Madeira is the latest place where priestly indiscretions have come to the fore. This time it is the 18th Portuguese priest (according to media calculations) to have fathered a child, thus breaking vows of celibacy.
But Bishop D. António Carrilho doesn’t see it is a problem.
All sins can be forgiven by God, he said – and it would be much worse not to assume paternity, or opt for abortion.
Nonetheless, the Bishop has sounded a warning: the priest in question will have to make up his mind about how he means to move on.
He cannot live a double life (now that he has admitted that he has one).
Adds Correio da Manhã, there is a movement in Portugal for “married priests”, basically because there are now so many of them.
Fraternitas is “seeking paths and ways of better serving the Church”, even though a number of its members have been removed from parish functions.
