BishopAccountability.org
	Cardinal Dias Opens up the Discussion on Married Priests By Marco Tosatti Vatican Insider October 2, 2011 http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/blog-san-pietro-e-dintorni-en/detail/articolo/married-priests-ban-8565/ A letter dated 2 February 2011 was sent by Cardinal Ivan Dias, former Prefect of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide, before he left this important role, urging bishops to involve priests who have asked for a special licence from the Church to marry, in parish life. The letter was sent to a priest who had written to the Congregation, on behalf of an Australian missionary society which is fighting for a loosening of the ban on marriage, for priests who have obtained a licence. In the letter, Cardinal Dias said he trusted that the Vatican would implement reforms that would allow priests in this category to lead a more active life in the Church, under the guidance of their Bishop. The rescript which grants priests the licence, and their consequent "secularisation" prevents said priests from saying mass, pronouncing homilies, administering the Eucharist, teaching or working in seminaries and places restrictions on them teaching in Catholic schools and universities. According to the letter, bishops should have discretionary power over some of these bans; especially those relating to the teaching of theology in both Catholic and non Catholic schools and universities, and to priests' contact with the parishes where they used to celebrate mass and administer the Eucharist.
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