Priests Of Passion

According to a Newsweek poll reported in the August 16, 1993 issue, 71% of the respondents believed that "it would be a good thing if married men were allowed to be ordained as priests." But, under the current reign of Pope John Paul II, that "good thing" is unlikely to become a reality. Which means that Catholic priests who have taken a vow of celibacy will most likely continue to leave the Church in droves. In fact, as writer/host David Rice, a former priest, points out in Nick Gray's impassioned Priests of Passion, in the last 20 years, 100,000 Catholic priests--a quarter of all ordained priests worldwide--have resigned to marry. Rice travels around the world, from New Jersey to Brazil to Germany, to talk with other former priests, religious scholars, and current high-ranking Catholic clergy, about the injunction against marriage. Although originally not religious law (it became so in 1139), the celibacy issue is currently one of the most hotly debated theological issues. "Why?" asks Rice, who is both sad and angry over the Church's position. One scholar answers: "[the Church is] afraid of women." Anyone who has noted the often misogynistic aspect of world religions will surely see some truth in this. a striking investigation of a thorny subject, Priests of Passion is very affordably priced and highly recommended. (R. Pitman)