Husband of one wife - why can't priests marry?

[EddieArent]

I scimmed over the replies, so please forgive me if this has been posted.

Another reason why Priests aren’t to be married. Take a look at the Gospel during the washing of the feet. Christ said, that he has given them an example for them to follow (I don’t know the exact quote off the top of my head, so forgive me). Thus, if Christ is example for priests to follow, then as Jesus wasn’t married, then priests shouldn’t.

 

[Couger]

As a new comer to the Catholic Faith I am in Awe at the structure of knowledge that the Church provides while at the same time does not have easy answers… to the point of us acting with out Faith and totally base everything on reason
We are provided with a history and the wonderful gift of spiritual guidance.
Much like someone was saying of how the Priests are said to be Married to the Church, I think this is a wonderful parallel that the Roman Catholic Church has taken a leap of Faith in God and realiance on the Holy Spirit to pursue. However, we do have wonderful ways that already married men can up hold the example of married life and play an active role in many Priestly duties as a Deacon
I have to admit, being newly married that the gifts my husband gives to me of himself is wonderful, even more wonderful because of the Catholic Faith that it is based in. Our Love is stronger for it because of God’s Grace. God has truly given me a great gift, through my husband. As a women I have no way of returning this gift to God, even in my love for God and my own husband
Like many woman in the bible, I will be truly honnored if one of my sons became a Priest and devoted himself to it as being Married to the Church. I do not want to force this on my future sons, the first due in October, but I am pretty confident that Mary felt the same way and it is a good desire.

Married life is wonderful, but it should not become so highly elevated, as to alter the Godly role of the celibate consecrated life. The Sacrefices can be just as great in each, through I am not sure all married people, even Catholics, strive to practice that way. Just like all things in the Kingdom of God, with great sacrific come great blessings, whether here on earth or in eterneal life.
I have yet to know a Catholic man, or women, who has honestly told me they would be willing to do both. Anybody out their? With all the talk about it, I would like to hear from someone. Are Mary and Joseph the only ones?
Living in our culture, I think it is understandable why Protestants don’t believe the Marian theology solely because they don’t understand how much both of them were willing to sacrific to honner God. I am olnly starting to understand that now myself

God Bless You All and Thank you for your patients if you where able to get through reading this

Beth

 

[J_Chrysostomos]

BobCatholic:

The first one is senseless: the apostles (who were bishops) were all not married (except for maybe Peter, who may have been widowed) If that interpretation held, then 11 out of the 12, and Paul, and Barnabas, and Matthias were automatically excluded and thus did not count. Oh well

I have to correct you here:

:bible1: I Corinthians 9.5
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 Kephas?

If Peter/Kepha was a widower, it is unlikely Paul would have mentioned him in this list. Note also the “rest of the apostles” and the “brothers of the Lord” (James, Jude, etc.) bring wives with them. (The next verse seems to indicate that he and Barnabas were unusual among the apostles for not having wives.)

A question for those who believe that clerical celibacy is essential: do you feel that it is wrong for the church to allow the Byzantine Catholic priests to be married? Should they be required to be celibate as well?

 

[Serafin]

I Corinthians 9.5
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 Kephas?
If Peter/Kepha was a widower, it is unlikely Paul would have mentioned him in this list.

In Eusebius Ecclesiastical history reference is made to Peter and to his wife when relating his martyrdom.

A question for those who believe that clerical celibacy is essential: do you feel that it is wrong for the church to allow the Byzantine Catholic priests to be married? Should they be required to be celibate as well?

How about the Anglican use parishes where priests converted from Anglicanism are allowed to be married? If celibacy is esential for the priesthood why not for all?

The Orthodox, Byzantine catholics, Anglicans and a yriad of Protestants seem to have survived centuries with married clergy!

Blessings

Serafin

 

[Mike_C]

The reason why priests and bishops were married in the early days of the Church was that celibacy was not the rule yet. (The Church was just getting started in the year 33). It really wasn’t (name removed by moderator)osed in the West until about the year 1100. Several Popes were married. St. Hilary of Poitiers’ daughter is venerated as a saint.

We have a married priest in my parish. I am Eastern Catholic. He has 2 sons. But they are from Ukraine where the woman (called “pany”) are trained. I doubt if any American women who marry a priest in this country would want to be told what to do!

 

[Mike_Rainville]

This may inform the discussion. My understanding is that priestly celibacy is a matter of Church discipline, meaning there is no particular problem with it, merely that the Church has decided to require it, for the time being. From glancing through this document, I hope you will agree that the problem was deeply, honestly, and thoroughly reconsidered at the time this document was written.

Sacerdotalis Caelibatus by Pope Paul VI

1. The Church proclaims her hope in Christ; she is conscious of the critical shortage of priests when compared with the spiritual necessities of the world’s population; but she is confident in her expectation which is founded on the infinite and mysterious power of grace, that the high spiritual quality of her ministers will bring about an increase also in their numbers, for everything is possible to God. (l52)