Boston College’s Religious Education Department Chair Calls Priestly Celibacy ‘Hazardous’

Thomas Groome, a laicized priest and department chair of religious education and pastoral ministry at Boston College, made statements last week when appearing on National Public Radio denigrating the celibacy requirement for Roman Catholic priests, calling it “hazardous” and “destructive.”

Groome said that when he was ordained in the late 1960’s, he expected that the Church would be making significant changes to the rules governing celibacy in the priesthood, but this did not happen.  He later left the priesthood so he could get married.

"It probably was becoming destructive of me. And I think that's one of the dangers of obligatory celibacy, that it can lead to self-destructive and outer-destructive behavior,” Groome said in the interview. “It's a hazardous lifestyle."  (more...)

Boston College’s Religious Education Department Chair Calls Priestly Celibacy ‘Hazardous’