celibacy was introduced exclusively for economic reasons is devoid of any historical reason, according to the bishop. Every candidate for the priesthood knows that the Church makes the voluntary acceptance of this way of life as a vocation to follow Christ a criterion.
"Never so important as today"
The fact that this is a scandal "in an oversexualized society" and is ridiculed and spat upon is no reason to abandon this biblically based tradition. Literally, Voderholzer said, "Perhaps it has never been as important as it is today!"
At the same time, the bishop criticized that the discussion about the abuse study published in September and commissioned by the bishops was being used by some for other church-political goals. There is hardly any talk about the victims and an improvement in prevention, but rather about "fundamental changes in the church and the shape of the spiritual ministry". He considers this "an abuse of abuse, especially an abuse of the victims of abuse".
Avoiding the formation of priests
If celibacy were causal to these crimes, how could it be explained that 99.9 percent of these cases were done by non-celibate people, Voderholzer said. In this context, he also defended priestly education. This takes into account the psychological and human aspects necessary for a mature personality: "I put my hand in the fire for this."
The bishop also expressed his confidence in the "overwhelming majority of priests" who carried out their ministry zealously and conscientiously, "who were and are blameless".