According to many, celibacy is not of this time and also unnatural. Celibacy also does not help the priestly deficit. Why is that celibacy now and what are the advantages and disadvantages?
In order to be a priest in a Roman Catholic church, celibacy is mandatory, just as for people who enter a monastic order. The guiding idea is that someone who does not bind himself to another can devote himself better to God and to the people. Or, as stated in the ecclesiastical textbooks (KKK):
All sacred ministers of the Latin church are usually chosen among believing men who live celibate and have the will to maintain celibacy "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 19,12). Called to devote themselves undivided to the Lord and to "his cause," they give themselves entirely to God and to the people. Celibacy is a sign of this new life to which the minister of the church dedicates himself; accepted with a happy heart, it radiates the message of the Kingdom of God.
In the papal letter Pastores dabo vobis ( I will give you shepherds ) Pope John Paul II writes that priests do not have a wife, but a wife: the Church, the bride of Christ. In this sense, a priest can love the Church as Christ loves the church, analogous to a marriage in which husband and wife have a marital relationship.
Benefits
It has already been mentioned above that priests who are not bound can do their job better. It is a sign of solidarity with single people, and in the Bible Jesus appears as an unmarried, celibitated living man. There are also several practical reasons. For example:
- A single priest can, without regard to a family, devote himself entirely to the faith community.
- A celibate priest is much more flexible: he can go where the church finds him necessary.
- No priest families arise, whereby the church property is transferred from father to son.
Cons
A disadvantage of celibacy may be that loneliness occurs. Especially when a priest does not come from a large (er) family, the feeling of a lonely profession may arise during holidays and holidays. Another disadvantage is that partners can support, advise, correct and stimulate each other. Celibate-living priests must put it without such a life partner. It happens that this is too great a task for sacred priests, and the work as a priest.
Supporters and opponents
Celibacy is a topic of discussion for a variety of reasons. For example:
- Theologians argue that celibacy was not required of the apostles. Peter had a wife in the time of Jesus - Jesus healed Peter's wife of high fever (Mt 8.14). Others indicate that apostles voluntarily left their wives and so chose celibacy.
- Opponents say that stopping the natural sexual impulse is unrealistic and detrimental to a healthy sex life. Others find that sexual abstinence is a gift and grace of the God who is Love.
- Opponents of celibacy indicate that the recent sex scandals involving priests are the result of compulsory sexual abstainers. Proponents argue that it is a break with the discipline and not the result of celibacy, especially because it involves a small percentage of priests and religious.
- Proponents believe that celibacy strengthens moral authority, because priest decimates himself for Christ and so imitates Him. Opponents believe that moral authority is weakened: a priest can not provide sufficient pastoral care. For example: how can a priest give sex education if he is not allowed to have sex himself?
No sex and yet sexual abuse?
An unmarried priest may not have sex. Catholic doctrine assumes that sex outside marriage is not done. Nevertheless, relatively many reports have recently been published about sexual abuse in the church: priests who can not keep their hands on children, for example. Without any doubt these are excesses that do not deserve a place in a church society. It is disgusting, shameless and not good to talk.
The number of priests accused of child abuse is about 2 to 3 percent of all priests. Recently it is often in the news, especially in the US Most cases of child abuse occur in a family, in 75% of the cases by one of the parents, usually the husband. In the Netherlands, the Public Prosecution Service handles between 2,050 and 2,350 cases per year. Almost 40% of all women have one or more negative experiences with sexual abuse before their 16th year. Thus sexual abuse is a general social problem that does not distinguish between faith, race or age.
Every case of pedophilia or sexual abuse in the church is one too many. That is why it is up to the church to release those who are guilty of this serious crime from their priestly duties and from office.