Retired Pope Benedict slams Francis over celibacy commentsJanuary 13, 2020 - 17:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Retired Pope Benedict has issued a passionate defense of priestly celibacy, saying he "cannot remain silent" as his successor Pope Francis considers easing the prohibition on married men serving as priests, CNN reports. Benedict made the comments in a book that he co-authored with Cardinal Robert Sarah, which will be released in France on Wednesday, January 15. In the book, titled "From the Depths of Our Hearts," the 92-year-old pontiff argues in favor of the centuries-old tradition of celibacy within the church, defending the ability to "put oneself completely at the disposition of the Lord" as a criterion for those wishing to be ordained as priests. "We can say: 'Silere non possum! I cannot remain silent!'" Benedict and Sarah wrote in a joint introduction to the book, according to excerpts released by French daily newspaper Le Figaro on Sunday. Benedict also wrote that he believes celibacy carries "great significance" and is "truly essential" as a priest's path to God becomes the foundation of his life. "The call to follow Jesus is not possible without this sign of freedom and of renunciation of all commitments," he wrote. "Celibacy must penetrate, with its requirements, all of the attitudes of existence." In October, Pope Francis opened a contentious three-week summit to discuss environmental and religious issues in the Amazon region. The meeting raised the question of whether some respected married elder men -- known as "viri probati" -- could be ordained to help overcome a shortage of priests in the region. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Pasadena to host Armenian Genocide commemoration event The Pasadena Armenian Coalition will host its community-wide Armenian Genocide Commemorative Event. Armenia: Opposition activist transferred to Investigative Committee Activist Samvel Vardanyan has been accused of insulting the lawmaker Hakob Aslanyan from the ruling Civil Contract party. Former Pashinyan envoy urges end to Genocide speculation Marukyan has urged authorities in Armenia stop discussions about verifying the names of 1.5 million victims. Azerbaijan, Jordan sign deal on defense cooperation Azerbaijan and Jordan have signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of defense, according to an official statement. |