Irish Catholic Priests Question Celibacy Rule...

Gee, it only took them til 2004 to come up with that brilliant idea?

Sad...sooo sad.

Yep.. I agree Kass.

Celibacy of the priests is not Biblical.

Not my fight, no dog in it

comment by Father Duffy on this would be nice

right, 4:35. Be fruitful and multiply. Catholicism is a cult, plain and simple.

Catholicism is a cult, plain and simple.

Oh so, so true AC!

I actually grew up with someone who was to be ordained in the ministry...went through complete and utter hell trying to decide what he should do. Thank goodness he made the right decision...to be with woman. Did not God make man AND woman, to be together. Hello??!

I´ve thought how much more effective priests would be in they could truly understand what being in love is, the pain of adultery, the joy of a child and so on if they were to ever truly experience it. Counseling someone when you´ve had the pain they´ve had is more effective "from the gut" than platitudes.

Some people feel that celibacy must have originated with Jesus Christ or his apostles. So they are surprised to read statements such as that of former Pope John XXIII, who said:

“Ecclesiastical celibacy is not a dogma. The Scriptures do not impose it. It is even easy to effect a change. I take a pen, I sign a decree and, the next day, priests who wish to may get married. But I cannot.”

Why not? One of several reasons is that it is such a deep-rooted Church tradition. The first Church council forbidding marriage for the higher clergy was held at Elvira, Spain, in the fourth century. Over the centuries, other decrees reinforced this. Then, during the period of the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, the Council of Trent passed legislation enforcing celibacy. It has remained much the same up to the present time.

Thus, celibacy has been acquired by tradition. As former high-ranking Catholic theologian Charles Davis said:

“The taboo was not Christian in origin; it is a very ancient one in the history of religion. Its introduction into Christianity was part of the general shift toward paganism . . .

“The insistence upon celibacy was reinforced in the Middle Ages by concern to keep Church property from passing under secular control.”

No, neither Jesus nor his apostles required celibacy among God’s servants. While they showed that a single person would have more freedom to serve God, they did not lay down a law of celibacy.—Matt. 19:11, 12; 1 Cor. 7:32-38.

God’s own Word, the Bible, according to the Catholic Douay version says: “It behoveth therefore a bishop to be blameless, the husband of one wife . . . One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all chastity.” It also says: “Let deacons be the husbands of one wife: who rule well their children, and their own houses.” (1 Tim. 3:2-4, 12) So the doctrine of priestly celibacy does not originate with God, for his own Word clearly shows that his ministers are free to marry.

From where, then, do such doctrines that go contrary to God’s will originate? God’s own Word answers: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in after times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies hypocritically, and having their conscience branded. They will forbid marriage.”—1 Tim. 4:1-3, Catholic Confraternity.

It is no wonder, then, that there is such confusion in the Catholic Church on this matter. And that confusion will likely continue, for German theologian Hans Kung said: “There will be no peace in the Catholic Church until such time as celibacy has again become a matter for individual choice, as it originally was.”

hmm the whole thing reeks imo

Marianne, I agree, priest are after all only men, I went to catholic schools all my life and there were several priests that gave me the creeps.

Hi there willow.. glad to say never experienced that myself.