The (Catholic) Church Has Always Prospered When Celibacy Is Honored

The Wanderer | January 22, 2004 | Frank Morriss

[NYer]

No link ... just wanted to share this commentary with all of you.

One more good reason to take out a subscription to The Wanderer.

[NYer]

Thought this was worth posting. Enjoy!

[sitetest]

Dear NYer,

Great commentary.

Dear sinkspur,

"Catholics, when they are presented with the argument that ending celibacy would increase the ranks of the priesthood, should ask themselves if, even were that so, would something more important than numbers of priests be lost, something today’s culture desperately needs? That would be the example of heroism in the practice of chastity."

He says it better than I can.


sitetest

[johnb2004]

In this welter of filth and enervating sexual fantasy, a celibate priesthood and the chaste marital fidelity of husband and wife it encourages are the only two countercultural forces. Abandoning priestly celibacy would leave marital chastity without an example of heroism to encourage it, and would inevitably advance the cause of sexual libertinism, already shamelessly reigning in the field of cultural exemplars.

[sinkspur]

"Catholics, when they are presented with the argument that ending celibacy would increase the ranks of the priesthood, should ask themselves if, even were that so, would something more important than numbers of priests be lost, something today’s culture desperately needs? That would be the example of heroism in the practice of chastity."

Catholics don't ask themselves that question because they're not convinced that celibacy has a witness value. They see married Protestant converts serving as priests, they see married men serving as deacons, and, in our diocese, they see lay leaders directing Eucharistic services in lieu of a priest.

While the Church is figuring out how to re-sell celibacy as having a "heroic value", average Catholics see laymen ministering, in many cases heroically, while balancing family and work life.

If the Church decides that celibacy is more important than the Celebration of the Eucharist in every parish every Sunday (because that's what it boils down to), then we'll have laymen assuming more and more of the leadership of parish communities.

Make no mistake about it: the Holy Spirit is alive and well in Catholic communities, and if priests aren't there to lead them, laymen will.

[sinkspur]

Abandoning priestly celibacy would leave marital chastity without an example of heroism to encourage it, and would inevitably advance the cause of sexual libertinism, already shamelessly reigning in the field of cultural exemplars.

I don't follow this line of argument, at all. I doubt most of those of us who observe marital chastity even think of the chastity of the priesthood. I know I don't, especially when I see priests compensating by buying vacation homes, driving new cars every two years, and going to the Kentucky Derby every year.

Some guys live celibacy perfectly, but forget that Christ called them to not be accumulators of things.

[sitetest]

Dear sinkspur,

"If the Church decides that celibacy is more important than the Celebration of the Eucharist in every parish every Sunday (because that's what it boils down to), then we'll have laymen assuming more and more of the leadership of parish communities."

I believe that this argument is essentially, "there would be more priests if married men could be priests."

Perhaps in the short term there might be. I imagine that many married deacons would enter into the priesthood, giving a significant boost in numbers.

But in the long term, I think we'd lose as many (or more) vocations as we gained.

The experience of the Protestant churches is instructive. Many of these denominations are hard-pressed to find sufficient numbers with "the call," as well. Yet, they may marry.

Part of the difficulty is that the priesthood is not (and will not become) a particularly remunerative vocation. For folks who embrace celibacy, this isn't the greatest concern. But for folks who anticipate a wife and family, and who understand the moral obligation to provide adequate material support thereto, this is a very big concern.


sitetest

[johnb2004]

"While the Church is figuring out how to re-sell celibacy as having a "heroic value", average Catholics see laymen ministering, in many cases heroically, while balancing family and work life."


Perhaps that is true in some places. It is not my experience. I see lay folks and nuns wanting to play priest. I see dissent. I see the social gospel proclaimed week in and week out. I hear folks claim artificial birth control is not a sin. I hear that the Vatican is against homosexuals. I hear some say the vatican is sexist. I hear some say they are above the Church.

[johnb2004]

"I don't follow this line of argument, at all. I doubt most of those of us who observe marital chastity even think of the chastity of the priesthood."

Good point. It is not thought of because it is not preached. People who advocate for an end to mandatory celibacy usually come from the groups that want other "chages" as well. Do you agree?

[sinkspur]

The experience of the Protestant churches is instructive. Many of these denominations are hard-pressed to find sufficient numbers with "the call," as well. Yet, they may marry.

The Protestant experience definitely shows that there is a concern in all denominations with materially supporting a minister and his family. There are no shortages of men who would serve a Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, for instance; there are fewer men willing to accept a call to a rural church with 600 people in attendance at Sunday service.

I don't know what the answer is. I don't think the ministry, generally, is viewed as a satisfying life in America today, regardless of the denomination. Perhaps its due to the better-educated laity, who often can do a better job of teaching than the priest or minister can, and these people intimidate men who thought they were entering a life where their congregations would defer to them.

That's why I think celibacy at least ought to be discussed. Either it will emerge from such discussions stronger, and Catholics will embrace it more confidently, or there will be changes made.

But, this present dissatisfaction of many older priests, who are being worked to death and must forego any kind of retirement because there simply is no other alternative, will only get worse before it gets better.

[sitetest]

Dear sinkspur,

Well, perhaps you don't think about it, but I do. I'm personally inspired by those who are faithful to their vows of celibacy, and take strength from their lifestyle, contradicting, as it does in the extreme, the pornographic culture of our own society.

"I know I don't, especially when I see priests compensating by buying vacation homes, driving new cars every two years, and going to the Kentucky Derby every year."

I just don't know many priests like this. I know of no priest with a vacation home. Our own priests lived in a rickety old rectory up until a few years ago, when we completed the new one. It is beautiful, large, even somewhat luxurious. I'm delighted to help provide these accommodations for my priests, both elderly men who have given lives of service to the Church.

Our last pastor owned his own house, which he purchased with an inheritance. At the time, the old rectory was nearly unlivable, and rather than spend the parish's money on it (the parish had recently completed the new church building after the old one had burned down), he spent his own money and bought his own house.

Lots of folks criticized him for it. No good deed goes unpunished. ;-)

I don't think our priests go to the Kentucky Derby, though our pastor is an avid golfer. The parishioners are glad of this, as his participation in this activity has been a real aid in helping him recover from several serious illnesses these past few years. He also is a gun collector, and in his youth, was an expert marksman, I'm told. In his youth, I'm told, he was quite an all-around athlete.

I do think he occasionally joins the old folks when they take their regular trips to Dover Downs (a racetrack), and he does buy a raffle ticket from every parish group that is selling them. But he isn't really much of a gambler.

He eats modestly (but he has at least a bite of everything, especially at parish functions), and gave up alcohol a few years back. In the midst of his health problems, he began to drink one too many beers to assist the anaesthesia. When he recognized it had become a problem, he went cold-turkey.

Our associate pastor is also a man of modest appetites. He is in his 70s, and a little frail. He eats and drinks lightly, usually vacations by going on spiritual retreats. I think he owns a nice, relatively-late model Buick.

This year, our priests didn't actually get to take real, full-fledged vacations, because they couldn't find any priests to say Mass on the weekends. Many of the leading parishioners told them to each take a week when the other would still be at the parish. We have five Masses per weekend, and we suggested that for a few weeks during the summer, we could cut back to two or three, so that one of them could handle the load on his own.

Our priests wouldn't hear of it. They felt that celebrating Mass for their parishioners was more important than taking vacations. So they cut out Monday-Thursday for a week at a time each, for a little mini-vacation.

As to having a nice car, I own two Mercedes-Benzes, so obviously I don't see that that's a moral problem. ;-)

I could go on, and frankly, though I describe my own parish, much of what I describe could easily fit most of the parishes with which I'm acquainted. We just don't have many vacation-home-owning, Kentucky-Derby-going living-in-the-lap-of-luxury priests around here.


sitetest

[sitetest]

Dear sinkspur,

"That's why I think celibacy at least ought to be discussed."

I think that's what we're doing right here. I also think the DISCUSSION is a good thing.

It is appropriate to take the time, and lay out explicitly the worthy arguments in favor of celibacy. If people wonder why celibacy is a good thing, then the questions ought to be asked, the folks who would wish celibacy be entirely optional should say their piece. And those who will defend the discipline should respond.

And in the end, we will all follow the discipline laid out for us by the Catholic Church, submitting to her rightful authority.


sitetest

[johnb2004]

How many sermons have you heard that give the benefits of celibacy? How many sermons have you heard that say true freedom is following the teachings of the Church?

I am not being sarcastic. In my experience I almost never hear such things? How can the laity come to an informed opinion if they never hear tha truth?

[sitetest]

Dear johnb2004,

At least a few times a year, every time I hear Cardinal McCarrick give a homily. I have never heard him say Mass without bringing up the need for vocations, and how wonderful, heroic, and adventurous can be the life of the celibate, chaste priest or religious.

He is very affecting in this. He will point out into the pews and say something like, "I know that there are young men and women RIGHT HERE listening to me whom God is calling!"

At the pro-life Mass on Thursday, he asked these men and women to stand, and hundreds did.


sitestest

[johnb2004]

You are fortunate. I have never heard a single homily on the benefits of celibacy. Only on EWTN.

[sitetest]

Dear johnb2004,

I ought to correct a possible misimpression, entirely my own. The cardinal's homilies and talks, that I've heard, are not specifically on celibacy per se, but rather on vocations, fo which celibacy is an integral, important, and worthy part.


sitetest

[sitetest]

entirely my own = entirely my own fault

[sinkspur]

Thanks for the good points in both of your posts.

I don't know that many priests who are actually materialistic, but EVERYBODY knows who the ones are that are.

I'm going to say that, if my wife were to die before me, I could embrace celibacy wholeheartedly. Part of that is due to my age (53), but also because I've known the companionship of a wonderful woman and I don't believe I'd have any real desire to "replace" that. So embracing celibacy at this stage of my life wouldn't be that great of a challenge. And this seems to be the same thing I've found with those men (one of whom I know very well) who have entered the seminary after the death of their wives. "I had a wonderful wife," Jim told me last year before he entered the seminary. "I carry her around with me all the time; no other woman could replace her."

[sinkspur]

People who advocate for an end to mandatory celibacy usually come from the groups that want other "chages" as well. Do you agree?

Yes. But, if those "changes" are in non-essentials, and there's a rationale behind them, I see nothing wrong in at least having a discussion.

[johnb2004]

Do you not think there tends to be a minimalist approach to the faith by many? It seems that so many of us just want to do the bare minum the Church asks of us.