To Catholics (from one christian to another, athiests should skip over this question?

Question

What gives the Pope the right to continue to forbid marriage among the clergy? The early clergy were allowed to marry, and people in the old testimont were still able to do great things being married (Abraham, Issac, Moses, etc, etc). I am not saying that if someone was to take a vow of celibacy, that it should not be respected, but why force celibacy on someone if all they want to do is serve God? If God had to have a son in order to know what it was truly like to be human, so what kind of guidance can a priest give if he truly doesn't know what is it like to be a man?

Remember this: Peter, one of the original disciples and the FIRST "POPE" of the Catholic church, was MARRIED! He was also married at the time when Jesus himself put him in charge of the church. What gives the POPE the right to OVERRULE JESUS???!!!!

Answer 1

This idea came from the Jews, John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul.

The Jews. The Talmud argues that a person whose “soul is bound up with the Torah and is constantly occupied with it” may remain celibate (Maimonides, Laws of Marriage 15.3). This argument could certainly have been based on the biblical example of Jeremiah, a celibate prophet who was ordered by Yahweh not to marry (Jeremiah 16:1-4). Moreover, the Essenes was a group that was active in Jesus’ time that practiced celibacy and thought by most scholars to be the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

John the Baptist and Jesus are both believed to have been celibate for their entire lives. Some scholars believe that either or both Jesus and John the Baptist were influenced in their celibacy by the example of the Essenes.

The Apostle Paul is explicit about his celibacy (see 1 Cor. 7). There is also evidence in the gospel of Matthew for the practice of celibacy among at least some early Christians, in the famous passage about becoming “eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:12).

The concept took many twists and turns over the years and will probably take a few more before Christ returns in glory.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The Pope has the right to because of the position he has.
There were many good reasons for unmarried clergy in the 1000's when priests often traveled most of the time, worked in awlful conditions and more, But that time has long passed.

Now also remember that only in the Roman Rite can priests not marry, there are several other Rites within the Catholic Church that do allow married clergy. And even within the Roman Rite they will allow a priest from another group who is married to join the Roman Rite and remain a priest ( so there are some but limited amounts of married priests and bishops within the Roman Rite) A Bishop from our order was at Vatican II and was a married Bishop.

And remember it is not being "forced" it is still the mans choice to take his vows or not.

And having sex ( and many most likely had sex before taking thier vows) is not what makes a person a man, that is a sad thought if you really beleive that.

Answer 3

The Pope is as confused and misleading as any other religious person. Any religious leader can make up rules to suit whatever cause they wish to push at any point in time. Even the last Pope was scared that Stephen Hawking would prove that God doesn’t exist, never mind whether clergy could marry or not.

Hawking has done groundbreaking research on black holes and the origins of the universe. He proposes that space and time have no beginning and no end. On Thursday 15 June 2006, Stephen Hawking said that the late Pope John Paul II once told scientists they should not study the beginning of the universe because it was the work of God.

Hawking, who didn't say when the meeting was held, quoted the pope as saying, "It's OK to study the universe and where it began. But we should not enquire into the beginning itself because that was the moment of creation and the work of God." Hawking asked the Pope "Does it require a creator to decree how the universe began or is the initial state of the universe determined by a law of science?"

If the Pope genuinely believed that God created the universe, why was the Pope scared of science investigating the subject and proving that God existed. The truth is more likely that the Pope doesn’t believe in God and doesn’t want science to prove in fact that God doesn't exist.

Any you wonder why the Pope says this or says that.

Answer 4

There are many facets to this issue that you obviously haven't taken the time to investigate.

First....did you know there are married Catholic Priests? I bet you didn't. Also, the Eastern Rite churches, such as Maronite and so on, that are in communion with the Latin Rite Roman church and recognize the Pope, do permit all their clergy to marry if they choose.

A Protestant minister, especially Episcopal and Lutheran pastors, who are married and then convert to Catholicism and pursue being a Priest in the Catholic Church have been ordained and remained married...thus a married Roman Catholic Priest.

What is most interesting about the celibacy issue is that most validly ordained Roman Catholic Priests welcome that way of life and view it as a grace, or gift, rather than a cross to bear.

Even on a more secular and practical level, most say if they were married something would go lacking...their marriage or their parish. You see...Catholic Mass is conducted each and every day...EVERY day...not once or twice a week. Then there are marriages to perform, baptisms, funerals, hospital visits and on and on. A Catholic Priest is not working only when he is sleeping. God Bless them.

Answer 5

The rule not to marry was primarily done, as far as I know, to prevent church property from being passed on to the priest's family after he died.
Since the Pope is the leader of the church, I can understand this rule from a leadership position (the church wouldn't last long if all its equipment/property was continually passed on to people not directly in it's "employ"). He has the right since he (the Pope) is the head of the church.
However, what gets me is when they use the Bible as the reason why this rule is in place. Why would God care if a priest is married? I'm betting he wouldn't. Also, (off topic) why would God care if the priest is a female? He wouldn't.
My point- it's all an Earthly, materialistic/financial decision. It's fine, but the Pope shouldn't "dress it up" to make it seem like a holy reason.

Answer 6

I think you are so right. I have yet to come across Scripture that clearly states that clergy is not to be married. I think that alot of the trouble with the priests and little boys is directly related to the fact that they can't be married and serve God. I'm not saying this either to offend, please don't be offended. That is not my purpose. I whole heartily agree with you. The Roman Catholic and Catholic religion are the only ones that have this theory as far as I know.

Answer 7

Why do you think a man has to be a biological father to know what it is like to be a man? A man makes a choice to be a priest knowing what the restrictions are. If a man is to devote his life solely to God, his wife and children would have to come a distant second. So, isn't it better that he doesn't have the responsibility of a family?

Answer 8

not a catholic, but I heard it was related to priests amassing tremendous wealth & power and passing it down to their sons, creating priest dynasties. Celibacy ensured that priest loyalty is to Lord alone.

No clue why they won't remove celibacy requirement now, when information age offers other ways of monitoring priest behaviour. Must be the whole conservatism thing.

Answer 9

The Bible says that one of the requirements for leading a congregation is to be the head of a household in good standing, but than all Christians are suppose to be taught the Bible, how to preach the Bible, and how to teach others how to preach and teach. Few religions even teach the Bible as a whole to its members, let alone to preach and teach. Instead, they pay some to stand on a pedestal and preach to them.

Answer 10

that is a very good question, but man put the pope in office and gave him his crown and authority.. so he follows the roman ways and delivers it to all his flocks.. back in the old days they used to remove the male sex parts .. in order to claim priesthood or monk. its just there religion.