Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: Mrs. Don-o

If it’s a discipline, not a dogma, then why should celibacy be mandatory for priesthood?


119 posted on 03/13/2015 3:09:38 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 111 | View Replies ]


To: metmom; Arthur McGowan
The Catholic Church in the West (Latin) has both celibate clergy (priests) and non-celibate clergy (deacons). It's the way we're organized, and it has recognized advantages, e.g.

It has recognized disadvantages, too, principally in that the numbers of men who choose (or are called to ) celibacy are always much smaller than the numbers of men who are not.

Note that 21 of the 22 Churches of the Catholic Church (i.e. under the jurisdiction of the Pope) do have married priests. Only the Latins do not. If I were a man who felt a vocation both to marriage and the priesthood, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't demand that the ONE branch of Catholicism which has a celibate priesthood, should change their rules for me!

There are three ranks of clergy in the Catholic Church: deacons, priests, and bishops. But, if I can ask this without offense, why do you ignore our married clergy, the deacons? It seems to me that your objections, whatever they are, fall apart when you consider that there are 10's of thousands of married men around the world who have received the Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Western (Latin) Church in the Permanent Diaconate.

You speak of choice, yet you seem to be against men having all these choices.

129 posted on 03/13/2015 8:05:28 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (What unites us all, of any race, gender, or religion, is that we all believe we are above average.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 119 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson