Pope Benedict the 16th has denounced a group of reformist priests for questioning church doctrine on celibacy and the ordainment of women.

In his homily on Holy Thursday, Benedict said the priests were disobeying his authority to attempt to impose their own ideas on the Catholic Church. He criticized a call of disobedience issued by a group of Austrian priests in 2006 aimed at abolishing priestly celibacy and opening the clergy to women.

The Pope said those seeking the ordination of women and married men are acting in defiance of what the church had clearly decided upon.

The Catholic Church believes Jesus accepted only men as his students, and it has maintained its stance against ordaining women.