The Church Can't Make Mothers out of Fathers: Bishop van Elst Critical of Ephemeral Zeitgeist

The Bishop of Limburg found joyful words against woman's ordination, for celibacy and criticized the adaption of the ephemeral Zeitgeist.

[kreuz.net] Bishop Franz-peter Tebartz-van Elst stood critically against "commonly accepted proposals for modernization".

He explained this on the 1st of October for three journalists of the newspaper 'Nassauische Neu Presse' which was very hostilely inclined to the Bishop.

The Priest Functions as a Father

The Bishop spoke forcefully against the effort to the theologically impossible ordination of priestesses.

For: The priest has a father function within the community: "The Father is the Father, the Mother is the Mother."

The Church is then for that reason not in a position to ordain women priests.

Jesus had made men to be his Apostles, thereon the Church buttresses itself.

The question if women may be priestesses is no question of adequacy -- rather a question of the concrete pattern of Jesus.

In answer to a - stupid - request the Bishop explained that God loves women exactly as much as men. It is also important that women participate in the Church.

So he was occupied with a few positions concerning women.

Relative to the priesthood the Bishop was clear: "Those who are to become Priests, it is to say, they will be called by the Church."

There is no right, therefore, to be a Priest: "That doesn't just go for women, rather for men as well."


Journalists have Problems with Celibacy

The obligatory question about the abolition of celibacy was not answered so directly by Msgr Tebartz-van Elst:

"Many priests to live and are aware that they have then decided to devote their lives to God."

The Bishop contradicted the theory, whereon celibacy is a reason that today so few young men want to be priests.

He reproved the communities - and pastoral ministers, who have children and stay away even without celibacy.

"The reason for the priest shortage is much more in the secularization of life. Many people could imagine a life without God."


Secularization means Wordly

As a further reason for the priest shortage he identified lack of support, whereby the decision to become a priest can be hindered.

Thus he proposed: "We need evidence of Faith."