Pope John Paul said Monday that scandalous behavior among Catholic priests must be “confronted and corrected” and stressed the need for celibacy.
“[Priests] are called to be detached from material things and to devote themselves to the service of others through the complete gift of self in celibacy,” the pope said.
“Scandalous behavior must at all times be investigated, confronted and corrected,” he told an audience with visiting Sudanese bishops in an apparent reference to recent sex scandals that have shaken the Church.
Some priests in the United States reject the pope’s rigorous conservatism and have called for celibacy to be made optional. Some critics believe celibacy rules were ultimately to blame for the sex scandals.
On Saturday American hip-hop star Lauryn Hill shocked Catholic officials when she alluded to the sex scandals at the recording of a Vatican Christmas concert.
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Compiled from RedEye news services and edited by Lara Weber (lweber@tribune.com) and Drew Sottardi (dsottardi@tribune.com)
