‘I cannot keep silent’: Benedict XVI and Cdl Sarah defend priestly celibacy in new book

ROME, January 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Benedict XVI and Cardinal Robert Sarah have co-authored a new book on priestly celibacy, taking a firm stand against the priestly ordination of married men in the Latin Church.

The timing of the new volume is significant. It comes ahead of Pope Francis’s highly anticipated post-apostolic exhortation on the recent Synod of Bishops on the Amazon. The meeting, which took place in October at the Vatican, proposed creating an exception to celibacy in the Latin priesthood.

Titled, “From the Depths of Our Hearts,” [De profoundeur de nos cœurs] the new book by the pope emeritus and the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments will first be released in French on January 15.

“The ability to renounce marriage in order to place oneself totally at the Lord’s disposal is a criterion for the priestly ministry,” Benedict XVI writes in the new book. “As for the concrete form of celibacy in the ancient Church, it should also be pointed out that married men could only receive the sacrament of Holy Orders if they had committed themselves to sexual abstinence, that is to say, to a Josephite marriage. Such a situation seems to have been quite normal during the first centuries.”

During the Amazon Synod last October, the synod fathers discussed the possibility of ordaining married men (viri probati) in the region as an exception.

In the wake of the synod, key members of the German hierarchy openly said that if such an exception is created, they too will make a push for married priests in Germany.

It is unknown where exactly Pope Francis stands on the issue of opening an exception for married clergy in the Latin Church. On January 27, 2019, during an inflight press conference on his return from Panama, Francis said he “personally” believes “celibacy is a gift to the Church” and does “not agree with allowing celibacy as an option.” But he added that he might envisage “some possibilities for very remote places,” like the Pacific Islands, where there is a “pastoral necessity.”

This stance was reflected in the final document of the Amazon Synod. In section 111 of the document, which passed by a two thirds majority, the authors state: “We appreciate celibacy as a gift of God (SC1967 1) to the extent that this gift enables the missionary disciple, ordained to the priesthood, to dedicate himself fully to the service of the Holy People of God.”

However, the document went on to note that “some [of the synod fathers] were in favor of a more universal approach to the subject” and therefore proposed that “suitable and respected men of the community with a legitimately constituted and stable family, who have had a fruitful permanent diaconate and receive an adequate formation for the priesthood” be ordained “in order to sustain the life of the Christian community … in the most remote areas of the Amazon region.”

The new book by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI and Cardinal Robert Sarah therefore comes amid a discussion on married priests opened by Francis and allows their voices to be heard.

“I cannot in conscience, as a son of Africa, support the idea that the peoples on the road to evangelization should be deprived of this encounter with a priesthood lived to the full,” Cardinal Sarah writes in the new book. “The peoples of Amazonia have the right to a full experience of Christ the Bridegroom. They cannot be offered ‘second class’ priests. On the contrary, the younger a Church is, the more it needs to meet the radical nature of the Gospel.”

The book also comes in the wake of a crisis in priestly formation and homosexual corruption that enabled prelates such as former cardinal and convicted sex abuser Theodore McCarrick ascend the ranks of the hierarchy unchecked.

In the introduction, the pope emeritus and the Guinean cardinal explain that the volume was born out of silence, prayer, and a series of conversations and letters they exchanged in recent months.

With the fourth century doctor of the Church, St. Augustine, they affirm: “I cannot keep silent! I know how pernicious silence would be for me. For I do not wish to wallow in ecclesiastical honors, but I think that it is to Christ, the first of the Pastors, that I will have to give an account of the sheep entrusted to my care. I cannot keep silent or claim ignorance.”

Once news of the book broke in French, Mark Brumley took to Twitter announcing that Ignatius Press will be publishing the volume under the title: “From the depths of our hearts: priesthood, celibacy, and the crisis of the Catholic Church.” The book will be available for pre-order on Monday, January 13 and will ship on February 20.

“Their book is not just about priestly celibacy, important as that is in itself,” said Ignatius Press founder and editor Father Joseph Fessio in a press release on Sunday. “It is about, as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI describes it in his first paragraph: ‘the lasting crisis that the priesthood has been going through for many years.’ But it is about more than that; it is about the nature of the Church and of Christian discipleship. This is a book that all should read. It is powerful and personal — from the depths of their hearts.”

Key passages from the new volume were published as an exclusive by the French daily Le Figaro on Sunday. Here below we publish an unofficial English translation of several excerpts. Passages taken from the introduction and conclusion of the book were written jointly by Benedict XVI and Cardinal Sarah.

In recent months, as the world resounded with the din created by a strange media synod that was taking precedence over the real synod, we met. We exchanged ideas and concerns. We prayed and meditated in silence. Each one of our meetings gave us a sense of comfort and calm. Our reflections in different ways led us to exchange letters. The similarity of our concerns and the convergence of our conclusions led us to put the fruit of our work and our spiritual friendship at the disposal of all the faithful, following the example of St. Augustine. Indeed, like him we can affirm: “Silere non possum! I cannot keep silent! I know how pernicious silence would be for me. For I do not wish to wallow in ecclesiastical honors, but I think that it is to Christ, the first of the Pastors, that I will have to give an account of the sheep entrusted to my care. I cannot keep silent or claim ignorance.” (...) We do so in a spirit of love for the unity of the Church. If ideology divides, truth unites hearts. Studying the doctrine of salvation can only unite the Church around its divine Master. We do so in a spirit of charity.

The daily celebration of the Eucharist, which implies a permanent state of service to God, does not spontaneously leave the impossibility of a matrimonial bond. It can be said that sexual abstinence which was functional has transformed itself into ontological abstinence. (...) Nowadays, it is too easily claimed that all this is simply the consequence of a disregard for corporeality and sexuality. (...) Such a judgment is erroneous. To prove this, we need only recall that the Church has always considered marriage as a gift granted by God from heaven on earth. However, the conjugal state concerns man in his totality, and since the service of the Lord also requires the total gift of man, it does not seem possible to realize the two vocations simultaneously. Thus, the ability to renounce marriage in order to place oneself totally at the Lord’s disposal is a criterion for the priestly ministry. As for the concrete form of celibacy in the ancient Church, it should also be pointed out that married men could only receive the sacrament of Holy Orders if they had committed themselves to sexual abstinence, that is to say, to a Josephite marriage. Such a situation seems to have been quite normal during the first centuries.

Without the renunciation of material goods, there can be no priesthood. The call to follow Jesus is not possible without this sign of freedom and renunciation of all compromise. I believe that celibacy has great significance as the abandonment of a possible earthly domain and circle of family life; celibacy even becomes truly indispensable so that our journey towards God can remain the foundation of our life and express itself concretely. This means, of course, that celibacy must permeate all the attitudes of life with its demands. It cannot attain its full meaning if we conform to the rules of property and the attitudes of life commonly practiced today. There can be no stability if we do not put our union with God at the center of our lives.

What does it mean to be a priest of Jesus Christ? (...) The essence of the priestly ministry is defined in the first place by the fact of standing before the Lord, to keep watch for Him, being there for Him. (...) This means for us to stand before the Lord who is present; that is, it points to the Eucharist as the center of priestly life. (...) The priest must be someone who watches. He must be vigilant in the face of the threatening powers of evil. He must keep the world alert for God. He must be someone who stands on the edge: straight in the face of the current of time. Straight in the truth. Straight in commitment to the service of good. Standing before the Lord must always also mean taking care of men before the Lord who, in turn, takes care of all of us before the Father. And this must mean supporting Christ, his Word, his truth, his love. The priest must be upright, courageous and even willing to suffer insults for the Lord. (...) The priest must be a person full of rectitude, vigilant, who stands upright. To all this is added the need to serve. (...) If the liturgy is a central duty of the priest, it also means that prayer must be a priority reality which must be learned ever anew and ever more deeply at the school of Christ and of the saints of all times.

The word “holy” expresses the special nature of God. He alone is the Holy One. Man becomes holy in the measure that he begins to be with God. To be with God is to set aside that which is only the "I" and become one with the whole of God's life. However, this liberation of the self can be very painful, and is never accomplished once and for all. However, the term “sanctify” can also be understood in a very concrete way to mean priestly ordination, in the sense that it implies that the living God radically claims a man in order to make him serve Him.

Priestly celibacy well understood, if it is sometimes a trial, is a liberation. It allows the priest to establish himself coherently in his identity as spouse of the Church. The project of depriving communities and priests of this joy is not a work of mercy. I cannot in conscience, as a son of Africa, support the idea that the peoples on the road to evangelization should be deprived of this encounter with a priesthood lived to the full. The peoples of Amazonia have the right to a full experience of Christ the Bridegroom. They cannot be offered “second class” priests. On the contrary, the younger a Church is, the more it needs to meet the radicality of the Gospel.

The ordination of married men, even if they were previously permanent deacons, is not an exception, but a breach, a wound in the coherence of the priesthood. To speak of exceptions is an abuse of language or a lie (...). Moreover, the ordination of married men in young Christian communities would forbid the fostering of priestly vocations of unmarried priests. The exception would become a permanent state prejudicial to the proper understanding of the priesthood.

We live in sadness and suffering in these difficult and troubled times. It was our sacred duty to recall the truth of the Catholic priesthood. For through him the whole beauty of the Church is called into question. The Church is not just a human organization. She is a mystery. She is the mystical Bride of Christ. This is what our priestly celibacy constantly reminds the world of. It is urgent, necessary, that everyone, bishops, priests and lay people, no longer allow themselves to be impressed by bad pleas, theatrical productions, diabolical lies, and fashionable errors that seek to devalue priestly celibacy. It is urgent, necessary, that all, bishops, priests and laity, rediscover a gaze of faith on the Church and on priestly celibacy which protects its mystery. This will be the best defense against the spirit of division, against the political spirit but also against the spirit of indifference and relativism.

“ Peter was already married when he met Jesus. I think your authority is lacking. You obviously dont believe in the traditions...even though the Bible instructs us to.”

The Bible instructs us to follow the traditions of the Apostles - which is what the NT scriptures are. The scriptures are the only remaining infallible source of Apostolic tradition - that’s what makes them scripture.

“You are being dogmatic...your entire argument rests on a couple of verses which you keep repeating. Your knowledge is based upon a incorrect bible”

Scripture IS dogma. And the verses I cite are contained in the oldest Greek texts we have. They are also contained in the Latin Vulgate, in all 5 editions of Erasmus’ Greek text, in the NAB and in the Douay-Rheims English translation.

The Catholic Church does not have “merely preconceived” notions. It has the full Bible and tradition. It is the Protestants who have contrived tens of thousands of self conceived theology. This is a result of individuals who read the Bible to fit their own notion of theology. They use verses against other Christians as if they were clubs. I lived as a Protestant for over 50 years. God and Mary led me to Catholicism. It is like finally coming home.

Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

Yet Paul did not exercise this right, nor do we know if Peter continued to have marital relations or practice marital constancy, as the Jewish priests did while serving in the Temple and as was common in the West among Christian priests from the earliest times. The fact that Peter had a wife proves nothing.

What Paul says by “way of concession” is that he wishes everyone to be as he is. The duties of spouses is an imperative.

No, the immediate antecedent is returning to one's spouse after a temporary separation of bed, and this in contrast to his desire that everyone be as he is.

Biblical imperatives apply just as much to pastors as to laymen in the faith.

A concession is not an imperative. In any case, Paul is clearly giving his own counsel, not a Biblical commandment.

I am doing this from my phone. Makes it tough :). Tradition goes way beyond the New Testament. One of the shortcomings of being Protestant is the short 500 year existence. And as a result missing on the generation upon generation consistency Jesus’ Church enjoys.

In any event, you sound like a good Christian over all. But you really should not try to dissuade Catholics from their solid theologically beliefs. Many are not fully aware just how solid Catholic theology really is. Including the Basillica being built upon the grave of St Peter. We also have absolutely incredible miracles in the Shroud of Turin. Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Guadeloupe, countless Saints like Padre Pio, etc.

The depth and breadth of the Catholic Church is true beauty and love. One out of five inhabitants of this earth are Catholic. We educate, feed, give health care more people than any other entity on earth.

Yes, I love the Church Jesus himself started.

And there’s [no] evidence he did - so that’s no argument for celibacy.

I am not claiming that this is evidence for celibacy. Rather, given that there is evidence that priests in the early church did practice marital constancy, the fact that Peter was married is not an argument against celibacy. All that we know about Peter was that he had a wife; period, full-stop, end-of-story. Any claims beyond this is pure conjecture.

*****

5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. Luke 1:5-7 NASB

*****

An oft-repeated lie. Priestly celibacy, or more properly constancy, was the rule in the West from Apostolic times.

Well, this has been debunked....again. Yet I am sure the Roman will continue to repeat the false information.

Like so much of Roman Catholicism this was a later development not witnessed in the New Testament.

*****

The fact that Peter had a wife proves nothing.

Actually it proves a lot of what Rome has advanced is.....WRONG.

Not only did Peter have a wife but....

Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 1 Corinthians 9:5 NASB

Sure seems like a lot of folks got married back in the day.

I'm willing to bet that like Joseph and Mary they had marital relations....IOW....SEX.

The Catholic Church does not have “merely preconceived” notions. It has the full Bible and tradition.

No, Rome has added to the Scriptures by elevating fallible "tradition" to that of infallible Scripture.

It is the Protestants who have contrived tens of thousands of self conceived theology.

Oh please....not this debunked and discredited argument.

The Roman Catholic who continues to advance this nonsense has really lost all credibility.

*****

I lived as a Protestant for over 50 years. God and Mary led me to Catholicism.

Always with Mary for the Roman Catholics.

You may have joined another denomination, but the question is.....do you trust in Christ and only Christ for your salvation?

I am not claiming that this is evidence for celibacy.

You're changing your argument now that its been proven wrong by Scripture.

Rather, given that there is evidence that priests in the early church did practice marital constancy, the fact that Peter was married is not an argument against celibacy.

Beginning around the 4th century. That's a bit past Peter and the Apostles time.

*****

All that we know about Peter was that he had a wife; period, full-stop, end-of-story. Any claims beyond this is pure conjecture.

Well, your "tradition" says both he did have kids.

*****

Keep trying....your argument continues to fall to pieces.

You're changing your argument now that its been proven wrong by Scripture.

Not at all. I have always presented the case for celibacy as coming from Church practice, and not from a Biblical mandate. My discussion concerning Peter was just to refute the false idea that since he was married that he must have continued to have relations with his wife as an apostle. It is possible that he did; it is also possible that he practiced marital constancy as did many in the early church. The truth is that we have no testimony either way. But since celibacy/marital constancy is admittedly a church discipline and not a Biblical mandate, it does not make a difference. What is clear, however, that the claim that it was an invention of the Middle Ages is false. There is clear evidence that it was the rule in the West from the earliest years.

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‘I cannot keep silent’: Benedict XVI and Cdl Sarah defend priestly celibacy in new book

Benedict: 'Married men could only receive the sacrament of Holy Orders if they had committed themselves to sexual abstinence.’