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	Italian Priest Finds Way to Combine Celibacy Vows with Love for Woman Interfax September 6, 2007 http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=3593 Moscow, September 6, Interfax - Italian priest Sante Sguotti, despite his vow of celibacy, has fallen in love and intends to announce publicly his being engaged. Remarkably, the pastor in love has been supported by over 200 members of his parish at Monterosso near Padua. At a referendum he himself arranged, they spoke in favour of his remaining to be a priest, and only 17 people plus the local bishop wanted him to leave the office, the BBC Russian Service has reported. His case has once again roused a debate on the obligatory vow of celibacy given by Catholic priests. Father Sante has related that his chosen one is called Laura and that she has a one-year-old son. The priest is not going to adopt the child, but intends to announce his engagement in the end of this year. He also stressed that their relations would remain platonic. 'The law does not prohibit a priest to love or to be engaged to a woman if he stays celibate', he says. He has also urged all the priests in love to come out. Father Sante is critical of the Vatican, which does not want to change its position on celibacy. "The Church is loosing her best part; only the most narrow-minded and senseless remain', he says. Late last year the Pope Benedict XVI of Rome denied a request of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo of Zambia to ordain married priests. The archbishop maintains that there is a great shortage of clergy in the Church. In his estimation, some 150 thousand Catholic priests left their pastoral service to get married. He himself was excommunicated from the Church last September after he led an unauthorized episcopal consecration of four married priests in Washington.
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