Posted on 04/20/2002 4:14:07 PM PDT by Notwithstanding
In a strong message days before a summit of U.S. churchmen on a sex abuse scandal, Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II said Saturday that priests must live celibate lives and avoid scandalous behavior. Bishops, he said, must investigate such behavior and take action to end it.
Celibacy was a discipline long before Pope Gregory VII, some members of the clergy agreed to lex continentiae and then ignored it; refer to Canons XXVII and XXXIII from the Council of Elvira, 295-302 AD. Peter and Jesus speak about those who have given up everything, including wives, to follow Christ. Melchisedech, Elias, John the Baptist, Paul and Jesus, to name just a few, were celibate.
Celibacy dates back to the Apostles
The canon of the Bible was closed in 405 AD by Pope St. Innocent I.
Doesn't celibacy contradict "A bishop should be the husband of one wife"? It's from one of the Epistles, I forget which.
If anything, that fact strengthens the argument against sola scriptura .
It already is, in the Eastern Rite, and, if you're Episcopalian and thinking of converting, you can get married.
It's only a matter of time, niner.
I'm wondering why we're only hearing about American priests. It seems highly unlikely that priests in other countries aren't having similar problems. Ot is the screening process over here less strict?
No it does not. One can be married and be celibate, re continent.
Celibacy is a discipline and not a doctrine. Melchisedech, Elias, Paul, John the Baptist and Christ Himself, amongst others were celibate.
Several of the apostles were married and Paul, though single, specifically mentions that it is fine to marry. The only requirement I see is that deacons should only have one wife.
The Apostles gave up everything, including wives; Matthew 19:27-29, to follow Christ. By the way, besides mentioning Peters' mother-in-law where does Scripture mention the other Apostles' wives and where does it mention them engaging in sexual relations with their wives?
Of course, the Bible doesn't mention the Pope, monks, nuns, confession booths, purgatory, cardinals, the vicar of Christ, Mary's perpetual virginity (she had other children you know) or sinlessness (all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God), praying to the saints, or veneration of relic just to name a few things. Just my two bits.
Your two bits aren't worth a penny and shows how little you know of Scripture. The Bible doesn't contain the words Trinity, Incarnation or Bible, so why do you believe in them? The Bible doesn't tell us of the deaths of the Apostles, with the exception of the traitor Judas, or Joseph so obviously they are all still alive, right? Mary had no other children, Scripture does not describe Her and Joseph having any other children, Scripture does not tell us that Mary remarried and even Calvin, Zwingli and Luther wrote that She remained a virgin. To state that She did remarry or had other children is non-Scriptural. Christ never sinned, prior to the fall Adam and Eve didn't sin and no one but Mary is called "full of grace" in Scripture. Since every sin diminishes grace Mary could not have been full of grace if Her soul was touched by sin.
Seems you need to reread the Bible (which were it not for the Catholic Church would not exist as a book). In particular:
John 21:25
1 Corinthians 11:2
2 Thessalonians 2:15, 3:6
You might also read The Protoevangelium of James the Apostle, who actually knew the Blessed Virgin Mary. If you'd like the quotes from Calvin, Luther and Zwingli on the Blessed Virgin Mary, I'll be happy to provide them too.
It's a matter of character for single people (that includes priests-celibate means single), and for married people. Yes, married people, too. You have to be willing to abstain from sex, at least for periods of time, in order to be a faithful spouse (no, I'm not being sarcastic-this time). What if your work takes you away for a while. What if the woman has a hard pregnancy, and then there is that 6 weeks after the birth of a child. What if your spouse becomes ill? For a married person to say he can't go without sex is to say he can't remain faithful. Character.
Do read Goodbye, Good Men>, due out about now. Major seminaries have been turning away those who are orthodox in favor of the loony left. Those seminaries that have been turning away homosexuals and those weak in faith and accepting the orthodox and devout are flourishing.
Youth really are idealistic (and I say this as someone who doesn't much care for the young -- they're too exhausting); vocations (it seems to me) dropped when the Church stopped demanding everything -- do your own thing, have your own apartment, dress like everyone else. I think the Palestinian suicide bombers -- and/or those who recruit them -- have more sense (and I am staunchly pro-Israel; I think they're horribly wrong, but not necessarily lost -- remember C.S. Lewis in the Narnia series -- intention counts for a lot).
Ask everything of youth and you'll get it. Ask crap, and you'll get that.
You forgot degrees of consanguinity (i.e., brothers and sisters, first cousins, etc.).
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