Posted on 04/20/2002 4:14:07 PM PDT by Notwithstanding
In a strong message days before a summit of U.S. churchmen on a sex abuse scandal, Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II said Saturday that priests must live celibate lives and avoid scandalous behavior. Bishops, he said, must investigate such behavior and take action to end it.
The promise of a trendy Catholic Church that people saw with Vatican II never came to fruition, thanks to the God-sent reign of Pope John Paul II. That he stymied this hoped-for trendiness is something Diane Sawyer and Bryant Gumbel etc cannot digest and will never accept. Their permanent indigestion is widespread but worthless, as we all know the Church will never be trendy.
LOL. Notwithstanding, I think the Holy Spirit inspired nmh's words here. Folks who are indeed spiritually discerned will not understand nmh's "logic."
You mean that you feel it okay to cheat on your wife? Or force a man/lady/boy to have sex because you are lustful? Or do you buy it? Most married couples have times, sometimes months or even years, where sex is impossible (pregnancy, having to work away from home, illness, or the fact that you have to take turns with a sick kid and are too tired).
ADULTS know this: it is not being quick frozen, it is being grown up, where not everything you wish for is available, or because something is worth more than a quicky (one's marriage, one's relationship with the creator, one's self respect, for example)
I realize that the feminists and playboy types look down on adult responsibility as a burden to be shunned, and the lack of sex as something abnormal, but these same types talk about "living life to the fullest" and "do your own thing" and "he who dies with the most toys wins".
There is another way to look at things: That a child is a gift, not a burden. That sex is the human expression of our deepest feelings, not a quick fix for lust, that God's rules may be hard, but in the long run we are happier and better for following them, and that sacrifices for the sake of others is a good thing.
The sex drive like many other appetites (with the exception of eating) loses its pull on a person when they don't engage in it for a long period of time. Most people require affection for sex to be satisfying; one night stands or casual sex do not provide much of this sought after component; especially in people over the age of 25 or 30. Having sex for the sake of the act itself is no different than eating when you're not really hungry. Too much of that and you become fat; too much sex without meaning and you become hollowed out. Celibacy is not that hard in my opinion; once the intital period of adjustment has passed.
What value is this policy proving to be? It seems to me the only thing it is really accomplishing is drawing homosexuals to the priesthood.
Maybe someone with broader knowledge can explain it. I certainly don't recall in the Bible it being mentioned as a requirement to properly serve the Lord.
It may well be that rules may be changed by the next pope but Cardinal Martini is now no longer viewed even in his own mind as papabile since his retirement from Milan. Walter Cardinal Kaspar's chances were probably non-existent before the compelled resignation of one of his colleagues for sexually abusing a woman during an EXORCISM!!!! No one takes any American candidacy seriously considering the state of AmChurch even before the sorry handling of recent scandals. Roger Cardinal Mahoney certainly need not apply. Godfrey Cardinal Daneels is not a hot candidate either. Whoever JP II's successor will be, he will be elected by a conclave attended by cardinals, all but about 5 of whom have been JP II's appointees. Good bets include Cardinal Re, Castrillon Cardinal de Hoyos, Francis Cardinal Arinze and the Vietnamese Cardinal. A policy has to be adopted first by 2/3 vote and must be accepted under oath before the Holy Eucharist as a pre-condition of accepting election as pope. I bet we all know what issues will top the list at this conclave and it won't be married priests or women's ordination. Perhaps purging the lavender Mafia while purging the churches wherever it has been tolerated. That would be a good start.
There may be one more consistory in this papacy. He should purge now and fill up the voting vacancies.
This question is meant respectfully, not to trip you up, and I won't think bad of you if you don't know the answer.
I understand that priests may be married in the Eastern rite Catholic churches, but not in Latin rite Catholic churches. Except that the Vatican, according to news accounts, does not allow married Eastern rite priests in countries like the U.S. where the Latin rite predominates. What is the theological reason for this?
Of course, it could be that in a perfect world the Eastern rite would adopt the Latin rite practice. Also, I'm pretty sure that a married Eastern rite priest is not going to become a Cardinal, since I never heard of a married Cardinal, so, obviously, the Eastern rite also encourages celibacy.
BlackElk
Neither, do I. No where in the Bible does it speak of celibacy. That is enough proof I need to say it isn't necessary.
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