Cardinal Warns from Experience Of Married Clergy

The late Maronite Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir defended in October 2005 the celibate priesthood calling it the "most precious jewel in the treasury of the Catholic Church."

The Maronite clergy is married.

Addressing the 11th Synod of Bishops Sfeir said that "if admitting married men resolves one problem, it creates others just as serious."

Sfeir pointed out that a married priest has to look after his family,

“Another difficulty facing a married priest arises if he does not enjoy a good relationship with his parishioners; his bishop cannot transfer him because of the difficulty of transferring his whole family.”

Picture: Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, #newsWbphzmhvln