Voice of the Faithful claims that it is a centrist, moderate group that takes no positions of matters of doctrine that are controversial. Setting aside whether that should even be a goal of a Catholic organization, I have demonstrated time and again that this is false. But they also seem to work hard at giving me ever new reasons to say it.
In their latest email newsletter, they point to a book review on their web site by their Chair of the Priests’ Support Working Group John Ryan of Fr. Donald Cozzens’ book “Freeing Celibacy.” Cozzens’ book is unsurprisingly a rejection of the Church’s discipline of priestly celibacy. Now, I know celibacy is not dogmatic, but it is a cornerstone of the Latin Church’s idea of the priesthood, so much so that Pope John Paul II referred to it as nearly immutable as a rule and as a better way for all priests.
So what are the odds that the review of the book by the VOTF reviewer wholeheartedly embraces its thesis?
Fr. Don Cozzens, author of Faith that Dares to Speak, and The Changing Face of the Priesthood, has provided believers of all stripes with a persuasive, compassionate, theological, psychological, and historical set of arguments for a serious review of mandated celibacy as a condition of ordination in the Latin rite.
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
For a group that takes no position on controversial issues within the Church, they sure do take position on controversial issues within the Church a lot.
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It may also be time to ask what is the ultimate motive of a priest calling for an end to celibacy and which priests who were busy decrying celibacy would suddenly bring a heretofore secret lover out in the open if celibacy was suddenly eliminated.