5 Arguments Against Priestly Celibacy and How to Refute Them

Catholic Educators Network ^

[NYer]

1. Allowing priests to marry would end pedophilia.
   
   It is completely untrue that celibate priests are more likely to be pedophiles than any other group of men, married or not. Pedophilia affects only 0.3 percent of the population of Catholic clergy, and sexual abusers in general account for less than 2 percent of Catholic priests. These figures are comparable to rates among married men, as non-Catholic scholar Philip Jenkins points out in his book Pedophiles and Priests. Other Protestant denominations have admitted to having similar problems among their own married clergy, so clearly the problem is not with celibacy.
   
   
2. A married clergy would create a larger pool of healthy priestly candidates, solving the current priest shortage.
   
   There are actually plenty of vocations today in faithful dioceses: Denver, Northern Virginia, and Lincoln, Nebraska, have great numbers of men entering the priesthood. If other dioceses, such as Milwaukee, want to answer the question of why they have so few vocations, the answer is simple: Challenge young men to a religious life that is demanding, countercultural, sacrificial, and loyal to the Holy Father and Catholic teaching. This is the surest way to guarantee a greater number of vocations.
   
   
3. Married priests relate better to issues concerning marriage and the family.
   
   To put it bluntly, one doesn't need to be an adulterer to counsel other adulterers. Priests understand the sacrificial nature and sanctity of marriage in a way that few others do. Who better to counsel a person in the ways of keeping the marital vow of fidelity than one who keeps the vow of celibacy?
   
   
4. It's unnatural for men to be celibate.
   
   This idea reduces men to animals, creatures who can't live without their sexual urges being gratified. But humans are not animals. Humans make choices about the gratification of their appetites. We can control and channel our desires in a way that sets us apart from the rest of the animal world. And again, most sexual abusers are not celibate. It's sexual license that breeds sexual abuse, not celibacy!
   
   
5. Celibacy in the Latin rite is unfair. Since the Eastern rite allows married priests and the Latin rite allows married priests who have converted from Episcopalianism and Lutheranism, why can't all priests be married?
   
   The discipline of celibacy among priests is one of the distinctive marks of the Roman Catholic tradition. Anyone who chooses to become a priest accepts the discipline. The Eastern rite, Lutheranism, and Episcopalianism, on the other hand, have a long tradition of married priests and the infrastructure and experience to handle it. However, Eastern rite priests and married priests who have converted from Lutheranism or Episcopalianism are NOT allowed to marry after their ordination or remarry after the death of their wife. In addition, the Eastern Church only chooses bishops from among their celibate, unmarried priests, clearly demonstrating that they see an inherent value in the nature of celibacy.
   
   

5 Arguments for Priestly Celibacy

1. Celibacy reaffirms marriage.
   
   In a society that is completely saturated with sex, celibate priests are living proof that sexual urges can be controlled and channeled in a positive way. Far from denigrating the sexual act, celibacy acknowledges the goodness of sex within marriage by offering it up as a sacrifice to God. The sanctity of marriage is dishonored if it is treated merely as an outlet for sexual impulses. Rather, we as Christians are called to understand marriage as the inviolable commitment of a husband and wife to love and honor one another. A priest offers up a similar commitment of love to the Church, a bond that cannot be broken and that is treated with the same gravity and respect as in marriage.
   
   
2. Celibacy is scriptural.
   
   Fundamentalists will tell you that celibacy has no basis in the Bible whatsoever, saying that Christians are called to "Be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). This mandate speaks to humanity in general, however, and overlooks numerous passages in the Bible that support the celibate life. In 1 Corinthians, for example, Paul actually seems to prefer the celibate life: "Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. . . . Those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. . . . The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided" (7:27-34). This is not to say that all men should be celibate, however; Paul explains that celibacy is a calling for some and not for others by saying, "Each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another" (7:7).
   
   Jesus Himself speaks of celibacy in Matthew 19:11-12: "Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom it is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of God. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it." Again, the emphasis is on the special nature of celibacy, one for which not all men are suited, but one that nevertheless gives glory to "the kingdom of God."
   
   Perhaps the best evidence for the scriptural support of celibacy is that Jesus Himself practiced it!
   
   
3. Celibacy is historical.
   
   Most people assume that the celibate priesthood is a convention introduced by the Church fairly late in history. On the contrary, there is evidence that even the earliest Church fathers, such as St. Augustine, St. Cyril, and St. Jerome, fully supported the celibate priesthood. The Spanish Council of Elvira (between 295 and 302) and the First Council of Aries (314), a kind of general council of the West, both enacted legislation forbidding all bishops, priests, and deacons to have conjugal relations with their wives on penalty of exclusion from the clergy. Even the wording of these documents suggests that the councils were not introducing a new rule but rather maintaining a previously established tradition. In 385, Pope Siricius issued the first papal decree on the subject, saying that "clerical continence" was a tradition reaching as far back as apostolic times. While later councils and popes would pass similar edicts, the definitive promulgation of the celibate, unmarried priesthood came at the Second Lateran Council in 1139 under Pope Gregory VII. Far from being a law forced upon the medieval priesthood, it was the acceptance of celibacy by priests centuries earlier that eventually led to its universal promulgation in the twelfth century.
   
   
4. Celibacy emphasizes the unique role of the priest.
   
   The priest is a representative of Christ, an alter Christus. In this respect, the priest understands his identity by following the example of Jesus, a man who lived His life in perfect chastity and dedication to God. As Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe of Grado explains, "[A priest's] being and his acting must be like Christ's: undivided" (The Relevance of Priestly Celibacy Today, 1993). As such, the sacramental priesthood is holy, something set apart from the rest of the world. Just as Christ sacrificed His life for His bride, the Church, so too must a priest offer up his life for the good of Christ's people.
   
   
5. Celibacy allows the priest's first priority to be the Church.
   
   The image used to describe the role of the priest is one of marriage to the Church. Just as marriage is the total gift of self to another, the priesthood requires the total gift of self to the Church. A priest's first duty is to his flock, while a husband's first duty is to his wife. Obviously, these two roles will often conflict, as St. Paul noted and as many married priests will tell you. A celibate priest is able to give his undivided attention to his parishioners without the added responsibility of caring for his own family. They are able to pick up and go whenever necessary, whether this involves moving to a new parish or responding to a late-night crisis. Celibate priests are better able to respond to these frequent changes and demands on their time and attention.

[NYer]

This article originally appeared in the CRISIS Magazine e-Letter. It is printed with permission.

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[NYer]

We've all heard them, now you rationally explain them away.

[Anti-MSM]

1 Timothy 3:1-4: "This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop,he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,[b] but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence."

[Conservative til I die]

These are all good arguments. On the other hand, the arguments against celibacy, in my opinion, always seem to come off as inherently illogical.

[Conservative til I die]

1 Timothy 3:1-4: "This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop,he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,[b] but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence."

Celibacy does not go against this verse. All it says is that a bishop cannot be the husband of more than wife (adultery, divorce, etc.). Since early times both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches have chosen celibacy for the position of Bishop. Never mind that there are several verses that cite celibacy as the ideal life and that celibacy is merely a discipline, and not dogma.

[stm]

I have been Catholic my entire life and I for one am all for letting Catholic Priests marry. Personally I think it's a concept that is long overdue.

It is a double standard to permit married Lutheran and Episcopal priests to convert to Catholicism but not permit our priests to marry.

[Anti-MSM]

Celibacy does not go against this verse. All it says is that a bishop cannot be the husband of more than wife (adultery, divorce, etc.). Since early times both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches have chosen celibacy for the position of Bishop. Never mind that there are several verses that cite celibacy as the ideal life and that celibacy is merely a discipline, and not dogma.

I certainly agree that there is nothing wrong with living a celibate life. It is commended by Paul for those who can. However, I don't think this should exclude married men from being church leaders. As I read the Bible (1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1), I think both single and married men are eligible. I also think numerous Protestant denominations that are now allowing women and, in a few cases, practicing homosexuals, are deviating from God's intent for church leadership, and their disobedience is to their own detriment.

[BipolarBob]

I don't see it as a scriptural REQUIREMENT to be a priest (pastor or rabbi). I can see it being encouraged, but not mandated. I believe this is a manmade commandment. I can certainly see some disadvantages to being married and in the priesthood but not insurmountable. I don't believe the figures quoted for sexual misconduct because they should approximate the pool of the general public. The cover-ups that we know about hint the figures are much higher.

[NYer]

It is a double standard to permit married Lutheran and Episcopal priests to convert to Catholicism but not permit our priests to marry.

It is not quite as simple as you seem to think. I am a Roman Catholic practicing my faith in an Eastern Catholic Church. Our pastor is bi-ritual (Maronite and Latin) and celibate. Following the election of Benedict XVI, someone asked if he thought this pope might open the Latin Church to a married priesthood. His response was quite illuminating.

In a nutshell, he described the process in the Maronite Church for those married men who seek to become priests. It is quite lengthy and entails great scrutiny of the man, his wife, children and their marriage. There can be no room for scandal resulting from divorce. He went on to describe the challenges faced by the married priests, once assigned to parishes. Their wives and children are scrutinized by parishioners. Then there are the costs associated with supporting the priest and his family. Our pastor pointed to the number of parishes closing in this country from lack of funds. If the Church can't financially support a celibate priest, how could afford all the expenses needed for the wife and kids.

Recently, I posted a thread written by a Lutheran pastor who converted to the Catholic faith. He essentially supported the celibate priesthood, describing the times he couldn't attend the kids' concerts, sports games, etc. His family meant a lot to him and it was a tremendous challenge to divide his time between the needs of his parishioners and those of his family.

There's an old expression: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

[NYer]

I certainly agree that there is nothing wrong with living a celibate life. It is commended by Paul for those who can. However, I don't think this should exclude married men from being church leaders.

The Latin priest, and many of the Eastern Catholic priests, model their lives on Jesus Christ, who was celibate.

"His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with [his] wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All [men] cannot receive this saying, save [they] to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from [their] mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive [it], let him receive [it]." - Matthew 19:10-12

Though it is not "forbidden" for the clergy to marry in the Christian religion, it is strongly recommended that one does not marry, if one is to be a priest or minister. I have read how Protestant minister's families have interfered in their religious duties. A Catholic priest does not have these concerns and can give God's work first priority.

[Anti-MSM]

I have read how Protestant minister's families have interfered in their religious duties. A Catholic priest does not have these concerns and can give God's work first priority.

Well, I agree that there are Protestant ministers that are not necessarily following the leadership qualifications. Because in addition to saying "the husband of one wife", the passages in 1 Timothy 3 (as well as Titus 1) indicate that they need to be "one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)."

[Conservative til I die]

Celibacy does not go against this verse. All it says is that a bishop cannot be the husband of more than wife (adultery, divorce, etc.). Since early times both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches have chosen celibacy for the position of Bishop. Never mind that there are several verses that cite celibacy as the ideal life and that celibacy is merely a discipline, and not dogma. I certainly agree that there is nothing wrong with living a celibate life. It is commended by Paul for those who can. However, I don't think this should exclude married men from being church leaders. As I read the Bible (1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1), I think both single and married men are eligible.

Well, that's a valid opinion, and at this point we'd really just have to agree to disagree. And don't take that is me ducking the argument. It's just that clerical celibacy is a discpline rather than dogma, which means it really is open for debate.

However, it's not going to change in the Western Church anytime soon, only because it so much of a tradition in our Church, that to change things on a dime really would create a lot of questions, problems, and issues. The Eastern Churches and the "high" Protestant churches like the Anglicans and Lutherans are set up to accomodate a married priesthood based on their own long-standing traditions.

[Kolokotronis]

NYer, this is one of the silliest series arguments I've ever seen for priestly celebacy. There are only two arguments which have any validity at all.

1. The vocation of celebacy is the crown jewel of The Church

2. Its just the way history worked out in the Latin Church (which is a variation on the Orthodox and Eastern Rite Churches in communion with Rome knowing what they are doing with a married priesthood and Rome neither does nor would).

Bottom line, this stuff always leaves me feeling that the real reason the Latin Church won't have a married priesthood is that you people in the pews simply won't pay for it and Rome as a practical matter can't.

[NYer]

Maybe someone is torn between RCC leadership and a family, they shouldn't be forced to choose between the two. In my estimation they'd be better off taking the family

They are not 'forced' or coerced. Celibacy is a choice. It is a discipline; not dogma. Those who choose it do so out of love for Christ and the people they serve. It is based in Scripture. Christ was celibate, as was St. Paul. Why must everything be based on sexuality? I am celibate and haven't died from it .. yet ;-).

[A.A. Cunningham]

Corrupted text. As only one example, "must" wasn't in the original.

[red irish]

A few years ago I tuned into the 700 club and they were talking about how pastors were leaving their churches and why. Those pastors were leaving about 1500 a month across the board of different faiths. The wives were tired of never being good enough for the parishioners. and always being second to what was needed for the church. The pastors were always being asked for loyalty for one or the other. And then there was the divorce thing. Cheating on each other because both were always lonely. It was so sad to hear all these stories. In todays cultural marriage is not treated as something sacred. Sex is the new idol to worship in many diverse situations. Right now the church has enough to deal with without throwing anymore problems into the mix. If we the people led more holy lives maybe there would be more priests who wanted to serve God and lead holy lives. You see sin has a place in all of this.

[Kolokotronis]

I agree with everything you wrote. Of course sin is implicated in all of this. In Orthodoxy we don't have a divorce rate among our priests at anything approaching the Western averages, but everytime one occurs it is major news and a major disgrace. The society of priests' wives of the GOA is very conscious of the stresses faced by the families of priests. But I must tell you, I don't see those stresses as being anything more, and usually far less, than those experienced by the wives/husbands and families of any busy 21st century professional.

Current Western attitudes towards marriage are the real problem. For years I have made it a practice to with some regularity read +John Chrysostomos' XX Homily on Ephesians. It is one of the finest, if not the finest, piece ever written on Christian marriage and keeps me on a straight track in my own 28 year marriage.

[Salvation]

Excellent posot!

[Salvation]

We've talked and talked about this issue:

Pope Defends Clergy Celibacy Order
Has the Time Come to Consider Making Celibacy Truly Optional In the Western Church?
Catholic Scandals: A Crisis for Celibacy?
Celibacy of the priesthood is a church strength, not a liability
Celibacy s history of power and money

Pope: Priests Must Stay Celibate
Giving Thanks for the Good Shepherds ( A Defense of Priestly Celibacy)
Don't end celibacy for priests
The celibate superhero
Priestly Celibacy And Its Roots In Christ

How to Refute Arguments Against Priestly Celibacy
Priestly Celibacy Reflects Who - and Whose - We Are[Father George W.Rutler]
Celibacy
Tracing the Glorious Origins of Celibacy
God’s call to celibacy for the sake of His Kingdom - by Card. George

Vatican Says Celibacy Rule Nonnegotiable
Bishop Attacks Move to End Celibacy
A response to Fr. Joseph Wilson's defense of mandatory celibacy
The gift of Priestly celibacy as a sign of the charity of Christ, by Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Archbishop Dolan:"We Need to Be Renewing Our Pledge to Celibacy, Not Questioning It"

Celibacy is gift cherished by church
Celibacy Will Save the Priesthood
Celibacy Defended by EWTN's Fr. Levis
Call To Action: Dump Celibacy
The (Catholic) Church Has Always Prospered When Celibacy Is Honored

John Paul II Hails "Inestimable Value" of Priestly Celibacy
For Priests, Celibacy Is Not the Problem
Fr. Shannon Collins Discusses Celibacy
5 Arguments Against (Catholic) Priestly Celibacy and How to Refute Them
Why A Married Priesthood Won't Remedy the Priest Shortage

New Vatican Document on Homosexuality and the Priesthood Coming Before Fall 2005
Catholic priests demand the right to marry
Catholic priests urge Church to reconsider celibacy rules
Alternative Priests´ Council Hits Back on Mandatory Celibacy
Married Priests? The English Experience

Saying Yes to God: a Look into Vocations
New Vatican Document to Eliminate 1961 Papal Ban on Ordaining Homosexuals
Saying Yes to God: a Look into Vocations
Is it time to ordain married men to the Catholic priesthood?
40% of Scots priests want end to celibacy

A small, sturdy band of 'John Paul priests'(JPII legacy of conservative priests)
Yes, Gay Men Should Be Ordained
Cardinal says Priests will marry
Fathers, Husbands and Rebels: Married Priests
An Unneeded Headache (Vatican document on [NOT] admitting homosexual to the priesthood)

Vatican Prepares Draft Directives Against Admitting Gays as Priests
From Anglican to married Catholic priest
Spain gets first married priest
Spain (R) Catholic Church ordains first married priest
The Catholic Church - East-West Difference Over Priestly Celibacy

ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF SCRANTON TO RECEIVE FIRST ECUSA PRIEST
Defending Chastity in the Priesthood
Ordination of married men is raised at Vatican synod
Patriarch of Venice deemphasizes ordination of married men to the priesthood
Cardinal Pell: Ending Celibacy Rule Would Be a Blunder

Priest shortage stems from crisis of faith, ignorance of the infinite, not celibacy, say Bishops [at Synod]
Synod Affirms Priestly Celibacy
Married Priests Aren’t the Answer (a seminarian states his view)
5 Arguments Against Priestly Celibacy and How to Refute Them