The idea of allowing married men to become priests should be part of the discussion when American bishops meet in November, according to an Association of Chicago Priests survey of its members.
Of 193 priests who returned questionnaires, 174, or more than 90 percent, favored putting the question of "optional celibacy" on the table at the meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Sixteen priests said they opposed the idea. Three had no opinion.
The survey was taken in early September after 160 Milwaukee area priests signed a letter urging married men be allowed into the priesthood to help address the serious shortage of men entering the priesthood.
"We really didn't know where our members stood on this topic, so we surveyed them and came up with the results," said the Rev. Bob Heinz, co-chair of the association board. Heinz said the results of the survey were sent to Cardinal Francis George and "we asked him to bring this topic up to bishops."
He said the survey is not necessarily representative of all Chicago area priests. Only 360 of Chicago's 854 diocesan priests belong to the association. Another 839 religious order priests who work in the Chicago area, but do not answer directly to the Chicago archdiocese, also were not surveyed.
The cardinal, who just got back from Rome, "has not had a chance to read it, review it or reflect upon it," said Mary McDonough, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese.
When George was told of the survey last month, he issued the following statement: "Celibacy is a Gospel ideal, a way of life for Christ Himself. . . . One should ask why celibacy, which is a sign of surrender to Christ, seems so incomprehensible and even an affront to so many people today."
The Rev. Curt Lambert, an association board member, said the priests are seeking a dialogue on the issue. "We cannot tell the cardinal what to do or think or feel, we can just express what the priests think or feel about something and ask him to relate those concerns," he said.
Heinz believes the survey results were motivated by concern about the shortage of priests. "I think priests want to serve their people and the idea is that if we had married clergy we would have more priests."
Respondents to the survey also said that a married priesthood could lead to other problems, such as how to support priests' families or incorporate them into rectory life. Another priest commented, "What sign of sacrifice, e.g. poverty, obedience, will we highlight if not celibacy? The Gospel demands some kind of public sign of its importance in our lives."