Matt 19:10-12 - Jesus lays the foundation for the Catholic Church call to priestly celibacy. Verse 10 ends with “... there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. He that can take, let him take it.”
The Catholic priest is acting as Jesus Christ (”Alter Christus” or “in Persona Christi”) in the administration of the sacraments; he is no longer merely a man. Jesus was not married, so the Church, by extension, recommends priests not be married.
Thousands of years of prayer and fasting have gone into the thinking and decisions of the Church. The path is not easy, though it is simple.
Peace.
You have wildly mis-read that verse and read it out of context from the chapter itself.
Math 19 was our Lord’s response to the Pharisees when they tried to test him about marriage and divorce. Our lord’s reply was specific to how sanctified and committed a marriage should be, one man, one women, no divorce. His reference to being a eunuch was specific to those who can not treat marriage as such and therefore accept celibacy, it was Him showing how serious a marriage must be approached. Basically if you cannot treat marriage that seriously, remain celibate. No where does he align this to being in the priesthood.
Classic example of taking one verse and applying eisegesis. It does not matter what you want the verse to say, one must let God’s word interpret God’s word.
The verse I quoted was specific to the subject of priests and the chapter itself supports that directly. What is known as exegesis, one should not push their own presuppositions into God’s word.
The verse you refer to does not support your opinion.
Oh and I must add, in your thousands of years of “mans” fasting and prayer interpretation you are not forced to explain how God was wrong when he said a priest should be a man of one wife. You have set up a contradiction against God’s word.
Jesus addressed this as well when he talked to the Pharisees who with at least centuries of tradition allowed giving donations to the temple above caring for one’s parents
Math 15:3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ a and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ b 5But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
True, except that Eastern Rite Catholic priests can be and often are married. There is a theological basis for priestly celibacy but it is not required.