American priest speaks to Pope of controversial issues

Press, 12 September 1987, Page 11

American priest speaks to Pope of controversial issues

NZPA-Reuter Miami On the first day of his United States trip, Pope John Paul II on Thursday (New Zealand time) heard a priest speak frankly of thorny problems facing American Catholicism, including priestly celibacy and equality for women in the Church.

Only hours after his arrival in Miami, the Pope met several hundred representatives of America’s 35,000 priests in St Marthas church. In an address to the Pope on behalf of American priests, Father Frank McNulty, of New Jersey, spoke openly of some of the issues dividing the United States Church today. Father McNulty noted that the growing shortage of priests in the United States was dramatic and worrisome for the future and hurting morale among priests today. Father McNulty, whose speech was interrupted many times by applause from his fellow priests, said the value of celibacy had eroded in many minds and thanked the

Pope for defending it, but he acknowledged that it was a difficult promise for many men to keep. “It is not easy to strive to be warm, loving and effective men and yet remain faithful to that commitment,” Father McNulty said. He called on the Church for “support and exploration” on the celibacy issue so that priests could help each other remain committed to it. Father McNulty was more direct about the rights of women in the church. “We would also be grateful if the Holy See, together with the local churches, would continue to explore the range of service that women might appropriately offer the Church,” he said.

Recent polls show that a majority of United States Catholics feel that priests should be able to marry and women should be able to become priests. Advocates of the changes say they would virtually wipe out the crisis caused by insufficient numbers of priests in advanced countries. Father McNulty called women in the Church “willing, gifted, and needed.” He added: “The movement of women toward practical equality is a major dynamic of our time. Because of the complexity and urgency of this movement, especially as it relates to the Church, there is a need for study, reflection and above all, more dialogue with women.”

Father McNulty also spoke of how American priests value diversity — an apparent reference to controversy last year when the Vatican dismissed Father Charles Curran from his teaching post at the Catholic University of America because of his dissenting views on the Church’s teaching on sexual morality. “Ours is a pluralistic society and we have learned how to hold fast to our Catholic value system while respecting the convictions of other people,” Father McNulty said. The Pope listened to Father McNulty intently. At the beginning of his address to the priests, the Pontiff departed from his prepared address and

said: “I once heard a song which said, ‘lt’s a long, long way to Tipperary.’ ” The priests broke into laughter. The Pope spoke of the need for a united Church, saying Church norms were made for the good of the people and Catholics expected priests to be men of prayer. Most priests who attended the meeting praised Father McNulty’s speech, saying he had honestly outlined the controversies facing the American Church. "We have a severe priest shortage in this country and that needs to be addressed during the papal visit,” said Father Seamus O’Shaughnessy, aged 37, an Irish-born priest who works in Miami.