Married priest: 'Single clergy better placed to serve God'

17 August 2011
By Joe Wilson

A married Roman Catholic priest from Burnley has said he believes the church is correct to prefer single celibate clergy in their parishes.

Father Paul Blackburn is the most recently ordained priest into the Salford Diocese.

He is married with three children.

A former Anglican minister, Father Paul embraced Catholicism after growing dissatisfied with the direction the Church of England was taking on some moral issues.

He said single priests are better placed to serve God by giving their entire life to his ministry.

"Whatever the church decides about the future shape of ministry there will always be a need for celibate priests," Father Paul told BBC Radio Lancashire. the rest