Archbishop’s vow to oppose celibacy rocks Vatican

THE Vatican yesterday expressed deep concern over a possible new scandal set off by an African archbishop who announced he was championing the cause of married priests in the Roman Catholic Church.

A day after Zambian Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, who had previously faced a threat of excommunication, showed up at a news conference to announce his new mission, the Vatican said it was still seeking precise information.

But it also said that if the statements attributed to him about priestly celibacy were true “there would be no choice but to condemn them” given the well-known church rules.