ON THE QUESTION Of celibacy, Terence Wynn (Catholic Herald, Letters, 10 November) finds that Fr Ronald Rolheiser's words in his article on Celibacy and Holy Longing do not accord with his experience of celibate priests. May I suggest that perhaps Mr Wynn has missed the whole point of the article?
As I understand the article, Fr Ronald is saying that the
dysfunctional effects of celibacy can occur when it is NOT linked with "holy longing". That is the point.
As Fr Ronald says, if celibacy "comes out of a certain mysticism" it is a potent means of God entering our lives, and surely this must be the raison d'être for a celibate life?
Ann Dayton Si Ives, Cornwall