. . . A priest forever, according to the order of Melchisedec.
—the Rite of Ordination
THE Vatican last week announced that all Catholic priests would henceforth be asked to make an annual public affirmation of their vows of celibacy and obedience. The day chosen for this oath was Holy Thursday—the feast day that, in Roman Catholic theology, commemorates Christ's founding of the priesthood. Obliquely, the decree was yet another negative answer from Rome to the Dutch Pastoral Council (TIME, Jan. 19), which last month advocated optional celibacy for...
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