Clerical celibacy was imposed by human beings over 1,000 years after the Birth of Christ. It is not part of the Ten Commandments, nor part of Christ’s teachings, and should have ABSOLUTELY no indictment on whether Christ is our Savior or who gets into Heaven.
Jesuit Historian, George T. Dennis SJ of Catholic University of America says: “There is simply no clear evidence of a general tradition or practice, much less of an obligation, of priestly celibacy-continence before the beginning of the fourth century.” (SEE HIS WORK: The Apostolic Origins of Priestly Celibacy, Theological Studies, 52:4 (1991:Dec.) p.738 )
Another Jesuit Priest Peter Fink SJ agrees, saying that underlying premises used in the book, Apostolic Origins of Priestly Celibacy, “would not stand up so comfortably to historical scrutiny”. Dennis says this book provides no evidence that celibacy had apostolic origins.
Of course one can always argue that they, like Francis are all liberal Jesuits...
But then, another catholic theologian, Monsignor Philippe Delhaye wrote:
“During the first three or four centuries, no law was promulgated prohibiting clerical marriage. Celibacy was a matter of choice for bishops, priests, and deacons. ... The apostolic constitutions (c. 400) excommunicated a priest or bishop who left his wife ‘under pretense of piety’ (Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio 1:51) — SEE “Celibacy, Clerical, History of” in New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol 3, Catholic University of America: Washington, D.C. 1967 p.370
Are you saying that you do not believe in Christ?
And the choices he made for apostles?
Most of them single and celibate!!
How many times does this myth have to be repudiated? Clerical celibacy (or more properly clerical continence) was the discipline in the West from the earliest times. Those reference to the so-called 10th century innovation were just the Western church restating and enforcing what was already the discipline for centuries.
That along with a lot of Roman Catholicism goes against the NT.