Vatican clarifies celibacy issue for Anglican seminarians, priests

(November 2, 2009) Seminarians from Anglican communities who join the Catholic Church under new papal provisions would be required to be celibate as a rule, said the head of the Vatican's doctrinal office. However, Cardinal William Levada, the prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in a statement issued by the Holy See Press Office on Saturday, left open the possibility that there could be exceptions to this requirement. "With regard to future seminarians, it was considered purely speculative whether there might be some cases in which a dispensation from the celibacy rule might be petitioned," the cardinal stated. "For this reason," he said, "objective criteria about any such possibilities (e.g. married seminarians already in preparation) are to be developed jointly by the Personal Ordinariate and the Episcopal Conference, and submitted for approval of the Holy See." The cardinal was responding to media speculation concerning the issue of celibacy in the forthcoming Vatican document on the creation of "personal ordinariates" for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. A personal ordinariate is similar to a diocese but unlike a geographical jurisdiction it is made of persons. The US-born cardinal said the delay in publishing the apostolic constitution was purely technical in the sense of ensuring consistency in canonical language and references, and not because of disagreement about whether celibacy will be the norm for the future clergy of the provision. Married Anglican ministers may be allowed to become Catholic priests "on a case by case basis," as is the current practice, Cardinal Levada added.