It is CURRENT law in the Catholic Church that all clerics observe perfect, perpetual continence. This includes those who are permitted to be ordained even though married. I.e., it includes deacons, and those who have been ordained priests after converting from another ecclesial body.
Please permit me to ask for some clarification.
Please explain what exactly this means. Does "perpetual continence" for a married cleric mean no sex at all with his legal spouse or does it mean no sexual contact with said wife for a certain time prior to conducting Mass or does it simply mean the married man must be sexually pure and faithful to his wife and not commit adultery and he may have sexual contact with his wife?
If even deacons are included in this "perpetual continence" and not just priests, then are deacons also mandated to be celibate and remain unmarried?
Thank you.