A
AdvanceAlways
Guest
Its time to end mandatory celibacy! Keep it with our Bishops, but let out Priests have families! It has worked in some of the Eastern Churches and could work in Rome!
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R
Rolltide
Guest
There have been some very good responses about the history of celibacy, but the short form goes something like this:
Celibate priests had been around very early. With the end of martyrdom, dedicating your life completely to God seemed like a good alternative to demonstrating your complete loyalty to the church. Early monks went out and isolated themselves in the wilderness to pray, sometimes alone, sometimes in communities. If you could avoid people entirely, it would eliminate many opportunities to sin. Eventually, however, people like St. Benedict organized these monks and their small communities, feeling that the best way to dedicate yourself to God was not to isolate yourself, but to also aid the poor and assist the needy in communities. Nevertheless, celibacy was not mandatory, except in these monastic communities. Increasing numbers of ordinary priests became celibate, however, as the reputation of the Benedictines and word of their charitable deeds increased.
Meanwhile, Western Civilization greatly suffered after the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. Literacy droped to nearly zero. With basically only kings, monks, and bishops literate, most people were struggling to survive. Many local priests did not receive an education, either. Some of them learned the Mass from wrote memory and knew little of the faith. Some lived corrupt lives with concubines. Others raised legitimate families, but used substantial funds from the collection baskets to support an extravagant lifestyle and advance the careers of their children. Most of them had to travel constantly around a large area, saying Mass and serving a number of relatively distant and isolated communities. Eventually, parishoners and monks had had enough. At an abbey in Cluny, France, a reform movement began (shockingly, named the Cluny Reform Movement!
). Beginning around 900, the movement instituted major reforms first in the monastic system. The movement became so popular that over 1,400 daughter monasteries were created throughout Europe. Among their reforms included an end to simony, mandatory clerical celibacy (for monks), and the beginning of a seminary system to accurately train priests in their duties. The Cluny Reform Movement gained so much momentum that the papacy took notice, and many of the reforms became normalized and binding upon the whole church. This is where the Gregory VII / 1079 AD figure comes in. Celibacy is made mandatory in the Latin church at this time, but it had, in fact, been around much earlier.
The great irony of this is that celibacy was originally instituted across the whole of the church as a highly popular reform against the corruption of priests on the local level.
Celibate priests had been around very early. With the end of martyrdom, dedicating your life completely to God seemed like a good alternative to demonstrating your complete loyalty to the church. Early monks went out and isolated themselves in the wilderness to pray, sometimes alone, sometimes in communities. If you could avoid people entirely, it would eliminate many opportunities to sin. Eventually, however, people like St. Benedict organized these monks and their small communities, feeling that the best way to dedicate yourself to God was not to isolate yourself, but to also aid the poor and assist the needy in communities. Nevertheless, celibacy was not mandatory, except in these monastic communities. Increasing numbers of ordinary priests became celibate, however, as the reputation of the Benedictines and word of their charitable deeds increased.
Meanwhile, Western Civilization greatly suffered after the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. Literacy droped to nearly zero. With basically only kings, monks, and bishops literate, most people were struggling to survive. Many local priests did not receive an education, either. Some of them learned the Mass from wrote memory and knew little of the faith. Some lived corrupt lives with concubines. Others raised legitimate families, but used substantial funds from the collection baskets to support an extravagant lifestyle and advance the careers of their children. Most of them had to travel constantly around a large area, saying Mass and serving a number of relatively distant and isolated communities. Eventually, parishoners and monks had had enough. At an abbey in Cluny, France, a reform movement began (shockingly, named the Cluny Reform Movement!
). Beginning around 900, the movement instituted major reforms first in the monastic system. The movement became so popular that over 1,400 daughter monasteries were created throughout Europe. Among their reforms included an end to simony, mandatory clerical celibacy (for monks), and the beginning of a seminary system to accurately train priests in their duties. The Cluny Reform Movement gained so much momentum that the papacy took notice, and many of the reforms became normalized and binding upon the whole church. This is where the Gregory VII / 1079 AD figure comes in. Celibacy is made mandatory in the Latin church at this time, but it had, in fact, been around much earlier.The great irony of this is that celibacy was originally instituted across the whole of the church as a highly popular reform against the corruption of priests on the local level.
L
lak611
Guest
The Eastern Churches include both Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Eastern Catholics allow married priests. Only the Latin Rite (Roman Catholic) Church does not. I just thought I would mention this because “Roman Catholic” does not include all Catholics.
M
Mannyfit75
Guest
If you read the older post, I have mention the Eastern Church as Bzyantine Catholic Church. For Eastern Rite Catholic Church, it had always held married priesthood.
K
Karin
Guest
zerinus
since you seem to like to point fingers Z may I point out to you the following…the LSD church is not immune from sex scandals…
T
Thepeug
Guest
Two things:
- The Byzantine Catholic Church (the official name of the Ruthenian Church in the United States) is only one of twenty eastern Churches in communion with Rome and does not comprise the entire “Eastern Church” (such an entity doesn’t really exist).
- My earlier post was meant to address the fact that not all of the Eastern Catholic Churches have a married priesthood. The Syro-Malankara Church, for example, maintians universal clerical celibacy in imitation of the Roman Church.
M
Mannyfit75
Guest
Thanks for the information, I was not aware of that.
A
Allweather
Guest
Indeed. I get the impression that disordered sexuality is very big among Mormon True Believers. It started with Joseph Smith’s plural marriage doctrine, which was carried on until Utah statehood at the end of the 19th century, and is STILL carried on today, somewhat underground. Recently, the leader of a break-a-way Mormon sect was arrested off the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list for sexual predation, that is, having sex with minors. During the past year, I’ve seen a couple of programs about these plural marriage fans. The practicioners, both male and female, appear very happy with it, as near as one can tell from the short interviews. It is my understanding that Mormon theology teaches that Mormons in heaven will be multiple-partner, and still having celestial sex up there. Have we really examined the disorderedness of Mormon sexual teaching and practice?
M
mercygate
Guest
Good clarification. I meant all the Eastern Churches, including those in communion with Rome, but that did not come out clearly in my post. Thank you.
C
cestusdei
Guest
Is anyone really surprised that they reaffirmed celibacy?
- Status