This is not true:
The highlighted statement is incorrect. Celibacy means complete abstinence from sexual relations, not marriage.
What makes you want to believe him as you can see what you wrote about him in bold above?
As I understand it, religious priests usually take vows of chastity and celibacy while secular priests only make a promise of celibacy. A vow of chastity would really be redundant, wouldn’t if, since all Christians are obligated to be chaste according to their state of life? Simple translation - no sex outside of marriage.
I’m sorry, maybe I missed something, but isn’t celibacy defined as abstaining from sex? Or have I had it wrong all these years?From the Catholic Encyclopedia
As I understand it, religious priests usually take vows of chastity and celibacy while secular priests only make a promise of celibacy. A vow of chastity would really be redundant, wouldn’t if, since all Christians are obligated to be chaste according to their state of life? Simple translation - no sex outside of marriage.
So, technically, the ex-seminarian is correct that a priest having unmarried sex is not breaking his vow of celibacy. He is wrong, however, in saying that this is permitted and/or not a sin. It is a most serious sin against chastity and against the 6th commandment. The promise of abstinance is implicit in the vow of celibacy since the only valid use of the marriage act is within marriage.
IMHO, what the ex-seminarian advocates is worse than breaking a vow since a vow can be annulled or dispensed but chastity is a life-long obligation.
A secular priest is a diocesan or parish priest. He works for the diocese in which he is assigned, most often the diocese where he was raised. He doesn’t join an order like the Benedictines, Franciscans, Jesuits etc. He is obligated to work under his bishop for the people in the parish to which he’s assigned. A religious priest will go where he is sent by the directors of his order. He might do missionary work, work in a church, teach etc.I’m sorry, maybe I missed something, but isn’t celibacy defined as abstaining from sex? Or have I had it wrong all these years?
Okay, wait, had to edit as I just looked up the definition of celibacy. Apparently one could also define it as abstaining from marriage. I suppose if you were to define it that way, then a priest who has unmarried sex would not be breaking his vow of celibacy. However, I don’t believe that is the church’s definition.
Also, what is a secular priest? Sounds like an oxymoron.
It’s the other way around. In ordinary English speech, celibacy means abstinance but in Church speech, it is a promise not to marry, which includes abstinance since sex is only permitted within marriage.I’m sorry, maybe I missed something, but isn’t celibacy defined as abstaining from sex? Or have I had it wrong all these years?
Okay, wait, had to edit as I just looked up the definition of celibacy. Apparently one could also define it as abstaining from marriage. I suppose if you were to define it that way, then a priest who has unmarried sex would not be breaking his vow of celibacy. However, I don’t believe that is the church’s definition.
Also, what is a secular priest? Sounds like an oxymoron.
Sometimes the simplest explanations are the best.
). On the other hand some priests, e.g., Roman Catholic priests, take a vow of celibacy (from marriage). By extension (using the rationale explained in previous posts), a person who has taken a vow of celibacy must also remain abstain from sexual relations.I had a hard time understanding the difference at first as well. I mean, secular does throw you off a bit. I knew there were different orders etc. For a long time, I thought that even the priests at my parish belonged to orders. Historically, the parish where I grew up was served by Franciscans as we have a long history with the Franciscans here where I live, but we haven’t had a Franciscan in charge of the parish for many years. About 25 years go, our rector who was a Franciscan was brutally murdered. Anyway, for me to learn the difference took writing a story about a priest and his twin sister and having him sit down and explain the difference to her, after I learned it of course.Sometimes the simplest explanations are the best.
When I hear the term “secular” I tend to think of things outside the church. Seems to me that a priest by his very nature is religious. I didn’t know they were referred to in this manner. It kind of makes sense, now, but the language we use is sometimes very interesting, isn’t it? It can lead to all kinds of misunderstandings.
I wondered about the ex-seminarian in the OP too. But if he truly left the seminary and is so anti-Catholic now, he probably doesn’t really care b/c he’s free to marry and doesn’t have to worry about there being a loophole to have sex.Still, in reference to the OP, I can’t help but wonder if this ex-seminarian was looking for a loophole…or trying to define celibacy as something that would “allow” for marriageless sex. (I think I just invented a new word!)
Good point that Latin Rite/ Roman Catholic priests are the only ones who make promises or vows of celibacy and chastity because those married priests who convert and come into the Catholic faith are released of those vows and promises.Celibacy has two distinct definitions, one is abstinence from sexual relations, the other, more correct definition, is “being unmarried.” In fact, the word celibate comes from the Latin word caelibatus, meaning “unmarried.”
A priest does not necessarily have to refrain from sexual relations. Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic priests are permitted to marry (with all rights, responsibilities, and privileges pertaining thereto
Fornication
That’s exactly what I was thinking, too.