Vatican: DON'T blame it on celibacy

Beliefnet ^ | March 14, 2010 | Deacon Greg Kandra

[presidio9]

But thanks to celibacy very few "normal" men...fewer and fewer,it would seem....choose the priesthood.

One of the more asinine things I have ever read on FR. As you have no way of knowing such a thing, we see where your prejudices lie. I, on the other hand have known personally hundreds of priests. All of them are "normal."

[presidio9]

Paul wrote most of the New Testament, and he was the only Apostle Jesus made a special trip for. Do you reject Paul?

[SnakeDoctor]

No, I do not reject Paul. I believe that the examples of Peter and Paul offer two equally acceptable paths for clerics and laymen with regard to celibacy/ marriage.

Do you reject Peter?

SnakeDoc

[WorldviewDad]

I to have known many good seminarians and priests over the years (one of them my brother). I do believe that celibacy is not the cause of the abuse but might help contribute to the conditions for it. My brother was in the seminary and committed suicide, while going through his personal effects after his death I came across items that lead me to believe that he had been abused. This was before all the abuse reports started to be reported in the press. Do I blame the catholic church, NO. My brother choose to do what he did, as any person chooses to sin or not to sin. The cause of abuse in the church or out of it is directly linked to man being sinful. As I stated at the beginning of this post I have known many good priests and pastors for that matter, but I have also known several that were not good (that let sin rule their lives). The problem is sin and the only answer for it within the clergy or out is JESUS!!!

[john in springfield]

The other possibility is that Peter left EVERYTHING to follow Jesus.

I don't like that as a possibility.

Honestly, it doesn't sound like very "good news" for Peter's wife.

[john in springfield]

Normal fatherhood is all consuming, not sure where the time and energy would come from to address the needs of the flock? Obviously the ideal is celibacy.

I can appreciate that, but there's another view that says that the role of a leader is to "equip the saints" for the work of the ministry.

In other words, the pastor shouldn't be doing everything, he should be training others to do a lot of it.

[john in springfield]

Priests are not called to be “normal”, but to a level of perfection that seems odd to the world.

It also seems odd to me that the idea "perfection" involves NOT having a wife and children.

Paul also said: "If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?"

[john in springfield]

If you're not Catholic, you're really not entitled to an opinion.

Actually, this being America, I AM entitled to an opinion.

But it won't mean much to anybody that matters in the debate.

We can let others be the judge of that.

[john in springfield]

Oh right: Sexual deviants never get married. Your test is idiotic.

Certainly a lot of sexual deviants get married. But a man's family life is relevant to the qualifications of a church leader.

In fact, the apostle Paul himself said as much:

"If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?"

In fact, it's not 100%, but you've come dangerously close to calling the apostle Paul an idiot.

You might also have a look at Matthew chapter 5.

[eyedigress]

You will always have an opinion in my book. I have worked to hard for the morons to understand how hard the training is.

[eyedigress]

You test right and tough or pussy europe left. Call it.

[john in springfield]

You will always have an opinion in my book.

Thanks.

[eyedigress]

I owe Nevada a huge release. I’ll stop there for now. I owe the money just a hare.

[NYer]

If Paul was saying this was a commandment from God - which would have contradicted his earlier edicts to be fruitful and multiply - then the believers would have be obedient and stopped getting married, both men and women. Can you understand why the concept of celibacy is not expedient anymore?

Priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church, has been practiced from the earliest centuries ref. It was not practiced by the lay people, except by those who are not married. Why is that so difficult to understand?

[boatbums]

The problem is sin and the only answer for it within the clergy or out is JESUS!!!

Amen!!! That IS the point isn't it? Why some think going into the ministry will magically cure all their sinful desires, I do not know. It is not the "calling" itself, but the surrendering of the called to be completely yielded to God in ALL things. This is an aspiration for all Christians and not just in an open ministerial role.

I am so sorry to hear about your brother. I hope you and your family have found comfort and healing in the Lord.

[boatbums]

Priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church, has been practiced from the earliest centuries ref. It was not practiced by the lay people, except by those who are not married. Why is that so difficult to understand?

I was commenting on the scripture passage said by Paul that you quoted to defend the idea of celibacy. You cannot have it both ways. You want to assume Paul is recommending a life without marriage (and, of course, celibacy) as the ideal for a priest, yet you leave out where he is speaking to both men AND women and he mentioned it was because:

I Corinthians 7:25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are.

So, Paul was not just speaking to non-lay people. That was my point, that if Paul's recommendations were meant for all time, we would probably not be here speaking as Christians. So that's why I don't think he meant it for us for all time, but only because of the present time. Not difficult at all to understand, unless one wants to be obstinate and say they are correct and everybody else is wrong-headed about this subject.

[cubreporter]

Any Priest could go remove his collar go out into society, meet someone and have an evening or an affair and no one would be the wiser. The fact they chose CHILDREN makes them pedophiles.

[NYer]

Any Priest could go remove his collar go out into society, meet someone and have an evening or an affair and no one would be the wiser. The fact they chose CHILDREN makes them pedophiles.

Ditto for Protestant ministers, Jewish rabbis and Muslim imams, who don't need to remove any collars.

[cubreporter]

OH absolutely. Ditto for anyone who does this. I was responding to the Catholic church.