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To: Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
Here is my take on the Wikipedia article under the heading of clerical celibacy:

You seem to be suggesting that clerical celibacy sprung from out of nowhere due to benefice abuses but the wikipedia article you referred me to indicates a much earlier tradition and even goes so far as to cite the "husband of one wife" line from Sacred Scripture as code for "not having sex". I didn't come up with that, it's in the article, as crazy as it seems.

The bulk of the evidence in the wiki article itself and the other resources I linked to in an earlier post show celibacy for the higher clergy (deacons, priests, bishops) to be of at least great antiquity if not Apostolic in origin. I don't see how, when all the evidence is considered that can be rejected.

268 posted on 06/12/2014 8:24:23 AM PDT by Legatus (Keep calm and carry on)
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To: Legatus

The facts remain: There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the Bible requiring celibacy as a prerequisite for service in the priesthood. To the contrary, priests and bishops were married men in the Bible as were popes, bishops, and priests in the early Church history. Further, according to the same article:

“The Council of Trent (1545-1563) consider the matter (clerical celibacy) and at its twenty-fourth session decreed that marriage AFTER (emphasis added) ordination was invalid.”

So as late as the 16th century a priest could still be married as long as he did so before ordination.

Further, the current Pope has recently stated that clerical celibacy is NOT a dogma and the Church is open to change with regards to that policy. I totally agree.


269 posted on 06/12/2014 8:40:54 AM PDT by Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
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