Will the Church abolish mandatory celibacy?

[PeterJ99]

I think it should. Here are a few verses from the Bible that support my view:

1Tim 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

1Tim 4:2-3 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

PeterJ99

 

[seagal]

Try this link: ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/parolin-celibacy-democracy

Here is a bit of the interview (slightly less out of context)

Aren’t there two types of dogmas? Aren’t there unmovable dogmas that were instituted by Jesus and then there are those that came afterwards, during the course of the church’s history, created by men and therefore susceptible to change?

Certainly. There are dogmas that are defined and untouchable.

Celibacy is not –

It is not a church dogma and it can be discussed because it is a church tradition.

That goes back to what period?

To the early centuries. After its implementation, it was applied during the first millennium and after the Council of Trent, the church enforced it. It is a tradition, and the concept lives on within the church because during the course of all these years things have happened that have contributed to develop God’s revelation. This was completed with the death of the last apostle, Saint John. What happened afterwards was an increase in the comprehension and the living out of the revelation.

Speaking of celibacy –

The work the church did to institute ecclesiastical celibacy must be considered. We cannot simply say that it is part of the past. It is a great challenge for the pope, because he is the one with the ministry of unity and all of those decisions must be made thinking of the unity of the church and not to divide it. Therefore we can talk, reflect, and deepen on these subjects that are not definite, and we can think of some modifications, but always with consideration of unity, and all according to the will of God. It is not about what I would like but what God wants for His church.

What does he want?

God speaks in many ways. We must be careful to this voice that guides us on the causes and solutions. We have to take into account, at the moment of taking a decision, these criteria as well as to the opening to the spirit of the times.

Hope this helps.

Thank you. As another poster said, the Archbishop didn’t say anything that we as Catholics don’t already know, but the headline and the article itself made it sound like he was pushing for a change to the discipline of celibacy. I don’t see that in the snippet you posted. He was very careful to point out that we need to follow God’s will, not our own, and certainly not to follow the will of the people .

 

[tjones80]

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2419332/Popes-right-hand-man-says-priests-allowed-marry-says-celibacy-tradition-law.html

I am 100% behing priest’s celibacy. I found out that for a job like being a priest, you must be fully commited and cannot be married. You can only be 100% devoted to God if you are in a celibacy. So what do you think? Do you support celibacy or not? Since priest’s celibacy is not a dogma will they change it?

I disagree that a Roman Catholic Priest has to be celibate to be an effective priest. Today in the Catholic Church there are former Episcopalian married priests that carry out their functions just fine.

 

[KrazyKat]

Thank you. As another poster said, the Archbishop didn’t say anything that we as Catholics don’t already know, but the headline and the article itself made it sound like he was pushing for a change to the discipline of celibacy. I don’t see that in the snippet you posted. He was very careful to point out that we need to follow God’s will, not our own, and certainly not to follow the will of the people .

Good summation. God’s will, not ours, be done.

 

[johnthebaptist2]

I don,t think it will ever happen, I to am for 100% of a priest celibacy,for he should be fully commited to celibacy.

 

[Corki]

Title of this thread is misleading. Celibacy cannot be “abolished” unless the OP is proposing that all priests be** required** to marry.

 

[bsroufek]

From the Revelations to St. Bridget of Sweden:

Against those who would permit priests to marry, Bridget strongly objects, **describing the
torments in hell awaiting the pope who would give in to such demands, since the introduction of
clerical celibacy was inspired by God and he would be very offended if it were to be repealed **
(7. 10). Against objections that priests in the Old Testament and in the early Church were allowed
to marry, Christ says to Bridget:

If the priests of the Old Testament were permitted to have intercourse when they were not
offering [sacrifice], it is not to be wondered at, for they carried the shell but not the kernel. Now,
however, once truth has come and figures have passed away, one should apply himself to supreme
purity, the more so as the kernel is sweeter than the shell (4.58).

Even St Peter realized that conjugal union with his wife was not compatible with his clerical
office and so chose to abstain from intercourse even though it was permissible (2.2).

 

[MorEphrem]

I hope it becomes permI hope celibacy is changed in the Latin Church, that way we can finally restore it in our own Churches .

 

[Horacio]

“The West” = Latin Rite of the Church. There are a very, very small number of married priests in the Latin Rite. There are only a tiny number of Eastern Rite priests in the geographic west to boot.

 

[AndyP2010]

First of all the days of an all celibate priesthood in the Latin church are already over. JPII creation of the pastoral provision and the creation of the Anglican ordinariate by BXVI have taken care of that. The only question remains is if at some day cradle latin rite Catholic men who marry can become priest. I don’t think we will see a general lifting of the current discipline but, we may see a extraordinary means create by this or a future pope. A pope may give permission to the bishops to allow for the discernment, and formation of “permanent” deacons for ordination into the priesthood.

 

[malphono]

I hope it becomes permI hope celibacy is changed in the Latin Church, that way we can finally restore it in our own Churches .

It would be kind of riotously funny if the Latin Church did, indeed, change its discipline and left “the ban” and cum data fuerit etc in place to bedevil the East and Orient in the diaspora.

 

[Horacio]

“The West” in the context I used it in equates to the Latin Rite of the Church and not a geographic location.

The number of Eastern Catholics (of all rites/traditions) is tiny compared to the number of Latin Rite Catholic. They comprise far less than 1% of all Catholic Christians. I never suggested they were “less Catholic.” It would be absurd to do so.

 

[Horacio]

It would be kind of riotously funny if the Latin Church did, indeed, change its discipline and left “the ban” and cum data fuerit etc in place to bedevil the East and Orient in the diaspora.

The ban is already effectively dead. No doubt it will still be used as an excuse by some to explain away the continued shrinking of the Eastern Catholic Churches in the USA, but it’s dead none the less and I think most realize and accept that fact.

 

[malphono]

As I’ve said before, when I see the pyre burning and the formal and official revocation of “the ban” including cum data fuerit, I’ll be more than thrilled. Until such time, however, it’s business as usual in the Eastern & Oriental diaspora.

 

[AdvocatusVerbum]

Nope. Statistically, even the Anglican numbers are insignificant in the big picture.

Not that most secularists with whom it’s the seemingly largest or Protestants and modern non-demoninationals who don’t understand the discipline one bit, much less the distinction of the presbyterate and the episcopate and they would be falling into classic slippery slope would then ceaselessly clamor asking why not the episcopate and then why not same sex, etc etc.

 

[dixieagle]

It would be kind of riotously funny if the Latin Church did, indeed, change its discipline and left “the ban” and cum data fuerit etc in place to bedevil the East and Orient in the diaspora.

There have been at least 2 married men ordained to the priesthood in the Eparchy of Phoenix quite recently. I expect they won’t be the last.

 

[edwest2]

No.

Ed

 

[otjm]

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2419332/Popes-right-hand-man-says-priests-allowed-marry-says-celibacy-tradition-law.html

I am 100% behing priest’s celibacy. I found out that for a job like being a priest, you must be fully commited and cannot be married. You can only be 100% devoted to God if you are in a celibacy. So what do you think? Do you support celibacy or not? Since priest’s celibacy is not a dogma will they change it?

A) you found out wrong - the Eastern rite Churches have had a married clergy since the beginning of the Church; the Roman rite ahd them prior to 10000 AD and has them right now.

And your heading is never going to happen, but it confuses what could happen, and that is that the Church could decide to ordain married men in the Roman rite other than convert pastors who are already married.

One can support both a celibate and a married clergy; they are not diametrically opposed.

Some people approach the issue as if allowing married men to be ordained would somehow “abolish” a celibate clergy; where that fantasy comes from no one ever seems to be able to identify; but it is pure fantasy.

And the bit about a priest being focused 100% on Christ is fantasy also. We have priests who are scientists, doctors, lawyers, psychologists, and teachers, just to name a few things priests do besides celebrate the sacraments. None of them are denying or ignoring their priesthood, but this bit that keeps getting passed around that they have to be 100% focused on Christ is another flight of fantasy. It simply does not acknowledge the real world.

 

[otjm]

From the Revelations to St. Bridget of Sweden:

Allowing priests to marry is a different topic than ordaining married men’ and the Church’s position on private revelation is that one does not even have to acknowledge that it occurred, much less that one is required to accept what is said.

 

[otjm]

“The West” = Latin Rite of the Church. There are a very, very small number of married priests in the Latin Rite. There are only a tiny number of Eastern Rite priests in the geographic west to boot.

And what relevancy is there to the number?

The point is, what I was taught as a child, that all who are ordained in the Roman rite must be celibate, is simply not true.

And not directed to your comment: we have had Anglican/Episcopalian married clergy be ordained, but they are not the only source; we also have had Methodists, Lutherans, and at least one Presbyterian (requiescat in pace).