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Egan To Church: Consider Allowing Priests To Marry

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Mar 23, 2009 8:09 pm US/Eastern

Egan To Church: Consider Allowing Priests To Marry

Outgoing New York Cardinal Surprises Many Catholics By Saying, "I Think It Has To Be Looked At"

Reporting
John Slattery

NEW YORK (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 2: Cardinal Edward Egan surprised many recently by saying he thinks the Catholic church should consider allowing priests to marry.
AP
Click to enlarge 2 of 2: Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan is introduced along with New York's Cardinal Edward Egan as Egan's successor during a news conference on Feb. 23, 2009.
CBS

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Should priests be allowed to marry?

It's a centuries-old debate. But a possible push for change is coming from an unexpected source: Cardinal Edward Egan.

Take the archbishop of Toulouse, France, Robert Legall, for instance. He says there's no need to change celibacy for priests.

"To stay in celibate ... I think so, yes," Legall said.

But his New York counterpart, Cardinal Egan, in a recent radio interview suggested that sooner or later the church would have to consider allowing priests to marry.

"I think it has to be looked at. I am not so sure it wouldn't be a good idea to decide on the basis of geography and culture. And not take an across-the-board determination," Egan said.

The cardinal pointed out that some eastern Catholic churches allow married priests, and since 1980 Episcopal priests who became Catholic priests are allowed to stay married.

"I think it could happen and will happen," said Rev. James Martin Jr. of America Magazine.

Martin, an associate editor of America Magazine, said any such remark from Egan carries some weight.

"I would be surprised that he would bring up the issue without talking to people in the Vatican," Martin said. "It's very unusual for someone of his stature to broach this topic."

Theologian Anthony Padovano resigned from the priesthood to get married in 1974. He said married priests were common until the 11th century.

"I have first-hand experience. I was a celibate priest for 15 years," Padovano said. "I think the early church had it very well, that you had a choice in these things."

While there is opposition in some quarters, many Catholics believe allowing married priests is the only answer to a shortage of priests.

There was no comment on this issue Monday from New York's incoming archbishop, Timothy Dolan.

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