Vatican City • Former Pope Benedict XVI, who once vowed to remain hidden from the world after resigning, is once more speaking out. In a new book, set for release in February, the retired pontiff champions priestly celibacy at a time when his successor, Pope Francis, is considering allowing more married men to be priests.
“I can no longer be silent or feign ignorance,” the emeritus pope said in the forward of the book, “From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church.” The book is co-written with Cardinal Robert Sarah, who heads the Vatican department for Divine Liturgy.