Why should a priest not marry?

[JoeBillington12]

How could marriage prevent a priest from performing his duties faithfully? One issue raised is that a priest would not be as committed to God if he were to marry, and have a family. By that statement, it can be assumed that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors… But that simply is not the case. It would not blight the faithfulness of a man to take a woman as his lawfully wedded wife. With that being said, why shouldn’t a priest be able to marry?

 

[Bruised_Reed]

How could marriage prevent a priest from performing his duties faithfully?

No reason I can think of.

One issue raised is that a priest would not be as committed to God if he were to marry, and have a family. By that statement, it can be assumed that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors… But that simply is not the case.

It is a reason that is raised by some but it is not the reason priests cannot marry.

It would not blight the faithfulness of a man to take a woman as his lawfully wedded wife.

Of course not.

With that being said, why shouldn’t a priest be able to marry?

A simple explanation is given here.

The reasons Latin rite priests can’t marry is both theological and canonical.

Theologically, it may be pointed out that priests serve in the place of Christ and therefore, their ministry specially configures them to Christ. As is clear from Scripture, Christ was not married (except in a mystical sense, to the Church). By remaining celibate and devoting themselves to the service of the Church, priests more closely model, configure themselves to, and consecrate themselves to Christ.

(more…)

Not to confuse the issue but there are married priests in the Church but they were married first and then ordained. This is allowed through a Pastoral Provision.

Welcome to the forums, Joe.

 

[Estrit_Faiter]

Hi joe,

I know that the local GOARCH priest is married with kids. I know of pastors who also are married and have kids.

A story that i heard once upon a time was that priest’s children would inheret (sp?) the parish and monies.

That one obviously happens in the heretical protestor world of the “evangelicals”.

Not sure about orthodoxy. Haven’t seen stories about it.

I heard that our eastern rites would marry but then came to america and had that snuffed out.

I suppose i’m used to child-free priests that i wouldn’t want them to have 'em? But i don’t make the decisions.

The apostle said that he would like christians to live like him. Dedicate all that one has to Our Lord. But that if one were a weakling in need of sex to focus on God, then it was OK too. But if a man needs sex ,then the our ordained priesthood is not an option.

Paraphrasing theere!

 

[Rolltide]

First, know that there are two types of priests, secular and regular. Secular priests are the ones you have at your local parish, that say Mass and do the day-to-day functions of your church. They deal with the secular world, in other words. Regular priests are monks; in other words, those with extra REGULATIONS. The “regular” part refers to that, not them being like average people. Until around 1100, up until the Cluny Reform Movement (which was a highly successful “internal” reformation of the Catholic Church that corrected many problems and led to a great reduction of corruption between 900-1300), a person could become a secular priest if they were already married. That said, once you became a priest, if you were not already married, you could not go out and get married, and if your wife died, you couldn’t get remarried. Regular priests, however, have always practiced celibacy. That was one of the original “extra” regulations, so to speak.

Well, there were several problems with this system. First, being a priest was a difficult job that required a lot of travel. Due to the numerous small manors and kingdoms that abounded through Europe, a priest would have to travel a circuit, saying Mass in as many as twenty different cities in a month. He might only actually be home a few days a month. This was not a conducive environment to being a good father or husband, and it also provided plenty of opportunity for infidelity. Second, there were great problems with nepotism. Priests would use their position in society to get cushy jobs for their kids. This could be either in the church (as a priest, etc.), or with a secular lord (as a knight, guild master, etc.). Sometimes, they would even use money from the collection plate as bribes to accomplish this. The families of many priests also lived a very high lifestyle, with many of them rivaling the wealth of the lords whose manors they lived on or near. One problem that is often referred to by some but usually overstated is inheritance. It is often believed that the Church ended celibacy because they wanted to hold onto property that children might inherit, but this wasn’t often an issue, because the land and buildings were often simply owned and provided by the local lord. The priest didn’t actually own them anyway. So, when a large monastic order in the French city of Cluny proposed extending celibacy to the entire church (along with other reforms), it was seen as a very popular change, and ended certain problems the church experienced almost immediately. It is ironic that many now call for an end to celibacy, since it was instituted as a popular reform to begin with. It just shows that there will always be problems to deal with, you just need to pick your poison.

It should also be noted that this ruling only applied to the Western Catholic Church. Eastern Catholic Churches (along with the Orthodox) do not mandate celibacy, and will still allow married people to become priests. Even in the West, exceptions can be occasionally made for pastors that convert from other faiths, especially Anglicans and Lutherans. Many people are unaware that there are actually close to 100 married CATHOLIC priests in the United States.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Hi joe,

I know that the local GOARCH priest is married with kids. I know of pastors who also are married and have kids.

A story that i heard once upon a time was that priest’s children would inheret (sp?) the parish and monies.

That one obviously happens in the heretical protestor world of the “evangelicals”.

Oy, vey, where do I start.

I don’t think “obviously” is the correct term here because this would not happen at most non-Catholic churches where I’m from. Only one pastor I know owns the land and church building and therefore his kids may inherit it.

And while this is Catholic Answers Forum remember that many non-Catholics are members and lurkers and disparaging remarks will not attract them to the Truth that is the Church.

Not sure about orthodoxy. Haven’t seen stories about it.

I heard that our eastern rites would marry but then came to america and had that snuffed out.

Not so. In the Eastern Catholic churches married men may still be ordained to the priesthood. And Eastern Orthodox.

I suppose i’m used to child-free priests that i wouldn’t want them to have 'em? But i don’t make the decisions.

The apostle said that he would like christians to live like him. Dedicate all that one has to Our Lord. But that if one were a weakling in need of sex to focus on God, then it was OK too. But if a man needs sex ,then the our ordained priesthood is not an option.

Paraphrasing theere!

That is…interesting.

 

[Petaro]

I once discussed this with my Bishop, and he told me that administratively it would be almost impossible to move them around the diocese. There is also the extra costs of paying them a reasonable stipend to support a wife and children.
There is also the theological construct to the image of Christ. However it is only a rule of the Church which the Church may change if it desires.
The orthodox church has married priest and they have valid orders.
With the move to set up the Anglican ordinate which allows married priest within the Latin Rite, I see it as only a matter of time when some allowance for married priests may be a decision of the Church.
I leave it up to the Pope in all obedience.
However from a purely administrative viewpoint I could see a role for say two married priests who maintain their ordinary jobs supporting an unmarried parish priest. Only the parish priest would be paid a reasonable stipend, the married priest would only have reimbursement of expenses. Only the parish priest could be arbitrarily moved around under bishop’s orders, whilst the married priests would be subject to the Bishop’s authority in their spiritual duties and remain subject to his fiat for valid use of their facilities. Thus cost and movement would be controlled.

However as I say, it is best left to the Holy Spirit. AMDG

 

[po18guy]

How could marriage prevent a priest from performing his duties faithfully? One issue raised is that a priest would not be as committed to God if he were to marry, and have a family. By that statement, it can be assumed that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors… But that simply is not the case. It would not blight the faithfulness of a man to take a woman as his lawfully wedded wife. With that being said, why shouldn’t a priest be able to marry?

Who is complaining? Certainly not the priests! They view celibacy as a gift.

Certainly you are aware that Saint Paul endorsed and practiced celibacy for the man of God?

Would you take that away from them?

 

[ClearWater]

How could marriage prevent a priest from performing his duties faithfully? One issue raised is that a priest would not be as committed to God if he were to marry, and have a family. By that statement, it can be assumed that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors… But that simply is not the case. It would not blight the faithfulness of a man to take a woman as his lawfully wedded wife. With that being said, why shouldn’t a priest be able to marry?

Matthew 19:12 Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage* for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”

 

[SuperLuigi]

=JoeBillington12;11494970]How could marriage prevent a priest from performing his duties faithfully? One issue raised is that a priest would not be as committed to God if he were to marry, and have a family.

The first thing I am interested in is why you are asking this. If it’s because of the vocation shortage, please note the numbers in the USA are going up and we’ve had a 20 year high for vocations.

Also, having married priests will not necessarily solve the shortage. Protestant Churches can have problems getting pastors in smaller, poorer locations.

By that statement, it can be assumed that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors… But that simply is not the case. It would not blight the faithfulness of a man to take a woman as his lawfully wedded wife. With that being said, why shouldn’t a priest be able to marry?

Because it can be the case that a married priest cannot tend to his flock and his family. The duties can get divided and he may be placed in a situation where he has to choose one over the other.

 

[Judas_Thaddeus]

How could marriage prevent a priest from performing his duties faithfully? One issue raised is that a priest would not be as committed to God if he were to marry, and have a family. By that statement, it can be assumed that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors… But that simply is not the case. It would not blight the faithfulness of a man to take a woman as his lawfully wedded wife. With that being said, why shouldn’t a priest be able to marry?

Anyone who devotes his life to perform that kind of service for God to the Church
ought to give his whole life to God. I believe that most of the Apostles, for exam–
ple, did not have wives, but those that did, they did not even bring them along on
their missions.

 

[edwest2]

I think Pope Paul VI answers it here:

vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_24061967_sacerdotalis_en.html

Peace,
Ed

 

[YoungTradCath]

How could marriage prevent a priest from performing his duties faithfully? One issue raised is that a priest would not be as committed to God if he were to marry, and have a family. By that statement, it can be assumed that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors… But that simply is not the case. It would not blight the faithfulness of a man to take a woman as his lawfully wedded wife. With that being said, why shouldn’t a priest be able to marry?

Well, I don’t think your understanding of this particular reason proffered for celibacy is nuanced enough. I’m not sure if people actually say that “a priest would not be as committed to God if he were to marry, and have a family. By that statement, it can be assumed that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors… But that simply is not the case.” If someone does argue that, then they are flatly wrong, but again, I don’t think that’s what people argue.

The more correct rendering of this argument is a bit more nuanced than that, and is really quite a bit more mundane. No one says that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors, one-for-one, or that it is impossible to do so or whatever. What people say is that married men, if they are good husbands and fathers after all, necessarily have less time for their extra-familial obligations than bachelors. If a priest is married and he wants to be a good husband and father, he will necessarily have to spend time with family meals, playing with his children, being a husband to his wife, praying with his family, helping kids with homework, forming his sons and daughters correctly in the faith, being at Johnny’s football games, etc. This presumably takes a lot of time from day to day, things add up–I’m not married so I’m just guessing here, but I think my assertions are rational–so the argument is that the man simply can’t spend 10-12+ hours a day on parish work.

Sure, some married men do work 12-hour shifts. If you’re a doctor or a nurse, or a member of some other professions, you will almost constantly do this unless you seek a job that doesn’t require it, but then again, these people often don’t work five/six days a week. Shifts are often long, but there are usually 3-4 days off at a time. Priests almost never get that, unless they are elderly part-time assistants or something like that. Being a priest is a seven-day-per-week job even when a priest is on his off day.

Now, there are other arguments for priestly celibacy, so I just want you to know that I’m just trying to clarify this one.

Cliff’s Notes: the argument is essentially about time, not commitment to God (necessarily).

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

Priests marrying is not dogma, so it can be changed. My ultimately worthless opinion on the matter is that the vocations of priesthood and marriage can coexist, and that it should be considered under certain circumstances (not just the limited circumstances where it is permitted). It’s probably best that the situation regarding bishops remain, except under the most exceptional of circumstances, because their function in the Church is such that marriage would significantly hinder their duties.

 

[AndyP2010]

Anyone who devotes his life to perform that kind of service for God to the Church
ought to give his whole life to God. I believe that most of the Apostles, for exam–
ple, did not have wives, but those that did, they did not even bring them along on
their missions.

I don’t think we have enough information on the lives of the Apostles to make statements like this. The only reason we know Peter was married is that Jesus healed his mother in law. That St Paul in his one of his letters (I think one the ones to Timothy) gives a list of qualifications needed for married men to become bishops suggest it wasn’t rare for this to happen. The primary issue with Cluny reforms has to due with the imposition of Frankish hereditary laws in western Europe. This is no longer an issue. I think that both the heads of the Anglican Ordinariates in the UK and North America are married. It may be that the Anglican Ordinariates are a proving ground for the married priesthood.

 

[JReducation]

How could marriage prevent a priest from performing his duties faithfully? One issue raised is that a priest would not be as committed to God if he were to marry, and have a family. By that statement, it can be assumed that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors… But that simply is not the case. It would not blight the faithfulness of a man to take a woman as his lawfully wedded wife. With that being said, why shouldn’t a priest be able to marry?

My friend, deacons and priests have never been able to marry. Married men can be ordained. It’s the other way around, marriage first and Holy Orders follows.

Can a married deacon or priest be faithful to his ordained vocation? Yes. Look at Eastern Catholics. Is this what the Holy Spirit wants for the universal Church? No, not for the Latin Church.

 

[drforjc]

The more correct rendering of this argument is a bit more nuanced than that, and is really quite a bit more mundane. No one says that married men are not as committed to God as bachelors, one-for-one, or that it is impossible to do so or whatever. What people say is that married men, if they are good husbands and fathers after all, necessarily have less time for their extra-familial obligations than bachelors. If a priest is married and he wants to be a good husband and father, he will necessarily have to spend time with family meals, playing with his children, being a husband to his wife, praying with his family, helping kids with homework, forming his sons and daughters correctly in the faith, being at Johnny’s football games, etc. This presumably takes a lot of time from day to day, things add up–I’m not married so I’m just guessing here, but I think my assertions are rational–so the argument is that the man simply can’t spend 10-12+ hours a day on parish work.

I can actually vouch for this as the (now Catholic) son of a married Protestant minister. The demands of parish ministry are, in my experience, very demanding. Many of these meetings and so forth necessarily occur evenings, when the working laity are available.
I recall vividly coming home from school only to have my father absent the rest of the evening due to parish commitments.

 

[johnthebaptist2]

It has always been, that a Catholice priest is not allow to marry,and I beleive that it should be that way always. He,s life is to serve God,and keep us close to Jesus,getting married isn,t the answer.

 

[JReducation]

Nooooooo

Again . . . it’s not about Catholic priests. It’s only about Latin Catholic priests and a few of the Eastern Catholic Churches. But of the other Catholic Churches do ordain married men to the priesthood. Celibacy in the Eastern Catholic Churches is for consecrated religious and bishops.

We need to keep the word Catholic out of there. This is about being Latin, not about being Catholic.

There is nothing in law or theology that says that Catholic married men cannot be ordained. It’s only about Latin Catholics. Even for Latin Catholics, a cleric coming from certain churches can be ordained, even though he’s married. Of course a cleric coming the the Old Catholics and Orthodox need not be ordained since he is validly and licitly ordained.

All of these men who are married and are ordained are just as holy and do just as good a job at ministry as a celibate priest.

You must remember that the priesthood is not the same as the consecrated life. We’re not talking about a way of life per se, though being ordained deacon, priest or bishop does affect your way of life, but it’s far from being the consecrated life, which requires a profound life of prayer, penance and community.

 

[Chatter163]

I think that the OP was a drive-by poster. Better to not respond further.

 

[malphono]

Funny you said that: I was going to post something from the Oriental perspective earlier but I changed my mind when that very same thought came to me.