![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/572\/2020\/01\/JesusPetersMother-in-law2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Christopher Altieri wrote in Catholic Herald<\/em> (1-13-20)<\/a>:<\/p>\n There is not now, nor has there ever been, a proposal \u201cto end priestly celibacy\u201d in the Church.<\/p>\n There is a proposal from the [Amazon] synod fathers, now before the Holy Father, asking him to consider relaxing the very long-standing discipline currently in force for secular (roughly \u201cdiocesan\u201d) priests in the Latin Church, which impedes married men from receiving ordination to the priesthood. . . .<\/p>\n Pope Francis has taken a strong position in favour of the current discipline. He even made Paul VI\u2019s line on the subject his own: \u201cFor the Latin rite,\u201d<\/span> he offered in January of last year, \u201cI am reminded of a phrase of St. Paul VI: \u2018I prefer to give my life before changing the law of celibacy.\u2019 This came to me and I want to say it because it is a courageous phrase,\u201d<\/span> he told journalists in response to a direct question asked in solicitation of his personal thoughts on the matter.<\/p>\n While the rest of Pope Francis\u2019s answer left the possibility for some relaxation of the discipline open, he concluded his remarks by saying, \u201cI do not say that it should be done \u2014 because I have not reflected, I have not prayed sufficiently on this \u2014 But the theology should be studied.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Charles Collins added, in an article for Crux<\/em> <\/a>(1-13-20):<\/p>\n \u201cPersonally, I think that celibacy is a gift to the Church. Secondly, I would say that I do not agree with permitting optional celibacy, no,\u201d<\/span> Francis said on Jan. 28, 2019.<\/p>\n The pope then admitted possible limited exceptions, such as the Pacific Islands, before discussing more deeply one of the\u00a0viri probati<\/em>\u00a0proposals to ordain older, \u201cproven men\u201d<\/span> \u2013 similar to those chosen for the permanent diaconate \u2013 to provide sacraments in remote areas.<\/p>\n Such a possibility was endorsed by the October 2019 Amazon synod as a way to provide sacraments to a region where people might see a priest only once or twice a year.<\/p>\n Francis \u2013 and most of the synod fathers \u2013 have been clear that celibacy as a rule is not being questioned; but rather, they are looking at possible exceptions to the rule for pastoral necessity.<\/p>\n Of course, Benedict is more than familiar with this idea, since he more than any other previous pontiff has facilitated the reality of married priests in the Western Church (most of the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church allow married men to be ordained.)<\/p>\n Benedict\u2019s 2009 document\u00a0Anglicanorum Coetibus<\/em>\u00a0provided for the establishment of Ordinariates to provide pastoral care for former Anglicans who had become Catholic; including their mostly married clergy. Benedict established three ordinariates \u2013 one each in the UK, North America, and Australia \u2013 all of which have a large percentage of married priests.<\/p>\n When Benedict made these provisions, he was not wavering on his commitment to priestly celibacy; he was establishing an exception based on pastoral need.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The above is sufficient to dispel the current tempest in a teapot. I\u2019d rather do a survey of what Pope Francis has stated in the past on this topic. Sadly \u2014 as so often \u2013, it will not<\/em> be in accord with the secular media and much of conservative Catholic media\u2019s jaded, distorted spin.<\/p>\n Secondly, it bears repeating that priestly celibacy is a discipline<\/em>, not a dogma<\/em>, which means that it can and may change (possibly<\/em>, greatly so). It wasn\u2019t always a strict requirement (even in the western, Latin church) \u2014 this requirement began in the 11th century<\/em> \u2014 and may not always be in the future. It doesn\u2019t take much research and study to verify this.<\/p>\n [Cardinal Robert Sarah oddly observed on 1-13-20<\/a>: \u201cPriestly celibacy, far from being merely an ascetical discipline, is necessary to the identity of the Church.\u201d Really<\/em>? It would follow that Eastern Catholics are not fully in line with a Catholic identity (which is ludicrous), and moreover, that the entire Church<\/em> for the first ten centuries of its existence lacked necessary requirements of Catholic identity: which is grotesquely<\/em> absurd. With all due respect (and I love<\/em> Cdl. Sarah), I think the good Cardinal was having a bad hair day, or some frustrating equivalent ordeal, evidenced by \u201creasoning\u201d like this, which is well-nigh indefensible on close examination]<\/p>\n Thirdly, Eastern Catholics are every bit as much Catholics as anyone else, and they allow married priests. I believe<\/em>\u00a0(without having actual statistics) that the great majority of Eastern Catholic priests are married.<\/p>\n [Cardinal Robert Sarah stated yesterday (1-13-20), according to a Catholic News Agency<\/em> article<\/a>: \u201d \u2018[t]he Eastern married clergy is in crisis,\u2019 pointing to comments by some members of these Churches noting tension between the priestly and married states, as well as the problem of divorce by priests.\u201d Whether this is true<\/em>, or how extensive the purported problem is, I have no idea. I\u2019m merely reporting what was stated . . . ]<\/p>\n Fourth, there are exceptions to the rule of priestly celibacy in the west: particularly for former Anglican priests. I personally have known two married priests in the Latin rite: the late Fr. Ray Ryland, and Fr. Dwight Longenecker. Exceptions to the rule are nothing new, and as Charles Collins noted above, Pope Benedict XVI in particular encouraged them, where it was pastorally wise and helpful.<\/p>\n Fifth, my own position (if anyone cares to know) is identical to that of Pope Francis and Pope Benedict: I\u2019m a strong advocate of priestly celibacy, and have defended it many times<\/a>: probably as much as anyone has in recent times. At the same time, I am open to further possible rare<\/em> exceptions<\/strong>, just as I am a supporter of married priests in the East and of the three Ordinariates that Pope Benedict established for former Anglicans: with a high percentage of married priests.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s a discipline and not a dogma, why all the uproar, hysteria, and conspiratorialism? Well, I submit that it\u2019s because of a certain paranoid, cynical reactionary or semi-reactionary mindset (spearheaded by good ol\u2019 Taylor \u201cTin Foil Hat\u201d Marshall) that has taken hold among many Catholics: accustomed to hearing the lying nonsense and hogwash about Pope Francis, week in and week out.<\/p>\n Even a normally sensible, rational person like Karl Keating (not<\/strong><\/em> strictly a reactionary in my definition: I hasten to add, and merely a \u201cpapal nitpicker\u201d) succumbed to it, when he put up a ridiculous meme (on 10-26-19<\/a>) on his Facebook page, stating, \u201cTHE REAL PLAN [:] Married priests in Amazon today<\/em>, married priests everywhere<\/em> tomorrow\u201d [caps in original, italics mine]. It has received 186 likes and 25 shares, as of writing: including 25 mutual Facebook friends (or 13% of the total). I\u2019m delighted to see that 87% of the \u201clikers\u201d are not<\/em> on my friends\u2019 list. That\u2019s heartening to me (i.e., my friends online know better than to espouse such silliness), while it is disturbing that such a large number of Karl\u2019s Facebook friends succumb to such groundless paranoia and suspicion.<\/p>\n What follows are the pope\u2019s own words.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Think about this: when a priest \u2014 I say a priest, but also a seminarian \u2014 when a priest or a sister lacks joy he or she is sad; you might think: \u201cbut this is a psychological problem\u201d. No. It is true: that may be, that may be so, yes, it might. It might happen, some, poor things, fall sick\u2026. It might be so. However in general it is not a psychological problem. Is it a problem of dissatisfaction? Well, yes! But what is at the heart of this lack of joy? It is a matter of celibacy<\/span>. I will explain to you. You, seminarians, sisters, consecrate your love to Jesus, a great love. Your heart is for Jesus and this leads us to make the vow of chastity, the vow of celibacy. However the vow of chastity and the vow of celibacy do not end at the moment the vow is taken<\/span>, they endure\u2026. A journey that matures, that develops towards pastoral fatherhood, towards pastoral motherhood, and when a priest is not a father to his community, when a sister is not a mother to all those with whom she works, he or she becomes sad. This is the problem. For this reason I say to you: the root of sadness in pastoral life is precisely in the absence of fatherhood or motherhood that comes from living this consecration<\/span> unsatisfactorily which on the contrary must lead us to fertility. It is impossible to imagine a priest or a sister who are not fertile: this is not Catholic! This is not Catholic! This is the beauty of consecration<\/span>: it is joy, joy. (Address, 7-6-13<\/a>)<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Family life is the vocation that God inscribed into the nature of man and woman and there is\u00a0another vocation which is complementary to marriage: the call to celibacy and virginity for the sake\u00a0of the Kingdom of Heaven<\/span><\/em>. It is the vocation that Jesus himself lived. (Address, 10-4-13<\/a>; italics in original)<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Seminary formation must offer young men a serious path of intellectual and spiritual growth. May priestly holiness be authentically proposed to them, beginning with the example of priests who live out their own vocation with joy; may future priests truly learn to live the demands of priestly celibacy<\/span>, . . . (Address, 3-24-14<\/a>)<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n I urge you to be close to your young people as they seek to establish and articulate their identity in a disorienting age. Help them to find their purpose in the challenge and joy of co-creation with God that is the vocation to married life, fulfilled in the blessing of children; or indeed in the celibate vocations to the sacred priesthood or religious life, which the Church has been given for the salvation of souls<\/span>. Encourage young Catholics by living lives of virtue to experience the liberating gift of chastity<\/span> as adults. (Address, 11-17-14<\/a>)<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n In a time of an apparent decrease in vocations to the priesthood and to religious life, it is important to speak openly about the fulfilling and joyful experience of offering one\u2019s life to Christ. For when your Christian communities are built up by your own continued example of \u201cliving in truth and joy your priestly commitments, celibacy in chastity and detachment from material possessions<\/span>\u201d (ibid<\/em>., 111), then vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life will most certainly abound. (Address, 4-24-15<\/a>)<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Initial formation at the Seminary and vocational discernment are necessary. In addition to intellectual, spiritual and communal formation, particular attention must be given to their human and emotional formation, so that future priests are capable of living their commitment to celibacy, in which no compromise is acceptable<\/span>. (Address, 5-15-15<\/a>)<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n In the seminaries, may there be no neglect of the human, intellectual and spiritual formation which ensures a true encounter with the Lord; while cultivating the pastoral devotion and emotional maturity that render seminarians fit to embrace priestly celibacy<\/span> and capable of living and working in communion. (Address, 5-28-15<\/a>)<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n In fact, Jesus was already revealing himself as a Messiah different from their expectations, from how they imagined the Messiah, how the Messiah would be: not a powerful and glorious king, but a humble and unarmed servant; not a lord of great wealth, a sign of blessing, but a poor man with nowhere to rest his head; not a patriarch with many descendants, but a celibate man without home or nest<\/span>. (Angelus, 3-12-17<\/a>)<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n There might only remain\u00a0a few possibilities in the most remote places \u2013 I am thinking of the Pacific islands\u2026 But it is one\u00a0thing to reflect on when there is pastoral necessity<\/span>, there, the pastor must think of the faithful.\u00a0There is a book by Father Lobinger [Bishop Fritz Lobinger, Preti per domani<\/em> (Priests for\u00a0Tomorrow<\/em>), Emi, 2009], it is interesting \u2013 this is a matter of discussion among theologians, there\u2019s\u00a0no decision on my part. My decision is: optional celibacy before the diaconate, no. That\u2019s\u00a0something for me, something personal, I won\u2019t do it, this remains clear<\/span>. Am I \u201cclosed\u201d? Maybe. But\u00a0I don\u2019t want to appear before God with this decision<\/span>. . . .<\/p>\n Yes, you ask me about what Pope Benedict had done, it\u2019s true. I had forgotten this: \u201cAnglicanorum\u00a0coetibus<\/em>\u201d, the Anglican priests who have become Catholics and keep their [married] lives, as if\u00a0they were of the Eastern [rite]. At a Wednesday audience, I remember seeing many of them, with their collar, and many women with them and children holding the hands of the priests\u2026, and they\u00a0explained to me what it was. It is true: thank you for reminding me. (Press conference, 1-27-19<\/a>)<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Allow me now to offer a heartfelt word of thanks to all those priests and consecrated<\/span> persons who serve the Lord faithfully and totally, and who feel themselves dishonoured and discredited by the shameful conduct of some of their confreres. All of us \u2013 the Church, consecrated persons<\/span>, the People of God, and even God himself \u2013 bear the effects of their infidelity. In the name of the whole Church, I thank the vast majority of priests who are not only faithful to their celibacy<\/span>, but spend themselves in a ministry today made even more difficult by the scandals of few (but always too many) of their confreres. I also thank the faithful who are well aware of the goodness of their pastors and who continue to pray for them and to support them. (Address, 2-24-19<\/a>)<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Related Reading:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Mandatory Celibacy of Priests & Religious (Dialogue)<\/a>\u00a0[1997-1998]<\/p>\n Why Peter\u2019s Marriage Doesn\u2019t Disprove Catholicism: A Dialogue<\/a>\u00a0[January 1999]<\/p>\n Clerical Celibacy: Hostile Protestant Commentary & Catholic Replies<\/a>\u00a0[2-21-04]<\/p>\n Martin Luther & Antipathy Towards Clerical Celibacy<\/a>\u00a0[2-21-04]<\/p>\n Dialogue w a Baptist on Required Clerical Celibacy<\/a>\u00a0[7-2-06]<\/p>\n Objections to Clerical Celibacy: In-Depth Dialogue<\/a>\u00a0[7-12-06]<\/p>\n Unbiblical Rejection of Priestly Celibacy (vs. Calvin #31)<\/a>\u00a0[9-15-09]<\/p>\n Clerical Celibacy: Dialogue with John Calvin<\/a>\u00a0[9-17-09]<\/p>\n Mandatory Celibacy of Catholic Priests in the Western \/ Latin Rite: A New (?) Argument<\/a>\u00a0[11-16-12]<\/p>\n Further Reflections on Mandatory Priestly Celibacy<\/a>\u00a0[8-2-14]<\/p>\n Forbidding Marriage? Consecrated Virginity & the Catholic \u201cBoth \/ And\u201d<\/a>\u00a0[9-13-17]<\/p>\n Priestly Celibacy: Garden-Variety Objections Debunked<\/a>\u00a0[9-18-17]<\/p>\n Married Bishops (1 Tim 3) & Catholic Celibacy: Contradiction?<\/a>\u00a0[9-18-17; expanded on 6-20-18]<\/p>\n Pope Benedict Eschews Co-Authorship; Ignatius Says \u201cNo!\u201d<\/a>\u00a0[1-14-20]<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\nUnfortunately, Money Trees Do Not Exist<\/strong>:<\/span>\u00a0If you have been aided in any way by my work, or think it is valuable and worthwhile, please strongly consider financially supporting it (even $10 \/ month \u2014 a mere 33 cents a day \u2014 would be very helpful). I have been a full-time Catholic apologist since Dec. 2001, and have been writing Christian apologetics since 1981 (see\u00a0my Resume<\/a>).\u00a0My work has been proven (by God\u2019s grace alone) to be fruitful, in terms of changing lives (see the tangible evidences\u00a0from unsolicited \u201ctestimonies\u201d<\/a>).\u00a0I have to pay my bills like all of you: and have a (homeschooling) wife and three children still at home to provide for, and a mortgage to pay.<\/div>\n*<\/div>\nMy book royalties from\u00a0three bestsellers in the field<\/a>\u00a0(published in 2003-2007) have been decreasing, as has my overall income, making it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.\u00a0 I provide over 2600 free articles here, for the purpose of your edification and education, and have\u00a0written 50 books<\/a>.\u00a0It\u2019ll literally be a struggle to survive financially until Dec. 2020, when both my wife and I will be receiving Social Security. If you cannot contribute, I ask for your prayers (and \u201clikes\u201d and links and shares). Thanks!<\/div>\n*<\/div>\nSee my\u00a0information on how to donate<\/a>\u00a0(including 100% tax-deductible donations). It\u2019s very simple to contribute to my apostolate via PayPal, if a tax deduction is not needed (my \u201cbusiness name\u201d there is called \u201cCatholic Used Book Service,\u201d from my old bookselling days 17 or so years ago, but send to my email: apologistdave@gmail.com). Another easy way to send and receive money (with a bank account or a mobile phone) is through\u00a0Zelle<\/a>. Again, just send to my e-mail address.\u00a0May God abundantly bless you.<\/div>\n