Celibacy

The Catholic Thing ^ | June 22, 2014 | Kristina Johannes

[NYer]

Ping!

[BipolarBob]

"The accepted wisdom is that celibate males have no business telling married couples how to live their lives"

I don't think that is correct. The accepted wisdom is that your church has no business telling the clergy that have to be celibate when that is clearly not what God has proclaimed.

[Tax-chick]

Bishop Slattery wrote that celibacy, whether of clergy/religious or simply chaste unmarried/widowed people, is a sign of the Resurrection, when there will be neither marrying nor giving in marriage.

[gitmo]

A common criticism of the Catholic Church’s teachings on sexual morality has to do with the largely unmarried clergy who are charged with preaching the message. The accepted wisdom is that celibate males have no business telling married couples how to live their lives: “What do they know about the subject?”

I've heard and read many criticisms of the Catholic Church. But never that. That would be like saying a heterosexual cannot preach on the evil nature of homosexuality. Or that a monogamous man can't criticize adultery.

I think a person who has the calling to celibacy should walk in that calling and devote his or her life to God. But only if they are so called by God, not by man.

[Salvation]

**“What do they know about the subject?”**

Gee whiz, don’t people realize that priests had parents! They saw how marriage works or doesn’t work.

[defconw]

Just Astounding! Sure priests just spring up out of a box! ;)

[BipolarBob]

"They saw how marriage works or doesn’t work.

Strange that only priests notice how marriages works or doesn't work. That leaves 99.99% of us just clueless.

[Argus]

It’s like saying Stephen Hawking isn’t qualified to discuss black holes because he’s never been inside one.

[Karl Spooner]

They saw how marriage works or doesn’t work.

Got a problem with God's instructions again?

[Salvation]

??

[defconw]

Yep! But it don’t matter because Catholic=Bad on Free Republic. Don’t really care. I know the truth. It’s like speaking with liberals, every word is parsed, sliced diced and disputed. If Jesus Christ himself showed up it would be the same. But it’s OK.

[Mr Rogers]

“Without denigrating the noble vocation of marriage, it can rightly be said that the couple undertaking marriage can find no better guide to understanding the essential nature of the gift of self than the celibate priest who has emptied himself in imitation of Christ.”

The problem in a marriage is that not only is the human a sinner, but the marriage partner is a sinner as well. If both partners are trying to make the marriage work, saving it usually is not that hard. But if only one of the two wants to save it...

[Bill93]

“The accepted wisdom is that celibate males have no business telling married couples how to live their lives: ‘What do they know about the subject?’”

People who say this have obviously never been in a confessional. Priests know just about everything there is no know about the subject. After hearing thousands of people confess their sins, it would be pretty damn amazing if they did not.

[Tax-chick]

If both partners are trying to make the marriage work, saving it usually is not that hard.

That's a key point. When people say a marriage "just fell apart," they're being deceptive. If a marriage doesn't last, it's because one or both people weren't willing to do the work to address their sin and hold on to something bigger than themselves. It's not because of the weather or other outside factors.

[narses]

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[defconw]

Any holy priest will tell you , he is sinner as well. His sins may be different from married people but we all fall short, it's human nature.

Also boys and girls, priests are taught in seminary about all subjects relating to the people they will minister. You don't have to be a rapist to council rapists, do you? You don't have to be depressed to council the depressed.

[NYer]

The accepted wisdom is that your church has no business telling the clergy that have to be celibate when that is clearly not what God has proclaimed.

Source? Jesus spoke of some who would remain celibate ("eunuchs") for the sake of the Kingdom of God (Mt 19:12). St. Paul not only continued his pre-conversion celibacy as a Christian but recommended it for those who would be dedicated to serving God in this world (1 Cor. 7:7, 17, 32-35). He was speaking to a general audience and so he does not oblige it. But observe what he says in verse 17, "Only, everyone should live as the Lord has assigned, just as God called each one. I give this order in all the churches." This coincides with the admonition of Jesus to follow the vocation given by God, whether celibacy (Mt 19:12) or marriage.

[Mr Rogers]

The priest is a sinner, but God is not. God never treats the priest the way another sinful human will treat a spouse. I did not say a priest could not counsel, but his celibacy does not ensure there is “no better guide”. Celibacy is a handicap for a marriage counselor to overcome, not an advantage. It has been my experience, for example, that those who have not raised kids offer inferior advice on how to do so. YMMV.

[defconw]

Clergy are not born in a pod. They know what is required and all the ones I've ever known prefer celibacy. They completely understand what they are doing and why. Jeesh! What's it to you anyway?