Celibacy issues are among questions raised in sexual abuse report

Published: 2004-03-01

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In its report on clergy sexual abuse of minors, the U.S. bishops' National Review Board said several issues related to priestly celibacy "could provide a breeding ground for other crises" besides the child abuse scandal. "It would be presumptuous of the review board, and beyond its mandate, to opine on the relative merits of a celibate or noncelibate priesthood," the report said. But the report raised questions that it said the bishops should study further. "There can be no doubt that while it is a gift for some, celibacy is a terrible burden for others, resulting in loneliness, alcohol and drug abuse and improper sexual conduct," the board said. Its report, released Feb. 27 at a Washington press conference, addressed the causes and context of the decades of sexual abuse of children by priests that created a massive crisis in the church when the extent of the problem began to unfold in 2002. Seven of the report's 145 pages were devoted to "special issues relating to celibacy."

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