Since Peter was married, and Catholics think Peter was the first pope, why can’t popes have a wife?

Question

1 Peter 5:1 says Peter was an elder. An elder must be the husband of one wife and have children who believe. (1 Tim. 3:2-4, Titus 3:2-4) According to the Bible, Peter was married. This is plainly taught in Matt. 8:14.

If Peter was first pope, and since Peter was married, why does Catholic church not allow popes and priests to marry? Either Peter was not a pope, or popes should be allowed to have a wife.

Also, how does the Catholic church deal with 1 Timothy 4:1-3 that calls “Forbidding to marry” a “doctrine of the devil”?

Answer 1

--Is Catholic--

According to scripture, St. Peter was living with his mother-in-law in his own house (Matthew 8:14; Luke 4:38).

According to Clement of Alexandria (Stromata, III, vi, ed. Dindorf, II, 276), had children. The same writer relates that Peter's wife suffered martyrdom (ibid., VII, xi ed. cit., III, 306).

So we do know that St. Peter was married.

There is no evidence from Scripture that any of the Apostles were married except St. Peter. St. Jerome says that if any were married they certainly separated from their wives after they were called to the Apostolate. Even St. Peter, after his vocation, did not live with his wife as a married couple, as may be inferred from his own words: "Behold, we have left all things, and followed Thee." Matt. 25:27. Among "all things" must be reckoned the fellowship of his wife, for he could hardly say with truth that he had left all things if he had not left his wife.

It should also be noted that in Judaism, it was typical for prophets and high priests to not live with their wives after their callings. For the high priest, who if married, would not have relationship with his wife during the times of his sacred duty.

Thus we should assume in favor of what has been handed on to us that, after Peter's calling, that his wife no longer lived with him as a wife.

As to your verse in 1 Tim:
This scripture NO WHERE states that all Bishops "must be married," it simply states that they can be married "but once." It is not a statement to the effect that every Bishop must have a wife, for even St. Paul himself did not have a wife, for him to demand marriage would hypocrisy (Which is condemned in the Bible). St. Paul is saying that no one is to become a Bishop who has been married more than once. St. Paul explains why the Latin rite (The most common rite in America) of the Catholic Church has a celibate priesthood

Now with 1 Tim: That you also misread. The scripture is talking about the gnostics who thought that sexual relations were evil and thus forbid all sexual activity including marriage. That is what the verse is talking about.

Additionally, the Catholic Church does not forbid marriage, rather those who wish to be Roman Rite priests must CHOOSE celibacy. If you want to be married, you can be something else, but not a Roman Rite priest.

Hope that answers your questions.

Answer 2

This idea of a celibate clergy 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). For example, Yahweh ordered the prophet Jeremiah 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 the example of the Essenes influenced either or both Jesus and John the Baptist in their celibacy.

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 3

First, the requirement for priests to be celibate was established later on in the Catholic Church because the priesthood used to carry a lot of influence and power in the city and father who were priests would encourage their sons to become priests so that power and influence woould stay in the family. This is not a good reason to become a priest.

Second, Paul makes a case for preferring celibacy to marriage: "Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. . . those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. . . . The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband" (1 Cor 7:27-34).

Thirdly, priestly celibacy is a rule, not a dctrine. Being a rule, the Pope coould decide that it is no longer necessary for priests to remain unmarried. Do not hold your breath on this one.

Fourthly, the "doctrine of the devil" that was warned about was a doctrine of some religions that forbade ANYONE to marry. In the catholic faith, matrimony is not just a civil ceremony, but a sacrament - a visible sign of God's love that conveys grace.

Answer 4

Good ? I don't think Peter was a pope. He doesn't mention being a pope in 1 & 2 Peter.

Pope is just man elevating it's own. God is the one who is going to remove the tares at the end of the age to be burned. As christians we need to shed light in all the dark corners. I do believe the Lord is who directs who is soppose to be the pope though. I believe the Christian message (the wheat) is in the Catholic church. There are just a lot of tares in it.

Cathlic priest who abuse children are not of the Kingdom of God. Iniquities go onto the 3rd & 4th generations of those who hate God (idolatry, other gods, other doctrines, etc...). Pedafile is a sexual iniquity passed on to those who hate God. They are hypocrites. Since there are apocryphal writings in the catholic cannon (say women are evil, etc...) the catholic cannon has conflicting message within itself.

Answer 5

That is a great question. As a Catholic I wonder that all of the time. Did you know that Mary Magdalene was the first female priest? She was. The Catholics do not acknowledge that either. It is so sad that none of this comes out around the church.

Answer 6

It was not until around the Middle Ages at some time that the laws of celibacy were introduced for Catholic clergy. Prior to that time it was acceptable for popes to be married. The last married pope was Pope Adrian II (867 to 872 for his term in office). He died inthe year of 872.

I cannot answer your last question. I do not know.

Answer 7

This is why people broke away from Catholism, they (Catholics) started to make up their own rules and regulations. Hence the term Protestant, I believe they protested against the way the Catholics were twisting the word of God. My thoughts anyway.

Answer 8

i would say the main reason that most popes were gays and since gays are prohibited by bible they came up with doctrine of not marrying.

Answer 9

This is another reason why religion is complicated.