BishopAccountability.org
	Priest's Affair Sparks Debate By Josh Dulaney The Sun April 9, 2011 http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_17808777 A Roman Catholic priest's recent admission to a past sexual relationship with his cousin has sparked discussion about the practice of celibacy in the Catholic Church. The Rev. Michael Manning, who has taken a leave of absence from a worldwide TV ministry based out of San Bernardino, recently told the newspaper he had the relationship with Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Kotowski, when questioned about copies of correspondence sent to the newspaper that appeared to show them breaking off the relationship more than two years ago. Neither Manning nor Kotowski have returned phone calls seeking further comment about their relationship. But Kotowski told the Monterey Herald that she wasn't concerned about how the revelations about the relationship would play out, and that she hopes it will "open up a dialogue" about the Catholic Church and celibacy. Some priests say they don't expect reforms to happen any time soon. Among them is the Rev. Steve Porter of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Rialto. Porter said he once worked with the late Pope John Paul II in the Vatican, and has met Pope Benedict XVI, both vocal supporters of clerical celibacy. "And since the major authority hasn't changed it's just not going to change," Porter said. He doesn't have to look far for agreement, even among those who say the matter is not one of doctrine, and the Catholic Church could conceivably change its stance on the matter. "There are so many people that think because they are not living out their celibacy commitment, therefore the church should change, and that's not going to do it," said Rev. Thomas P. Rausch, a Jesuit priest and the T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Jesuits differ from diocesan priests such as Manning and Porter, in that they are part of a religious order and live in community with other priests or "brothers." Diocesan priests are under a bishop and typically minister in parishes in specific locations. Manning and Porter are in the Diocese of San Bernardino. Celibacy is interpreted by some as a sign of how believers will one day live in heaven. They point to Christ's teaching in the Gospel of Matthew that says believers will not marry, but are like angels in heaven. "Celibacy for the kingdom of heaven is a gospel value," Rausch said. "Jesus was celibate and St. Paul was celibate." The practice among clergy was common by the third century, and tougher Catholic Church rules were set by the First Lateran Council of 1123 and confirmed by later councils. The move was an effort to combat corruption among priests who married and had children who eventually inherited their property, which resulted in them taking land away from the Catholic Church. Today, one can find married Roman Catholic priests who converted from Protestant denominations, and married priests are the norm among Eastern Rite Catholics in eastern Europe and the Mideast. Rausch said the idea that every priest should be married comes more from tradition than from the Bible, and that married priests can be just as effective as celibate ones. That may be something to consider, if what Rausch also said turns out to be true - that the Catholic Church could face a lack of priests because of the practice of celibacy. "The church has got to do something about the shortage of priests, and has got to do something realistic about it," he said. But some say allowing ordained priests to marry will bring with it more problems than the Catholic Church is prepared to deal with. Pia de Solenni, a Seattle-based moral theologian with expertise in Catholicism and culture, said one issue is how the Catholic Church would financially support married priests as well as their families. "We're shutting down (Roman Catholic) schools because we don't have the resources," de Solenni said. "The resources are not there to support married clergy." According to de Solenni, the demands of parish life make it highly unlikely that married priests will become a common thing to see in the United States. A celibate priest can devote more time to the ministry than married ministers who divide their time between church life and family, de Solenni said. She also believes there are far too many priests committed to celibacy to expect a change in the near future. "I think they are a silent majority we haven't heard from," de Solenni said. "Sure, people talk about a shortage of vocations, but if you look at the numbers, they are going up around the world." And she doesn't see top leaders in the Catholic Church changing their minds. "You would have to have an overwhelming number of clergy asking for this, and they are not doing that, and you would have to have a church that is ready for this...in practical terms, and I don't see that," de Solenni said. Manning, 70, has said that Kotowski is his second cousin. His correspondence with her revealed that he struggled with the hypocrisy of being an unmarried yet sexually active priest. Kotowski, 59, told the Monterey Herald that she and Manning are soul mates who had a 30-year relationship, although she wouldn't say how long they were sexually involved. She also said they each love the Catholic Church and are now committed to celibacy.
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