US priests urge Synod to issue clear affirmation of Church teaching on marriage

April 27, 2015

A growing number of Catholic priests in the US have signed a statement urging the Synod of Bishops to “make a clear and firm proclamation of the Church’s unchanging moral teaching” on marriage.

Following the example set by priests in England and Wales, a small group of priests has organized a campaign to urge a clear re-statement of Church teaching, “so that confusion may be removed.” In a brief, four-paragraph statement, they pledge their own “unwavering fidelity” to the Church’s teaching.

Father Jerry Pokorsky, a priest of the Arlington, Virginia diocese, reports that in less than a week nearly 400 priests have added their names to the statement. He added that he had no intention of founding a movement or acting as spokesman for other priests, but that the statement—which is now circulating on the internet -- should stand by itself.

Father Daniel O’Mullane, of the Paterson, New Jersey diocese, has begun recruiting volunteers who will call priests in their own dioceses, encouraging them to sign the statement of support for Church teaching. He hopes to organize phone calls to all Catholic priests in the US, and asks volunteers to contact him at [email protected].

 

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Further information:

• Statement of Belief (Credo Priests)
• 461 priests in England and Wales sign statement urge clear Synod support for traditional teaching (CWN, 3/24)