Bishop Schneider: They Use "Tricks" To Abolish Celibacy
Dramatically evoking an „eucharistic famine,“ allegedly caused by a lack of celibate priests, is not more than a „trick“ to abolish celibacy, Bishop Athanasius Schneider wrote in a statement (July 16).
He explained that receiving Holy Communion is not necessary for salvation, unlike having the faith, praying, or keeping the commandments. An example: Many desert fathers lived for years without Holy Communion and were nevertheless deeply united with Christ.
Schneider who grew up among Germans in Soviet Union, received only very rarely the sacraments because the priests could come only rarely.
He also points to the Japanese Catholics who survived more than two hundred years without priests or contact with Rome. For them, celibacy became the distinctive mark of their Church.
When Protestant preachers reached Japan in the 19th century, they were rejected for being married. When Catholic priests arrived, they were first asked whether they were married.
Only after declining they were accepted as priests of the true Church.
Picture: Athanasius Schneider, © Joseph Shaw, CC BY-NC-SA, #newsTdsegojnbn
He explained that receiving Holy Communion is not necessary for salvation, unlike having the faith, praying, or keeping the commandments. An example: Many desert fathers lived for years without Holy Communion and were nevertheless deeply united with Christ.
Schneider who grew up among Germans in Soviet Union, received only very rarely the sacraments because the priests could come only rarely.
He also points to the Japanese Catholics who survived more than two hundred years without priests or contact with Rome. For them, celibacy became the distinctive mark of their Church.
When Protestant preachers reached Japan in the 19th century, they were rejected for being married. When Catholic priests arrived, they were first asked whether they were married.
Only after declining they were accepted as priests of the true Church.
Picture: Athanasius Schneider, © Joseph Shaw, CC BY-NC-SA, #newsTdsegojnbn