Pope holds talks with married archbishop

The Pope was today holding talks with a married archbishop who has been threatened with excommunication.

The Vatican called the meeting with Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo the start of a dialogue ‘‘that is hoped can lead to positive developments.’’

Milingo had requested a papal audience to discuss his reasons for getting married in one of the Rev Sun Myung Moon’s mass weddings.

He has also asked to be released from his vow of celibacy to consummate the marriage.

The Vatican has given Milingo until August 20 to leave his new wife, sever his ties with the Moonie’s movement, publicly promise to remain celibate and ‘‘manifest his obedience to the Supreme Pontiff.’’

If he doesn’t, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith - the Vatican’s watchdog for orthodoxy - has said he will be excommunicated.

The 71-year-old archbishop was married on May 27 in a group ceremony at a New York hotel. His bride, 43-year-old Korean doctor Maria Sung, was selected by Moon, as is customary in the movement, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

Milingo has said he doesn’t want to leave the church, although he has said it needs to be reformed.

He has long been at odds with the Catholic hierarchy.

He was archbishop of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, when he ran foul of the Vatican over his faith healing and exorcisms.

He resigned under pressure in 1983, a very rare occurrence with an archbishop below normal retirement age and in good health.

Milingo was then sent to Rome as a functionary in the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, but continued public healing and exorcism. Last year, he was quietly retired from the post.