Ep. 9 - Ending Catholic priestly celibacy?

Archbishop Charles Scicluna, one of the Catholic Church's leading investigators of clergy sexual abuse, says the church should reconsider its millennia-long practice of mandating priestly celibacy. In this episode of "The Vatican Briefing," expert journalists Joshua McElwee and Christopher White interview Scicluna from inside the Vatican's powerful Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Scicluna, who is also one of the global church's leading doctrinal officials, says that ​​allowing priestly marriage could be a means of preventing clerics from living dangerous double lives. "One of my worries is that people are put in a situation where they are comfortable with a double life," Scicluna says. "This is not to diminish the beauty of celibacy or the heroic commitment of people who have accepted celibacy as a gift and live it," the archbishop adds. "But I think it is good that we discuss it."

Also in this episode, McElwee and White discuss Pope Francis' first-of-its-kind meeting with 150 Vatican journalists on Jan. 22, and the pontiff's special efforts to strengthen ties with other Christian denominations during Rome's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

This podcast and NCR's Future Media Initiative are made possible in part by the generosity of Bill and Jean Buchanan. Please support this podcast by joining NCR Forward, National Catholic Reporter's membership program. 

Relevant links:

Joshua McElwee's coverage of Pope Francis' Jan. 22 meeting with 150 Vatican journalists: Pope Francis thanks Vatican journalists for uncovering Catholic scandals 'with sensitivity'

Christopher White's column about the events in Rome for the Week of Prayer of Christian Unity: Rome celebrates Christian unity week with joint prayers, and a woman preaching

Joshua and Christopher's earlier January 2023 interview with Archbishop Charles Scicluna: Exclusive: Vatican must treat abuse victims better, pope's lead investigator says

Archbishop Scicluna's original call for the Catholic Church to reconsider its celibacy requirement for priests: Vatican doctrine official says celibacy should be optional for Catholic priests

Joshua McElwee's coverage of Pope Francis' final message to the February 2019 Vatican summit on clergy sexual abuse: Francis ends Vatican summit with promise church will 'decisively confront' abuse

Joshua McElwee's coverage of the original 2019 release of the church's new abuse reporting law Vos estis lux mundi: Francis mandates clergy abuse reporting worldwide, empowers archbishops to do investigations

Christopher White's coverage of the 2023 expansion of Vos estis to include lay Catholic leaders: Pope Francis makes 'Vos Estis' clergy abuse law permanent