Vorkosigan

One Way To Solve the Priest Shortage!

We join our voices to those of so many others at this time, voices urging that diocesan priesthood now be open to married men as well as to celibate men," the letter said.

andy_d

I've never really understood the whole celibacy-for-priests thing.

They're not monks, they live in the community. Why shouldn't they get married like everybody else?

DMB

Poor devils!

Kenneth

This celebacy things started when debauchery was rife in the Roman Catholic Church during the Middle Ages. Priests then were having luxurious wives and mistresses that were becoming scandalous in the eyes of the faithful. Plus, this practices were draining the donations intended for Rome, which also have to support hordes of wives and mistresses.

They try to bring back marriage to the Priesthood, then they will also bring back evils they buried a long time ago.

Corruption and worldliness of the priests will again scandalize the faithful. The Faithfull will have to think twice: is this donation going to the mission or will it just fall in the hands of some mistresses and spoiled brats.

You can't blame the faithful, if they ever ask this question, because how else are the priest going to feed hungry mouths except through donation.

And donation won't come cheap when this priest are allowed to marry? You'll be coerced to give more. Gaddamit, I have three children in college.

You will not find a beggar more demanding than a married priests.

andy_d

Like those evil Anglicans, you mean?

brighid

You mean like rampant pedophilia?

It seems to me that married men would make a fine addition to the priesthood. It works in most other faiths (including other branches of Christianity) without the rampant evil you allude to. Unless of course you mean to imply that there is something inherently more evil about Catholics and the priesthood is more susceptable to debauchery, etc.?

I also don't think one can compare the priesthood of old and the things that took place centuries ago with the modern man desiring a wife and family. I would think these sorts of things should be judged on a case by case basis and there is strong, supportive evidence (ie. Anglicans) that a married priesthood works just fine without evil and debauchery taking over.

Brighid

Godless Dave

The other historical motivation for celibate priests was to insure priests had no legal heirs, so any property they owned would go to the church after they died.

$$$$$$$$$$

asef

Wot I got taught in primary school and have mostly forgotton:

It was brought in in the reformation or counter reformation (whichever the Catholic Church did) or summat. The big bad the Church was seen to be doing was nepotism i.e. those high up in the Church often gave good posts to their kin. (in addition to some other ones they supposedly summarily solved too like the problem of indulgences etc.). The custom was brought in to stop this.

Seems somewhat flawed though. It is indicative of a political reason for the ban, methinks.

DMB

Nepotism flourished in the RC church long after celibacy was imposed.