Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, representative of the Vatican in Germany, is in favor of a debate on celibacy in the Catholic Church. "Celibacy is not a taboo," Eterovic told the monthly Herder Korrespondenz.
Both with the celibacy, but also with the marriage of priests are connected problems, said Eterovic. One has to discuss what is best for the church. "There is no patent solution to this question."
Also the chairman of the German bishops' conference, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, had said at the end of September, in the discussion about the catholic Sexual morality there should be no Tabeutemen. The Bishops' Conference had announced at the autumn plenary meeting that they wanted to discuss the commitment of priests to celibacy. There had not been any reforms.
The authors of the abusive study published last month certified that the Catholic Church has a problematic approach to sexuality.
The church faces abuse scandals in some countries, some of which date back decades. Cardinal Marx, referring to the thousands of abuses in Germany, said that in an honest discussion the church had to ask many questions about "sexuality and sexual morality" as well as "celibacy and the formation of priests".