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Catholic World News News Feature

Milingo, celibacy on agenda for Roman Curia meeting November 14, 2006

Pope Benedict XVI will gather the leaders of the Roman Curia for a meeting on November 16. According to a statement released by the Vatican press office late on November 16, the only topics for discussion at the meeting will be the standing of excommunicated Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo and issues related to clerical celibacy.

The Vatican statement indicated that the dicastery heads would be asked to reflect on the priests who seek a dispensation from their vows-- in most cases, in order to marry-- and those married men who seek a return to priestly ministry.

Italian news services had reported that the meeting would discuss a proposal to broaden the use of the traditional Latin liturgy. But the Vatican statement denied that claim, saying that beyond the issues involving celibacy: "No other matters are scheduled on the order of the day."

The Thursday meeting appears to be a response to Archbishop Milingo's repeated public calls for a change in the Church's discipline requiring priestly celibacy. Although the Vatican announced the excommunication of the African archbishop after he presided at the unauthorized episcopal ordination of four married men, Pope Benedict may be anxious to forestall any possibility that Archbishop Milingo could provoke a major schism. This will be the second such meeting of Curial leaders since the start of the current pontificate. Pope Benedict called together the dicastery leaders for a similar session on February 13.

Although the discussions are held in secret, leaks after the February session indicated that the interdicastery meeting had focused on the efforts to achieve reconciliation with the Society of St. Pius X.