Ending celibacy vow

On Feb 23, Cardinal Keith O’Brien was reported to have said that many priests struggle with celibacy and should be able to marry and have a family.

Curiously, the very same proposal was made in Brian Merriman’s poem The Midnight Court, as far back as 1780: “And they’ll have to marry yet, whatever they say! The day will come, with full permission of a Council, and the pope will put his authorising signature on it.” One might ask, “Which pope?”

David Sowby