A new book about celibacy and the
Catholic Church has set off a fire-
storm at the Vatican as Pope Fran-
cis contemplates rule changes for married
priests in remote areas like the Amazon.
The book is co-authored by retired Pope
Benedict.
To have two men at the Vatican dressed
in white is rare. Benedict XVI is just the
second pope to resign in the church’s 2,000
year history.
Pope Emeritus Benedict pledged not to
interfere on major church affairs to leave
room for his successor, Pope Francis, to
lead. So when the former pope was cited
as co-author of “From the Depths of Our
Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Cri-
sis of the Catholic Church,” Benedict was
seen as putting a very influential papal
thumb on the scales.
Benedict argued for the “necessity of celi-
bacy,” writing, “Serving the lord … requires
the total gift of a man.”
Francis, who also supports priestly celi-
bacy, is contemplating a rule change recom-
mended by bishops allowing the ordination
of older, married men in remote regions of
the Amazon where there’s a priest shortage.
“Of course, everybody knew that a re-
tired pope in the church always is a difficult
situation,” Monsignor Karel Kasteel, who
served seven popes, told CBS News corre-
spondent Seth Doane.
On key church issues, Benedict and Fran-
cis are generally aligned, Kasteel said.
Asked if Benedict is breaking his vow
to be quiet after retiring, Kasteel said,
“He vowed to be obedient to his succes-
sor. I never heard that he would shut up
forever.”
