By 
German Bishop, Reinhold Nann, 65, former Prelate of Caravelí in Peru, has claimed that “tens of thousands” of priests worldwide were secretly in relationships, arguing that the Catholic Church’s rule of mandatory celibacy is driving many away from ministry.
Nann warned that if the Church continued to staunchly defend celibacy in theory, it risked losing “a large part of its personnel in practice very soon.”
Writing on his personal blog, Nann questioned the historical roots of the rule, saying it had only been enforced for about half of the Church’s history.
“It’s not a mandate from Jesus but from a 12th-century pope,” he said.
Recalling his own experience, Nann revealed that during his seven years as bishop, he ordained three priests and two deacons but had to suspend four clerics for misconduct.
“Of a total of 16 priests, this represents 25 per cent. Telling the truth is not harming the Church but rather calling it to open its eyes to reality and finally react,” he said.
Nann further stated that he stepped down from his position months before marrying, even though the Vatican had not formally released him from his clerical obligations.
He explained that he “resigned from episcopal and priestly ministry 13 or 9 months before getting married.”
“My decision should not be seen as a rejection of priestly celibacy. I think that’s a misinterpretation. I’m not against it; it just did not work out for me,” he wrote.
His latest remarks follow earlier reports by the Catholic Herald that he married a Peruvian woman in a civil ceremony despite still being ordained.
In 2024, the Vatican accepted his resignation from the Caravelí prelature. At the time, Nann cited poor health, including depression and high blood pressure, as reasons for stepping down.
He has since admitted that his personal relationship was the true cause.
“Depression was the reason; love was the cause,” he told the German Catholic news agency KNA.
Nann said his relationship developed after the Covid-19 pandemic, a period during which he felt “increasingly lonely and superficial.”
He has since blamed institutional failures within the Church for what he described as a growing sense of isolation and disillusionment.
Despite his resignation being accepted, Nann has not been formally laicised—a process that would return him to lay status and allow him to marry within the Church.
As a result, his relationship remains a breach of priestly celibacy.
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