[AnAmericanMother]

There's that scary word, "rigid" . . . . That adjective is dreadfully overused by liberal Catholics/CINOs, who apply it to any aspect of Catholicism that they don't like . . . .

Seriously, celibacy is hardly rigid -- it's a discipline, not a doctrine.

But most priests will tell you that it's a grace and a gift, and bears great fruit. The priesthood is a sacrifice in many ways, and celibacy is but one aspect of that.

What's rigid about that?

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

First, lets just chill with the CINO lib Catholic comments...!

In my first post I said i was FOR celibacy of priests and pastors and made my point VERY clear.

However, yes the church’s position is “rigid’ in the sense it insists priests are celibate, and thus enhance the rigidity ( no choice about celbacy, regardless of its virtues) when they called married priests ( regardless of where they came from) “exceptions”. You have “exceptions” to a strict , IE rigid, doctrine.

It IS a doctrine...and a discipline....You can not be a priest AND get married, or be married and decide to be a priest...( uh, excuse me, except for the “exceptions”).