Sacerdotalis caelibatus

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Sacerdotalis caelibatus Latin for 'Of the celibate priesthood' Encyclical of Pope Paul VI
Signature date	24 June 1967
Subject	About the celibacy of the priesthood
Number	6 of 7 of the pontificate
Text	In Latin In English
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Sacerdotalis caelibatus (Latin for "Of priestly celibacy") is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI. Acknowledging the traditions given by the Holy Spirit to the Church in the East and acknowledging some few pastoral exceptions in the West, the encyclical explains and defends the Catholic Church's tradition of clerical celibacy in the West. The encyclical is dated 24 June 1967.