Celibacy is Nonsense...

Thank you for your very thoughtful reply. It's always nice to hear from a person who can keep the discussion on a higher plane, in sharp contrast to certain of the others on this thread.

Thank you... I try, but I won't say I always succeed.

I can only assume that you've thought through your decision to take on the burden of celibacy. I would ask that you also consider this: being a Catholic priest in America nowadays is probably the most disreputable thing that a man could possibly be. For the rest of your life people - including your parishioners - will look at your Roman collar and silently fear for the safety of their sons. In short, please understand that you're taking on not only a lifetime of bearing with a self-inflicted "open wound" per the article above, but you'll be doing so in a social context where most of the people (including myself, given my experience with you celibates) you aim to serve will view that wound as a sign of sickness and danger.

When I first began my seminary studies almost three years ago, after three years of discernment before that, I hadn't realized that as well as I do now - the situation in Ireland was a real eye-opener, because it got us talking about it. We talked about celibacy and sexuality in an 'official' capacity as part of our formation, but everything going on recently has brought the subject to the forefront in normal discussion among the seminarians - and we realize that we're going into the circumstances that you describe.

One of the most important aspects of the 'official' formation to prepare us for celibate life involves the way we view celibacy itself - you call it "the burden of celibacy" and say that the "open wound" is self-inflicted - instead, we are encouraged to see it as a gift from God that frees us to be about the work of God without impediment for the sake of His Kingdom (I Cor. 7:32-35; Mt. 19:11-12).

The "open wound" that was described is a 'prophetic' one - those called to celibacy who accept and live it are, as the article says, a "constant reminder and an expression of the bald fact that God alone can satisfy our deepest longing." The celibate priest lives with the wound that is shared by every human being, but he cannot hide his - and it is when he tries, either by breaking his vow or by indulging in some other excess, that he brings disgrace to himself and scandal to the Church - an 'infected wound' so to speak.

And what I said to the our seminarian here is simply true. No sane parent would ever trust anybody in a Roman collar with the wellbeing of their children. This young man faces a lifetime of suspcion by the very people he would purport to help. Given that, I think it's incumbent upon any would-be priest to ask himself how much he can actually serve people who naturally fear him and suspect him of the worst sort of intentions imaginable.

This lack of trust is prevalent, and it truly is the work of the devil striking the Church. The devil is the Father of Lies (both the lie that leads to suspicion by the faithful and the lie that tempted the fallen priests initially); he is "haSatan" in Hebrew - the accuser; he is "ho diabolos" in Greek - the scatterer. All of these aspects are at play here - and what better way to scatter the sheep than to strike the shepherd by accusing him of misdeeds - real or imagined.

The task of my generation of priests will be to rebuild that credibility at a personal level - and it might take a lifetime.

Only very rarely would a psychologically healthy man in this day and age choose the "open wound" of a lifetime of celibacy. Much more often, the "wound" is chosen as a cover for very sick men who want to worm their way into the lives of normal people. Especially those with the desire to molest boys.

At one time, yes. Today, every seminarian is given a battery of psychological tests at least upon entering the seminary program. Some major seminaries require additional testing before acceptance.

Thus when speaking of formation today, this is patently untrue.

I also never give to any diocesan cause and will not until the Church gets serious about addressing the problem by requiring - as in the Eastern Rite - that parish priests be married men.

The Latin Church never operated this way, and the Eastern approach is an aberration. Married priests in the Early Church were required to be continent - to renounce sexual interaction - and it was the Eastern Church that unilaterally restricted that continence to days of service at the altar. Also, I don't think that Eastern Catholics mandate married priests; rather, I think this is limited to the Orthodox. The Sandro Magister piece linked to in the OP gives more detail.

Celibacy for parish priests is on its way out, for the simple reason that the Hierarchy is being forced to deal with reality.

No it isn't.

There may be some big-name prelates speaking about it, but the fact that they need to bring the discussion outside to the media to try to drum up pressure from the outside suggests that there is little to no support on the inside.

Besides this, the divided loyalties that necessarily come with the dual-vocations of the married priest would be utterly destructive to hes ability to give himself fully to his flock - particularly in this day and age when his flock is growing larger and larger.

I'm also open to suggestions. As a layman my options are obviously limited. But I do what I can do. I'd be very grateful for any helpful suggestions as to how I can better help the Church see the error of the celibacy rule for priests.

I'll give my two cents:

1) Please stop the "anti-celibate" rhetoric... it is just as misdirected, unfair, and un-Catholic as the "anti-breeder" sentiment that you experienced in seminary. In fact, given that the Church views celibacy as a font of spiritual fertility of the Church - to be anti-celibate is to be "anti-breeder" on the supernatural level. Besides that, it means that you won't be heard by the people who you are really trying to convince; you would do better by a more moderate call to simply reexamine mandatory celibacy.

2) Read to understand the riches that celibacy can bestow, when understood as a gift from God and when lived fully. Some suggested texts:
- Presbyterorum ordinis 16 - The decree of Vatican Council II dedicated to the priesthood
- Sacerdotalis cælibatus - Paul VI's 1967 encyclical on priestly celibacy
- Pastores dabo vobis - The apostolic exhortation by John Paul II concluding the 1990 synod of bishops on the priesthood. This is also the document that influenced the USCCB Program for Priestly Formation - the guiding document for US Seminaries - When God Asks for an Undivided Heart, by Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR

This ended up being much longer than I thought it would be, but it gave me a chance, once again, to think about what it really is that I am discerning. Thank you and God Bless.

Also, I will remember you in particular in my prayers today.

Thank you. Your prayers are much appreciated, and much needed.

I disagree with your assessment that celibacy has little support on the "inside." After all, we've just seen the Vatican sign a deal with the more traditionalist wing of the Anglican Church that would allow them to "come home to Rome" with their married clergy very much in tow. This in very much in keeping with some of the other things the Vatican has done in the past 20 years or so, including ordaining married Protestant ministers, signing an historic agreement of full communion with the Armenian Gregorian Church with its married clergy, the celebration of the Eastern Rite wing of the Church, moving closer to Orthdoxy, greater reliance on married deacons, and so forth.

Nah, it's being phased out, I think rather clearly. The Catholic Church is a huge institution that can change a deeply ingrained rule like celibacy for parish priests only slowly. It's like trying to turn a huge ship that's headed in one direction. Lots of inertia. It's bound to be slow. But I think that, rather clearly, the decision has been made to let celibacy for parish priests die the death of a thousand cuts.

In particular, I'd say that the role of married deacons is set to grow and grow (even as their formation standards are ever tightened). I predict that the situation will look quite different in even 25 years, with celibate parish priests increasingly atrophied, and the married portion of the ordinary clergy running the show.

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