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To: NYer
Up until 1139 Catholic Priest COULD marry.

Celibacy is not Cannon from the lips of Christ and can be changed.

accepting married priest might bring more priests into the fold and more mentally stable priests at that.

10 posted on 03/12/2009 6:23:56 AM PDT by Vaquero ( "an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Vaquero
Up until 1139 Catholic Priest COULD marry.

Incorrect. Married men could be ordained but they were required to adopt the discipline of lex continentiae. Once ordained a single Priest was not allowed to marry, although many thumbed their noses at their vows and did anyway.

Celibacy is not Cannon(sic) from the lips of Christ and can be changed.

Celibacy is a discipline highly praised by Christ and St. Paul and practiced by the Apostles.

accepting married priest might bring more priests into the fold and more mentally stable priests at that.

A specious argument at best. You might want to enlighten yourself as to the shortage of Priests in the Eastern Rites as well as the Greek Orthodox Church. Some of the most unbalanced men in this world are married, many repeatedly.

20 posted on 03/12/2009 6:47:01 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
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To: Vaquero
Up until 1139 Catholic Priest COULD marry.

The Council of Elvira in Spain (310) dealt with priestly chastity (canon 33), and presented perfect continence as a norm that must be maintained and observed and not as an innovation. The lack of any revolt or surprise attested to its widespread practice.

At the Council of the Church of Africa (390) and above all at the Council of Carthage, (419), which St. Augustine attended, similar norms were adopted. These councils recalled the ecclesiastical praxis of the obligation of perfect chastity, affirming that such praxis is of apostolic tradition.

What St. Gregory VII, and later the Second Lateran Council (1139) did was not to “introduce” the law of celibacy but simply confirm that it was in force and issue regulations for its observance. Since most recruiting for the priesthood was already among the unmarried, the Second Lateran Council forbade priestly marriage, declaring it null and void in the case of priests, deacons or anyone with a solemn vow of religion. Source.

Celibacy is not Cannon from the lips of Christ and can be changed.

You are correct. It is a discipline, not a doctrine. Jesus Christ did not marry. The Catholic priest models his life on that of Christ.

accepting married priest might bring more priests into the fold and more mentally stable priests at that.

There are actually plenty of vocations today in faithful dioceses: Denver, Northern Virginia, and Lincoln, Nebraska, have great numbers of men entering the priesthood. If other dioceses, such as Milwaukee or Albany, want to answer the question of why they have so few vocations, the answer is simple: Challenge young men to a religious life that is demanding, countercultural, sacrificial, and loyal to the Holy Father and Catholic teaching. This is the surest way to guarantee a greater number of vocations.

32 posted on 03/12/2009 8:19:23 AM PDT by NYer ("Run from places of sin as from a plague." - St. John Climacus)
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