Catholic bishop resigns, admits he has 2 kids

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45871047/ns/business/

The Vatican said on Wednesday that Pope Benedict had accepted the resignation of Gabino Zavala, an auxiliary bishop of the diocese which has been plagued by sexual scandals.

A brief Vatican announcement did not give the reason for Zavala's resignation, saying only that the pope had accepted it under the norm in canon (Church law) that says a bishop who is ill or otherwise unfit to carry out his duties should resign.

But Zavala's direct superior, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, has prepared a letter for the faithful in the archdiocese explaining the circumstances of the departure of Zavala, who was assistant bishop for the San Gabriel region of California.

In the letter, a draft of which was obtained from a Catholic Church source in Rome, Gomez said Zavala, 60, had informed him in early December that he was the father of two teenage children who live with their mother in another state.


I'll just say this as a non-Catholic, I have never understood why it's so important for the Priests not being able to marry. I know Rabbis get married. My brother is a Baptist Minister - married with 4 kids. Why is it that the Catholic Church is still using this archaic method for choosing their leaders?? I just want to know. I'm not knocking Catholicism, I'm knocking this particular thing.