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To: VidMihi
The issue here is the mission of the Church. The question is whether the current discipline of celibacy ( it is not a vow) contributes to the well being of the Church at a time when we have fewer and fewer priests, hundreds of deacons, and Mass attendance is down, down, down. Former and non-practicing Catholics now make up the largest religious group in the world. Parishes are being closed.

Firstly, celibacy is indeed a vow. A priest takes a vow of celibacy, poverty and obedience. A priest wears a cincture as a reminder of his vow of chastity. Secondly, in dioceses where truth is being taught and orthodoxy is being practiced the Churches are going strong and priestly vocations is growing.

Also, this argument and many like it have been refuted on this thread -> 5 Arguments Against Priestly Celibacy and How to Refute Them

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.

Quoting pious poetry about "a priest committing adultery against the Bride of Christ" is an insult to the heterosexual men who are priests. That line would fit better in a soap opera or on "The View".

In what way is what I wrote an insult to a celibate priest?

37 posted on 05/11/2009 1:06:00 PM PDT by frogjerk (NO TAXATION FOR REAMORTIZATION!)
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To: frogjerk

Good post. Thanks for the link!


41 posted on 05/11/2009 1:29:32 PM PDT by Frank_2001
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