Though the debate over celibacy in the Catholic Church has been ongoing, two recent efforts have thrust the discussion front and center.

New York City's Archbishop Says Celibacy Up For Debate

Despite its insistence on celibate priests, the Catholic Church is opening its arms to married priests who convert from other denominations, causing some to question the necessity of celibacy in the first place.

Advocates for a change in the Catholic Church’s stance on celibacy have found support in a bishop recently appointed to the diocese of Bozen-Brixen in Italy.

When Fernando Lugo, president of Paraguay and former Catholic bishop, admitted recently to fathering a child while still in the priesthood, he renewed the calls from some quarters to do away with celibacy altogether.

A recently released book authored by an anonymous Catholic priest is joining a chorus of new voices from a clergy that is increasingly challenging long-held Church laws

A recent poll of Austrians found that ninety-two percent are opposed to the Catholic Church’s requirement that its priests remain celibate—a remarkably high percentage in a nation that is three-quarters Roman Catholic.

Though the debate over celibacy in the Catholic Church has been ongoing, two recent efforts have thrust the discussion front and center.

“I love the Church,” says Father Ameen, “but it does have some rules that serve no one. There is plenty of proof that priests can engage in intimate relationships and still serve God.”

Herndon Church formed 50 years ago by merger of three local churches