A reflection on the positive value of priestly celibacy by ACBC President, Archbishop Philip Wilson

Each year throughout the Church in Australia, we celebrate National Vocations Awareness Week which promotes and fosters all vocations. In my letter this year, I want to speak about celibacy or chastity which is so much part of the vocations to Priesthood and the Consecrated Life.

You often hear it said that "the Church should let priests get married and then we would solve the problem of the shortage". As we know, the vow of celibacy is not essential to the priesthood. Priests in the early centuries of the Church were married; priests in Eastern Rite Catholic Churches can be married and even now in dioceses in Australia we do have priests who are married by way of a special dispensation. However, I think that it is important to reflect on the positive value of celibacy.

To read the Archbishop's letter in full, please click on the pdf icon to the right of this page.