Apostolic Apologetics: Priestly Celibacy
Introduction- The Roman Catholic Church demands celibacy--no voluntary sexual pleasure, hence, no marriage--as a prerequisite to the order of presbyter.
- The primary basis for the requirement of celibacy is clearly the lifestyle example of Jesus himself.
- The Church notes that the practice is sanctioned by the New Testament.
Nobody is commanded to be a Latin Rite priest. This is the only Priest that takes a consenting vow (1Corinthians 7:5) of Celibacy. If nobody is commanded to be a Latin rite Priest, then nobody is commanded to be Celibate, nor can it be seen as an imposition. The law of celibacy has no doctrinal bearing in the Catholic Church--it is a mere disciplinary law. Even today, there are married Catholic priests in the United States. Each is a former Episcopalian priest who joined the Catholic Church. There are Uniate Churches, churches in union with Rome, e.g., the Greek Byzantine Church, who have a married clergy.
Priestly celibacy became law in the Roman Church in the 6th century.
Celibacy is Church Practice, Not Dogma. There are married clergy in the Roman Catholic Church.
Approximately 20% of Roman Catholic Priests are married.
Below is a Biblical explanation of Priestly Celibacy. Jesus' words are in Red.
Explanations of verses are in purple.
Scriptural BasisSt. Matthew 19:11
Who said to them: All men take not this word, but they to whom it is given.
St. Matthew 19:12
For there are eunuchs, who were born so from their
mothers womb: and there are eunuchs, who were made so by men: and there
are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of
heaven. He that can take, let him take it.
Jesus says celibacy is a gift from God and whoever
can bear it should bear it. Jesus praises and recommends celibacy for
full-time ministers in the Church. Because celibacy is a gift from God,
those who criticize the Church's practice of celibacy are criticizing
God and this wonderful gift He bestows on His chosen ones.
St. Matthew 19:29
And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or
sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my
name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life
everlasting.
Jesus says that whoever gives up children for the
sake of His name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit
eternal life. Jesus praises celibacy when it is done for the sake of
His kingdom.
St. Matthew 22:30
For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married, but shall be as the angels of God in heaven.
Jesus
explains that in heaven there are no marriages. To bring about Jesus'
kingdom on earth, priests live the heavenly consecration to God by not
taking a wife in marriage. This way, priests are able to focus
exclusively on the spiritual family, and not have any additional
pressures of the biological family (which is for the vocation of
marriage). This also makes it easier for priests to be transferred to
different parishes where they are most needed without having to worry
about the impact of their transfer on wife and children.
1 Corinthians 7:1
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
Paul teaches that it is well for a man
not to touch a woman. This is the choice that the Catholic priests of
the Roman rite freely make.
1 Corinthians 7:7
For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his
proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
Paul also acknowledges that celibacy is a gift
from God and wishes that all were celibate like he is.
1 Corinthians 7:27
Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
Paul teaches men that they should not seek
marriage. In Paul’s opinion, marriage introduces worldly temptations
that can interfere with one’s relationship with God, specifically
regarding those who will become full-time ministers in the Church.
1 Corinthians 7:32
But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a
wife is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord: how he may
please God.
1 Corinthians 7:33
But he that is with a wife is solicitous for the things of the world: how he may please his wife. And he is divided.
1 Corinthians 7:38
Therefore both he that giveth his virgin in marriage doth well: and he that giveth her not doth better.
Paul recommends celibacy for full-time
ministers in the Church so that they are able to focus entirely upon
God and building up His kingdom. He “who refrains from marriage will do
better.”
1 Timothy 3:2
It behoveth therefore a bishop to be blameless, the husband of one
wife, sober, prudent, of good behaviour, chaste, given to hospitality,
a teacher,
Paul instructs that
bishops must be married only once. Many Protestants use this verse to
prove that the Church's celibacy law is in error. But they are mistaken
because this verse refers to bishops that were widowers. Paul is
instructing that these widowers could not remarry. The verse also
refers to those bishops who were currently married. They also could not
remarry (in the Catholic Church's Eastern rite, priests are allowed to
marry; celibacy is only a disciplinary rule for the clergy of the Roman
rite). Therefore, this text has nothing to do with imposing a marriage
requirement on becoming a bishop.
1 Timothy 4:3
Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to
be received with thanksgiving by the faithful and by them that have
known the truth.
In this verse, Paul
refers to deceitful doctrines that forbid marriage. Many non-Catholics
also use this verse to impugn the Church's practice of celibacy. This
is entirely misguided because the Catholic Church (unlike many
Protestant churches) exalts marriage to a sacrament. In
fact, marriage is elevated to a sacrament, but consecrated virginity is
not. The Church declares marriage sacred, covenantal and lifegiving.
Paul is referring to doctrines that forbid marriage and other goods
when done outside the teaching of Christ and for a lessor good.
Celibacy is an act of giving up one good (marriage and children) for a greater good (complete spiritual union with God).
1 Timothy 5:9
Let a widow be chosen of no less than threescore years of age, who hath been the wife of one husband.
1 Timothy 5:10
Having testimony for her good works, if she have brought up children,
if she have received to harbour, if she have washed the saints' feet,
if she have ministered to them that suffer tribulation, if she have
diligently followed every good work.
1 Timothy 5:11
But the younger widows avoid. For when they have grown wanton in Christ, they will marry:
1 Timothy 5:12
Having damnation, because they have made void their first faith.
Paul recommends that older widows take a pledge of celibacy. This was the beginning of women religious orders.
2 Timothy 2:3
Labour as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:4
No man, being a soldier to God, entangleth himself with secular
businesses: that he may please him to whom he hath engaged himself.
Paul instructs his bishop Timothy that no
soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim
his to satisfy the One who enlisted him. Paul is using an analogy to
describe the role of the celibate priesthood in the Church.
Apocalypse (Revelation) 14:4
These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins.
These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from
among men, the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
Unlike our sinful world of the flesh, in heaven, those consecrated to virginity are honored.
Isaiah 56:3
And let not the son of the stranger, that adhereth to the Lord, speak,
saying: The Lord will divide and separate me from his people. And let
not the eunuch say: Behold I am a dry tree.
Isaiah 56:4
For thus saith the Lord to the eunuchs, They that shall keep my
sabbaths, and shall choose the things that please me, and shall hold
fast my covenant:
Isaiah 56:5
I will give to them in my house, and within my walls, a place, and a
name better than sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting
name which shall never perish.
Isaiah 56:6
And the children of the stranger that adhere to the Lord, to worship
him, and to love his name, to be his servants: every one that keepeth
the sabbath from profaning it, and that holdeth fast my covenant:
Isaiah 56:7
I will bring them into my holy mount, and will make them joyful in my
house of prayer: their holocausts, and their victims shall please me
upon my altar: for my house shall be called the house of prayer, for
all nations.
The eunuchs who keep God's covenant will have a special place in the kingdom of heaven.
Jeremiah 16:1
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Jeremiah 16:2
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons and daughters in this place.
Jeremiah 16:3
For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and daughters, that are
born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bore them: and
concerning their fathers, of whom they were born in this land:
Jeremiah 16:4
They shall die by the death of grievous illnesses: they shall not be
lamented, and they shall not be buried, they shall be as dung upon the
face of the earth: and they shall be consumed with the sword, and with
famine: and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of the air, and
for the beasts of the earth.
Jeremiah is told by God not to take a wife or have children.
Additional ObjectionsBut wasn't Peter married?Peter was indeed married. However, from other passages we know that those who accepted our Lord's call left everything behind, including their wives. It would seem a bit strange, then, for Paul to be writing about wives who tagged along with their husbands, if the wives had been left behind ( 1 Corinthians 9:5).
1 Timothy 4
The following verses are the primary (in my experience) cherry pick used to argue that the practice of Priestly Celibacy is non-biblical. However at this point, given the scripture presented above, when taken in context, we see this application is false. The context for these verses is expounded on by the Fathers of the Church, though anyone using this verse to support an argument should be aware of the context in which they are given.
1 Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy and having their conscience seared, 1 Timothy 4:3 Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful and by them that have known the truth. Catholic CommentaryForbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, &c. Here says St. John Chrysostom[1] are foretold and denoted the heretics called Encratites, the Marcionites, Manicheans, &c. who condemned all marriages as evil, as may be seen in St. Irenæus, Epiphanius, St. Augustine, Theodoret, &c. These heretics held a god who was the author of good things, and another god who was the author or cause of all evils; among the latter they reckoned, marriages, fleshmeats, wine, &c. The doctrine of Catholics is quite different, when they condemn the marriages of priests and of such as have made a vow to God to lead always a single life; or when the Church forbids persons to eat flesh in Lent, or on fasting-days, unless their health require it. We hold that marriage in itself is not only honourable, but a sacrament of divine institution. We believe and profess that the same only true God is the author of all creatures which are good of themselves; that all eatables are to be eaten with thanksgiving, and none of them to be rejected, as coming from the author of evil. When we condemn priests for marrying, it is for breaking their vows and promises made to God of living unmarried, and of leading a more perfect life; we condemn them with the Scripture, which teaches us that vows made are to be kept; with St. Paul, who in the next chap. (ver. 12) teaches us, that they who break such vows incur their damnation. When the Church, which we are commanded to obey, enjoins abstinence from flesh, or puts a restraint as to the times of eating on days of humiliation and fasting, it is by way of self-denial and mortification: so that it is not the meats, but the transgression of the precept, that on such occasions defiles the consciences of the transgressors. "You will object, (says St. John Chrysostom) that we hinder persons from marrying; God forbid," &c. St. Augustine, (lib. 30. cont. Faustum. chap. vi.) "You see (says he) the great difference in abstaining from meats for mortification sake, and as if God was not the author of them." We may observe that God, in the law of Moses, prohibited swine's flesh and many other eatables; and that even the apostles, in the Council of Jerusalem, forbad the Christians, (at least about Antioch) to eat at that time blood and things strangled; not that they were bad of themselves, as the Manicheans pretended. (Witham) St. Paul here speaks of the Gnostics and other ancient heretics, who absolutely condemned marriage and the use of all kind of meat, because they pretended that all flesh was from an evil principle: whereas the Church of God so far from condemning marriage, holds it to be a holy sacrament, and forbids it to none but such as by vow have chosen the better part: and prohibits not the use of any meats whatsoever, in proper times and seasons, though she does not judge all kinds of diet proper for days of fasting and penance. (Challoner) We may see in the earliest ages [centuries] of Christianity, that some of the most infamous and impure heretics that ever went out of the Church, condemned all marriage as unlawful, at the same time allowing the most unheard of abominations: men without religion, without faith, without modesty, without honour. See St. Clement, lib. 3. Strom. BibliographySt. John Chrysostom, Greek: om. ib. ou koluomen, me genoioto. St. Jerome, (lib. 1. cont. Jovinian. tom. 4. p. 156) Si nupserit Virgo, non peccavit....non illa Virgo, quæ se semel Dei cultui dedicavit; harum enim si qua nupserit, habebit damnationem. See St. Augustine (lib. 30. cont. Faust. chap. vi.) both as to marriage and meats.
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