Priests Must Be Obedient to Church’s Precepts

---

Priests Must Be Obedient to Church’s Precepts Pope Benedict: Priests Must Live Saintly Lives, Obey Church Rules Including Celibacy Pope Benedict said Saturday Roman Catholic priests must live saintly lives and men should only enter the priesthood if they were convinced they could live by all the Church’s rules, including celibacy. On the third day of a visit that has been marked by protests, the pope celebrated Mass for some 4,500 seminarians training for the priesthood in Madrid’s La Almudena cathedral. “We have to be saints so as not to create a contradiction between the sign that we are and the reality that we wish to signify,” he said in a sermon as part of activities of the Church’s World Youth Day. He said priests must understand their “decision to live in celibacy for the kingdom of heaven,” adding that men should approach the priesthood only “if you are completely determined to exercise it in obedience to the Church’s precepts.”

Posted via email from deaconjohn's posterous