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Catholic World News News Feature

Excommunicated prelate admits "Moonie" support December 11, 2006

Excommunicated Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo has admitted that he is receiving financial help from a Korean sect for his campaign against the celibacy requirement in the Roman Catholic Church.

At a weekend conference in New Jersey, organized by the group he calls Married Priests Now, the Zambian prelate distributed a statement acknowledging that the group is funded by the Unification Church, led by Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The archbishop-- who participated in a mass-marriage ceremony led by the Korean religious leader in 2001-- said that Moon has now “dedicated his key organizations to give their utmost support in every way needed to Married Priests Now.”

During the weekend conference, Archbishop Milingo ordained two married men to the priesthood. In September, he had ordained four married men as bishops, in defiance of the Holy See-- a transgression that prompted the Vatican to announce his excommunication.

The troubled African prelate has been a source of major concern in Rome, where Vatican officials fear that his campaign for a married priesthood could cause confusion and even schism, particularly in Africa. Those concerns-- which prompted Pope Benedict XVI to convene a special meeting of the Roman Curia on November 17, to discuss how the Church should respond-- are heightened by the recognition that the Unification Church could heavily subsidize Milingo’s efforts, promoting its own religious mission.

In the US, prior to Milingo’s weekend conference, two other groups of former Catholic priests distanced themselves from Married Priests Now. Both CORPUS and CITI-- groups that are campaigning for an ened to the celibacy discipline-- cited Milingo’s connection with the Moon sect as a reason for their concern.