Britain's most senior Roman
Catholic has said he believes
priests should be able to marry
if they wish to do so.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien said it was
clear many priests struggled to
cope with celibacy, and should be
able to marry and have children.
The cardinal will be part of the
conclave that will choose the next
Pope.
He spoke of his surprise at the
resignation of Benedict XVI, and
said he was open to the new Pope
coming from outside of Europe.
In an interview with BBC Scotland's
Glenn Campbell, the cardinal said
some issues - for example abortion
and euthanasia - were "basic
dogmatic beliefs" of "divine origin"
which the Church could never
accept.
But he said it would be within the
scope of the new Pope to consider
whether the Roman Catholic
Church should change its stance on
other issues, which were not of
divine origin.
He explained: "For example the
celibacy of the clergy, whether
priests should marry - Jesus didn't
say that.
"There was a time when priests got
married, and of course we know at
the present time in some branches
of the church - in some branches
of the Catholic church - priests can
get married, so that is obviously
not of divine of origin and it could
get discussed again."
Cardinal O'Brien said he had never
personally thought about whether
he wanted to get married as he had
been "too busy" with his duties.
But he added: "In my time there
was no choice and you didn't really
consider it too much, it was part
of being a priest. When I was a
young boy, the priest didn't get
married and that was it.
"I would be very happy if others
had the opportunity of considering
whether or not they could or
should get married.
"It is a free world and I realise that
many priests have found it very
difficult to cope with celibacy as
they lived out their priesthood and
felt the need of a companion, of a
woman, to whom they could get
married and raise a family of their
own."
'Excellent men'
Cardinal O'Brien is the only man in
Britain with a say in who succeeds
Benedict XVI when he stands down
next week.
He said he believed it might be
time for a younger pontiff from
part of the developing world,
where the Catholic faith is thriving.
"Well I would be open to a Pope
from anywhere if I thought it was
the right man, whether it was
Europe or Asia or Africa or
wherever", he added.
"It is something which the
cardinals have to think about
seriously, having had Popes from
Europe for such a long time now -
hundreds of years - whether it isn't
time to think of the developing
world as being a source of
excellent men.
"And of course we do have
excellent cardinals from other
parts of the world as well - highly
intelligent, well-trained, deeply
spiritual men from other parts of
the world."
Benedict XVI was aged 78 when he
was elected in 2005, making him
one of the oldest new Popes in
history.
And Cardinal O'Brien said a
younger successor who was able to
serve for a longer period of time
may be able to "get more things
done, to steady us up a wee bit and
to give us something of the
courage of the earlier apostles
again".
But he said he had not yet decided
who should be elected as Pope
during the conclave, which is
expected to be held next month.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-21552628