Celibacy

[bigdawg]

Greetings,

I have a question that really concerns both celibacy and authority. My question is (I was asked this by a non-Catholic on another forum) if Paul allowed for priests to be married, how can the Catholic Church add a restriction such as celibacy? Doesn’t this in fact change the teachings of Paul?

Thanks in advance for the answer.

 

[Jim_Blackburn]

The requirement for celibacy is simply a disciplinary rule generally required in the Latin-Rite Church. The Church hierarchy has the obligation and responsibility for establishing rules such as this. No one is forced into living a celibate life just as no one is forced into the priesthood. But if one wishes to be considered for the priesthood, as with any vocation, he must follow the rules. For more on this see Celibacy and the Priesthood.