前ローマ教皇、既婚男性の司祭に反対表明　バチカンに衝撃

【ローマＡＦＰ＝時事】ローマ・カトリック教会の前教皇ベネディクト16世（92）が、既婚男性を司祭に任命する案に反対していることが12日、分かった。新著の中で、フランシスコ教皇に向けて司祭独身制の継続を強く訴えており、バチカン（ローマ法王庁）の専門家らはその内容に衝撃を受けている。（写真はバチカンでローマ・カトリック教会の前法王ベネディクト16世〈右〉と面会するフランシスコ法王。バチカンメディア提供）
　フランシスコ法王は現在、司祭のなり手が不足しミサがほとんど行われていないアマゾンなどの遠隔地域で、既婚男性が司祭となることを認めるよう求める司教会議（シノドス）の提言を検討中。結論は今後数週間のうちに発表されるとみられている。
　これに対し、２０１３年に約６００年ぶりに教皇を生前退位したベネディクト１６世は「もはや黙ってはいられない！」と新著に記していた。
　新著は、ギニア出身の保守派の急先鋒（せんぽう）ロバート・サラ枢機卿との共著で、仏日刊紙フィガロが１２日に抜粋を独占公開した。
　その中で２人は、「司祭独身制の価値をおとしめようとする悪い嘆願や、芝居がかった悪魔のような虚言、流行の過ち」に教会そのものが「揺さぶられる」ことがないよう訴え、「聖別された独身制が絶え間なく疑問視される状態」に司祭たちが「混乱している」と警告している。
　ベネディクト１６世は、「婚姻関係は男性の完全性に関係している。そして、神に仕える際にも、人は神から与えられた全てをささげることが求められる。この二つの使命を同時に実現することは不可能に思う」と述べている。
　バチカン内で静かな黙想の日々を送ってきたベネディクト１６世だが、徐々にカトリック教会の主要な問題について率直な意見を口にすることが増えつつある。
　しかし、バチカンの専門家らは、退位した前教皇がデリケートな問題に介入することに驚きを表明。「名誉教皇（ベネディクト１６世）が（世間から）身を隠し、服従するという自らの約束を守らないならば、（バチカン内での）共存は難しい」と指摘している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/01/14-12:55）

Former pope Benedict XVI has publicly urged his successor Pope Francis not to open the Catholic priesthood up to married men, in a plea that Sunday stunned Vatican experts.
The ex-pontiff, who retired in 2013, issued the defence of clerical celibacy in a book written with arch-conservative Cardinal Robert Sarah, extracts of which were published in exclusive by France's Le Figaro.
I cannot keep silent! Benedict wrote in the book, which follows an extraordinary meeting of bishops from the Amazonian at the Vatican last year that recommended the ordination of married men in certain circumstances.
The pope emeritus, 92, and Sarah from Guinea weighed in on the controversial question of whether or not to allow viri probati -- married men of proven virtue -- to join the priesthood.
Francis is currently considering allowing it in remote locations, such as the Amazon, where communities seldom have Mass due to a lack of priests, and is expected to publish his decision in the coming weeks.
The pair asked the whole Church not to be swayed by bad pleas, theatrics, diabolical lies, fashionable errors that want to devalue priestly celibacy.
It is urgent, necessary, that everyone, bishops, priests and laity, let themselves be guided once more by faith as they look upon the Church and on priestly celibacy that protects her mystery, they wrote.
They warned of priests confused by the incessant questioning of their consecrated celibacy.
The conjugal state concerns man in his totality, and since the service of the Lord also requires the total gift of man, it does not seem possible to realise the two vocations simultaneously, Benedict wrote.
Sarah insisted that while celibacy can be a trial it is also a liberation.
- 'Serious breach' -
Benedict, who was the first pontiff to resign in almost 600 years, at first withdrew to a life of quiet contemplation in the Vatican, but has increasingly begun to speak out on key Catholic issues.
He and Sarah insisted their plea was not a political manoeuvre or power game.
But Vatican experts expressed astonishment that the retired pope would speak out on such a sensitive topic.
Benedict XVI is really not breaking his silence because he (and his entourage) never felt bound to that promise. But this is a serious breach, Massimo Faggioli, who writes for La Croix, said on Twitter.
Joshua McElwee of the National Catholic Reporter, tweeted that a former pope speaking in public about something his successor is currently in the process of considering was incredible.
While Vatican expert Iacopo Scaramuzzi pointed out that cohabitation (in the Vatican) is difficult if the emeritus pope does not respect his own promise to hide away and obey.
The idea of filling empty pulpits in remote locations by allowing married men to become priests is a divisive once, with critics warning the emotive issue could fracture the Catholic Church.
Supporters say it would not be necessary to rewrite Church law; Francis could simply make an exemption to the rules -- like the one already granted to married Anglican pastors who later converted to Catholicism.
But the ultra-conservative wing of the Church -- particularly in Europe and North America -- has spoken out strongly against the idea, warning that making exceptions could pave the way to the abolition of celibacy globally.