Why Celibacy?
willpick asked this question on 8/21/2000:
Also why is it that Catholic priests do not marry?
mscperu gave this response on 8/22/2000:
Greetings:
The joy of the Lord be in your heart.
There is no inherent element in the Holy Order that the priest be not married.
As you have read in the former answers there are different possible historical explanations. Regarding the inadequate number of vocations it has been suggested to drop this requirement. Well it is not a question of expediency but hearing what the Spirit says.
And the Holy Ghost has guided His Catholic Church to celibacy (Latin rite - bishops in Uniate rites are celibate too). It's not only about legislation that can be changed. It's about the kingdom of God and the vocation to serve it.
May I conclude with the Gospel?
Mt 12:3 And some Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?"
4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female,
5 and said, �For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh�?
6 "Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate."
7 They *said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
8 He *said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.
9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries woman commits adultery."
10 The disciples *said to Him, "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry."
11 But He said to them, "Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.
12 "For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother�s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He, who is able to accept this, let him accept it."
The translation talks about "accept it". It's about understanding too! (See other translations).
vale
mscperu