Is the priesthood a higher calling than marriage?

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ComradeAndrei:
As taught by His Holiness, Pope Pius XII in his encyclical Sacra Virginitas -

From the Second Vatican Council document, Decree on Priestly Training Optatam Totius n.10 2nd paragraph

Roma locuta est, causa finita est.

Like FCGEM stated previously, it is not a matter of clericalism. The priesthood is a higher calling, the constant teaching of our Holy Mother Church would agree, however, it is not a “ha, ha, I’m better than you are” type of thing. This higher calling demands more sacrifices, more authority and thus more responsibility. The Sacrament of Holy Orders is also one of only three Sacraments that leave an indellible mark upon the recipiant (the other two being Baptism and Confirmation). Marriage does no such thing.

We need to better study the teachings of our Holy Church and not just follow along with personal modernist opinions.I have all the respect in the world of Matrimony, however, let us not go overboard and declare it equal to the supremely sublime gift of the calling to the concecrated life.
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Amen. I can agree with that. I was reading it as an “I’m better or more worthy than you” kind of thing. It’s really not, but I can see that it is indeed a “higher” calling.
 
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DavidFilmer:
Note that “higher” does not mean “better.” It’s a level of committment and dicipline that God calls someone to. Most are not called to the highest calling, and that’s fine. God loves us all the same, but calls us differently.
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This defines ‘higher’ vs ‘better’ pretty well.

Remember God calls all of us to the roles(callings) that He wants us to do in His Plan. All callings are important, and each calling has its responsibilities each of us will be accountable for when we die and are judged.

When we answer The Call, we accept the level of responsiblity entrusted to us from God; He knows each of us can do it.

Callings are not limited to just ‘Priest,’ ‘Married,’ ‘Single,’ 'Nun." or ‘Brother.’ They go further, deeper, to include such items as being a good teacher, a solid role model for others, an open-door for people curious about Catholicism, etc, while being a priest, wife, etc. God has specific needs He needs us to fulfill in His Plan.

Religious Life is a higher calling due to its direct heritage and association to Christ and the disciples, rejecting the World, and being the Shepherd of the Flock.

Does it mean Priesthood is the best among all callings? No. All callings are needed to fulfill God’s Divine Plan.

Thank you.
 
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ComradeAndrei:
Notice that the Eastern Rites only choose from men among the celibate priesthood to be raised to the episcopacy-the fullness of priesthood. So, it a nutshell, yes-a celibate priest does have a higher calling than a married priest.
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Notice also that you didn’t answer my question. Let me ask it again.

Do celibate nuns, monks and lay brothers have a higher calling than the married priests of the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church?
 
My reading of the consicular documents of Vatican II suggest that a vocation to Holy Orders is higher. However, great care is taken not to render the vocation of marrage inferior. :getholy:
 
Desert Father:
My reading of the consicular documents of Vatican II suggest that a vocation to Holy Orders is higher. However, great care is taken not to render the vocation of marrage inferior. :getholy:
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**Catechism of the Catholic Church

“I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH”

Paragraph 4. Christ’s Faithful - Hierarchy, Laity, Consecrated Life

872** “In virtue of their rebirth in Christ there exists among all the Christian faithful a true equality with regard to dignity and the activity whereby all cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ in accord with each one’s own condition and function.” [386]

386 CIC, Can. 208; Cf. LG 32.
 
My priest says that the closest human beings come to imitating God is in marriage.
 
Do celibate nuns, monks and lay brothers have a higher calling than the married priests of the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church?
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In the sense that they are priests, yes then they’d have a higher calling. It is because of their being priests and not them being married that makes this so.
872 “In virtue of their rebirth in Christ there exists among all the Christian faithful a true equality with regard to dignity and the activity whereby all cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ in accord with each one’s own condition and function.”
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This doesn’t say that the priesthood isn’t a higher calling. We should all agree that we are equal in our role as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, however there still exists a hierarchy.

This passage from the CCC is fairly vague and it is a real stretch for an equality in dignity to say that priesthood is not a higher calling. I have already posted (a few times) clear and authoritative teachings that the call to the priesthood is a higher calling.
 
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ComradeAndrei:
In the sense that they are priests, yes then they’d have a higher calling. It is because of their being priests and not them being married that makes this so.
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Nevertheless, in your opinion, being married hasn’t *prevented * at least some priests from having a “higher calling” than celibate lay brothers, monks and nuns. Following you line of thinking, a married deacon, because of his office within the heirarchy, would also have a higher calling than celibate lay brothers, monks and nuns. So determining who has the higher calling isn’t as simple as saying that the person living in consecrated celibacy necessarily has a higher calling than a married person.
We should all agree that we are equal in our role as members of the Mystical Body of Christ
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I think that Catholics should agree with what is written in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. First, there exists an equality among the Christian faithful with regard to their dignity as members of the Body of Christ. Second, there exists an equality among the Christian faithful with regard to “the activity whereby all cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ in accord with each one’s own condition and function."
… however there still exists a hierarchy
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No doubt Christ founded a church with a hierarchy of authority. Bishops must listen to the authority of the Pope, priests and deacons must obey their bishops, and deacons and priests have spiritual authority over the faithful under their care. The “condition and function” of the Pope, bishops, priests, deacons, monks, nuns, sisters, lay brothers, anchorites, etc. are all different - yet “there exists an equality with regard to "the activity whereby all cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ.”

Peter was married, and he was pope. Any male member of the Catholic Church, married or celibate, could become a Pope. If a married man became the Pope, would you say, by reason of his position in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, that he has a higher calling than a celibate bishop?
 
Marraige is a sacrament that lasts until one or the other spouse dies. Man and woman together form the image of God. A married couple is what comes closest to explaining the trinity (in my mind). They freely and selflessly give to the other and partake in the creative work of God. Even with that beauty, marriage is only a mere shadow of the beauty of the unity with God that we seek. The priest on the other hand is living that unity with God that marriage is a witness to. He is intimately part of what all people who die in a state of grace will experience, as such he is a powerful sign to the married couple reminding them what they are truly called to in their marriage, unity with God. The married couple, conversely, show the priest and example of what his union with God looks like and remind him of this everytime he sees a married couple, especially if the couple has kids.

Both are signs to the other and both seek the same end, unity with God. As for which is a higher calling, live out either calling and then ask God when you die.

As for the higher calling, does it really matter or is it just a matter of pride?
 
It’s the teaching of the Church (e.g., Trent) and St. Paul (1 Corinthians 7) that celibacy is higher than marriage.
 
The priesthood can’t be a higher calling than marriage because being married to my wife is heaven!:yup:
 
Nevertheless, in your opinion, being married hasn’t prevented at least some priests from having a “higher calling” than celibate lay brothers, monks and nuns. Following you line of thinking, a married deacon, because of his office within the heirarchy, would also have a higher calling than celibate lay brothers, monks and nuns. So determining who has the higher calling isn’t as simple as saying that the person living in consecrated celibacy necessarily has a higher calling than a married person
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As you stated, my opinion. I don’t know for sure the hierarchy of calling when comparing a married priest to celebate monks and nuns. Maybe celibate monks, nuns, and brothers have a higher calling than a married priest?

Rereading some of my earlier posts, I would be inclined to believe that those who have taken vows of consecrated celibacy have the higher calling, possibly outside the bounds of priesthood. Thinking of the Latin Rite, the priest (or other religious who have taken a vow of chastity) would have a higher calling than the lay married person-that much is easy to discern.

Furthermore, I would not agree with your interpretation of the Catechism. However, Trent was clear, Pope Pius XII was clear. Higher calling doesn’t insinuate “better” or “more equal”.
 
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ComradeAndrei:
… the priest (or other religious who have taken a vow of chastity) would have a higher calling than the lay married person - that much is easy to discern.
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I agree that that much can be discerned from Canon X of the Council of Trent; a person that is married (but not ordained) cannot be said to be more blessed than a person that has consecrated their virginity to make a total commitment to service in the Kingdom of God. Jesus himself teaches that it is better to be a eunuch for the Kingdom of God than it is to be married.

But the question of who has the “higher calling”, a celibate nun, or a married priest - the answer is not so clear. The words “higher calling” are not used in the Catechism - for a reason.
 
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flamingsword:
As for the higher calling, does it really matter or is it just a matter of pride?
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Since most (all?) here presenting the Church’s teaching aren’t priests, I don’t think it’s a matter of pride but one of recognizing and accepting the Church’s authentic teaching. 🙂
 
Priests, according to countless saints, are not only better than us, but are a little higher than Angels.

example: St. Francis once said that, if he met a Priest and an Angel at the same time, he would greet the Priest first.

For no Angel has ever been given the ability to forgive sins in the name of God, nor has any Angel been able to call Christ Himself down to the Altar, and represent the Sacrifice of Calvary to God the Father.

If that is not a higher calling, I dont know what is…
 
ComradeAndrei is correct.

But the poll was phrased in an unclear manner.

All vocations, whether priesthood, religious, married or single, are equal in dignity and all are important.

But the Church says that the cloistered religous life is the highest calling, the most superior vocation, then comes the priesthood and the other vocations. I am not sure where the active religious fit in in the ranking.

Did you know that the prayers of cloistered religious (both men and women, folks) keep the world going? Without their prayers, things would be worse.

The Cartusian life has always fascinated me. Their rule is unchanged since the founding by St. Bruno in the 1000s, a member of a noble family from Cologne. No names are put on the gravestones of the deceased monks since God knows who they are. It is unimportant whether people know their names, according to the Cartusians;( if God knows you, who cares if people do).
They have a monastary in Vermont, I believe.

So quit the wrangling. As for marriage, it seems to be more superior to the single life. And from my own experience with marriage, I am hoping my sons will have become priests or religious.

According to the late John Hardon, a concession was made by the Holy See to the Eastern Catholics to allow the priests to continue to marry. The celibate priesthood (marriage to Jesus) is superior to marriage. Again folks, all vocations are equal in dignity, but some are superior to others.
 
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Alterum:
I’d like to know! Some people have told me that this is Church teaching, while others have said that it is not.
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The short answer is NO.

Some time ago, I read a John Paul II document about marriage where he said (and I am paraphrasing), “marriage, is a vocation which is equal to the priesthood”.

It is not a Church teaching and it cannot be a Church teaching: such teaching, if it exists, would create different classes of “false righteousness”, and this is not Catholicism. Keep in mind that as Catholics, male or female, Holy Order or not, married or single, we all are priests. And each one of us is responsible for a unique “function” in God’s family, with the Sacraments “function” dedicated only to the Holy Order priests.

God bless.

Tony
 
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Leeta:
But the Church says that the cloistered religous life is the highest calling, the most superior vocation, then comes the priesthood and the other vocations.
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Please show us where the Catholic Church teaches that a cloistered celibate lay-brother has a higher calling than a parish priest!
 
IMO, they’re about totally equal to folks who are married. They all have a different set of things they are called to do, one no less, one no more, than the other. I have often thought, what do these priests even know of struggle? of strife? of anything? they’re just provided for, they know nothing of working for a living and having to support a family. They know nothing of real strife in the world, but then I think they do, in a different way. The sacrifices they endure for the sake of Christ, must be very hard. SO>>>>> I have come to the conclusion that it must be about the same.
 
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