Sir, - Referring to recent correspondence about priestly celibacy, as a Protestant I find the opinions of those in favour of it astonishing and was pleased to read the letter by three priests (June 28th), pointing out that most of their parishioners would be in favour of optional celibacy.
Last year I was at a meeting of the Letterkenny Theology group with senior priests informing us about the progress in ecumenicism. I was impressed by how much had been done by Rome to promote church unity and good relations between the churches. There was much more going on than most people realised. However, I declared that the one thing which the average Protestant objected to more than anything else was priestly celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church and that, if this were done away with, the hostility regrettably felt by many Protestants would largely disappear. This is particularly important in Ireland and I felt it would have a great effect in the North. I was met with total incomprehension.
I realise that the change would bring new problems, but there would also be great gains and a wife would have a major role to play in parish matters. With her presence the whole tone of church services and parish meetings would be quite different. Like other correspondents, I am unaware of any command in the New Testament for priests to be celibate. Certainly in Old Testament times it was expected that they would marry and have children. It is known that Peter was married and is there not a tradition that his wife accompanied him to Rome and was martyred shortly before he was?
As Cardinal Hume once pointed out, it is a matter of canon law. Thus the next Pope could change everything and those of us hoping to see Christendom reunited must hope that he will. - Yours, etc., Alistair McFarlane,
Cambellstown, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.