Are you going to give an argument or just make an assertion
The article states: “That said, it must also be said that there seems to be something gravely amiss with the American Catholic Church’s insistence on maintaining mandatory clerical celibacy — despite the mounting evidence of homosexual and heterosexual abuses among its clergy, and despite the rapid dwindling of eligible novates within its seminaries.”
Exactly HOW does having married priests prevent abuses of children (mainly homosexual)?? Are we to assume married priests are too busy servicing their wives to find time and energy for little boys? This is ridiculous on the face of it.
The article also states Priestly celebacy is connected to “the rapid dwindling of eligible novates within its seminaries.” Religious orders and attendance are on decline among all Christian denominations. In fact, this decline is fastest among the “Mainline” Protestant denominations, which do not require celibacy. Why bash the Catholic requirement for celibacy, when we are swimming in a vast ocean of a decadent and sinful society?
This whole article takes the attitude of - the fat kids in gym can’t pass the Phys Ed test by doing 10 push-ups, so its best to remove the requirement for push-ups altogether to have compliance.
Celibacy and the struggle with all urges and desires (sex being the foremost) is indeed a great hindrance to spiritual advancement and absolute devotion to Christ, but lack of fidelity to vows is not God nor the Church’s problem - it is the Priest’s problem and his challenge.
See my post #90.
In fact, this decline is fastest among the “Mainline” Protestant denominations, which do not require celibacy. Why bash the Catholic requirement for celibacy, when we are swimming in a vast ocean of a decadent and sinful society?
Mainline Protestant denominations are declining as a whole in population so it's not a surprise that they would see a decline in the clergy. Adding a requirement for celibacy based on faulty theology is the problem.
This whole article takes the attitude of - the fat kids in gym can’t pass the Phys Ed test by doing 10 push-ups, so its best to remove the requirement for push-ups altogether to have compliance.
A poor characterization of the article.
Celibacy and the struggle with all urges and desires (sex being the foremost) is indeed a great hindrance to spiritual advancement and absolute devotion to Christ, but lack of fidelity to vows is not God nor the Church’s problem - it is the Priest’s problem and his challenge.
Again, it's a theological question and not just a matter of pragmatism. The creational ordinances that God commanded are meant for good human living. To artificially introduce an opposite ordinance leads to an unnatural situation and opens itself to sin.