First divorced Catholic priest sets poser for Pope

A former Anglican in the United States will shortly become the world's first divorced Roman Catholic priest. Fr William Bry Shields, 43, was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1984 under the special arrangements made to allow married Anglican oppponents of women priests in the United States to convert. He is working as headmaster in a Catholic school in Alabama.

Fr Shields' wife, Ruth Ann, an obstetrician, filed for divorce 10 months ago, citing "incompatibility". The parents have agreed that she will have custody of their five children, who include a pair of twins born while their father was a Catholic priest.

There are about 60 married Catholic priests in the US, and 9 in Britain. But the number in this country is expected to rise sharply over the next decade after permission was granted last week for English bishops to approve former Anglican candidates for the priesthood without first referring all the paperwork to Rome. Up to 100 married Anglicans are expected to apply to become Roman Catholic priests over the next four years.

The issue is an extremely contentious one. Compulsory priestly celibacy is under increasing attack around the world. Last month an Irish bishop called for an end to compulsory celibacy; and 400,000 Austrian Catholics have signed a petition against it after a number of sex scandals. However, Pope John Paul II has set his face against ending celibacy for the vast majority of Catholic priests.

Bishop Vincent Nichols, who has been dealing with Anglican candidates to the priesthood in Cardinal Hume's archdiocese of Westminster, said over the weekend that he did not know what would happen if any English priests were to divorce. They could not remarry and remain priests, he said.

The Shields' divorce has been used by conservative Roman Catholics in the US as an argument against weakening the line on priestly celibacy.

n The Rev Kit Chalcraft, an Anglican priest sacked by the Bishop of Norwich earlier this year for asking permission to regularise his relationship with a former television presenter, Su-zanne Hall, has married her, the couple said yesterday.

It was his third marriage.