Seminarians voice support for mandatory celibacy

Published: 2004-08-24

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- At least 556 U.S. seminarians have signed a letter to the head of the U.S. bishops' conference affirming their support for mandatory celibacy in the Catholic priesthood of the Latin rite. Gary J. Kasel of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis and Franz S. Klein of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis., initiated the signature project last fall. They said they did so because they were concerned about the negative impact of a petition last year by a group of Milwaukee priests urging the U.S. bishops to begin admitting married men as candidates for the diocesan priesthood in the Latin rite. In the letter to Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, Ill., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the seminarians said, "We are writing today to affirm our support for Holy Mother Church's teaching on the place of celibacy in the priesthood. ... We, to whom the precious gift of divine grace to live as celibates has been given, yearn with all our hearts to offer this celibacy up to the Lord with undivided hearts, at the service of his church." Kasel and Klein were classmates completing philosophy studies last year at St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, where they initially circulated their letter after getting it cleared with their rector, Father William J. Baer.

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