Letters prove Pope's sanctity: Fr Paul Thelakat

Kochi: The news of the relationship between Pope John Paul II and Ms Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka points to a mature and celibate relationship of 30 long years. What BBC has exposed proves the Pope's sanctity, not otherwise, says Fr Paul Thelakat, the chief editor of Light of Truth of the Syro-Malabar Church.

“We have only seen John Paul II's letters, not Ms Tymieniecka's side of the correspondence. I hope the Vatican has in the process of canonisation scrutinized these letters and the relation.”

“St Augustine asked the question in his Confessions, “What do you love when you say you love God?” The answer is simple: You love humans.

“Whether married or celibate, it is possible to be both sexual and spiritual but many make the mistake of choosing between sexual life and spiritual life.

“Part of the reason celibacy seems so irrelevant to many people is that often there is insufficient recognition of the relationship between the committed celibate life and the whole human experience of intimacy and relationships. As a result the connection between celibacy and sexuality is almost completely ignored.

“Celibacy is not castration of sex. Consecrated chastity is not a refusal to love; rather, it is a commitment to love. Sex gets its true meaning and beauty from love and self-giving to the other. So does consecrated chastity.”

“By renouncing marriage, we do not discard our capacity to love. Celibacy points beyond the here and now; it reminds us that our ultimate human fulfilment is in the kingdom of God.

“Sex is the great capacity to love and relate. Priesthood and marriage go together. That is why there are married priests in Church.”

“Only in the Latin Church is celibacy mandated because celibacy is a priceless gift of God for the Church and has a prophetic value for the world today. Celibates must always love, but always keep the love pure and lofty”.