Has the Catholic church ever come up with a theological reason that their preists can't get marry.?

Answer 1

No one has answered you yet. First, in some parts of the Catholic Church married priests are the norm, not the exception. In the United States they are the exception not the norm.

I am posting this from a larger article if you want to find more detailed answers.

Beginning of quote:

Another, quite different Fundamentalist confusion is the notion that celibacy is unbiblical, or even "unnatural." Every man, it is claimed, must obey the biblical injunction to "Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 1:28); and Paul commands that "each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband" (1 Cor. 7:2). It is even argued that celibacy somehow "causes," or at least correlates with higher incidence of, illicit sexual behavior or perversion.

All of this is false. Although most people are at some point in their lives called to the married state, the vocation of celibacy is explicitly advocated—as well as practiced—by both Jesus and Paul.

So far from "commanding" marriage in 1 Corinthians 7, in that very chapter Paul actually endorses celibacy for those capable of it: "To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion" (7:8-9).

It is only because of this "temptation to immorality" (7:2) that Paul gives the teaching about each man and woman having a spouse and giving each other their "conjugal rights" (7:3); he specifically clarifies, "I say this by way of concession, not of command. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another" (7:6-7, emphasis added).

Paul even goes on to make 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" (7:27-34).

Paul’s conclusion: He who marries "does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better" (7:38).

Paul was not the first apostle to conclude that celibacy is, in some sense, "better" than marriage. After Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 19 on divorce and remarriage, the disciples exclaimed, "If such is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry" (Matt 19:10). This remark prompted Jesus’ teaching on the value of celibacy "for the sake of the kingdom":

"Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom it is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of God. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it" (Matt. 19:11–12).

Notice that this sort of celibacy "for the sake of the kingdom" is a gift, a call that is not granted to all, or even most people, but is granted to some. Other people are called to marriage. It is true that too often individuals in both vocations fall short of the requirements of their state, but this does not diminish either vocation, nor does it mean that the individuals in question were "not really called" to that vocation. The sin of a priest doesn’t necessarily prove that he never should have taken a vow of celibacy, any more than the sin of a married man or woman proves that he or she never should have gotten married. It is possible for us to fall short of our own true calling.

Celibacy is neither unnatural nor unbiblical. "Be fruitful and multiply" is not binding upon every individual; rather, it is a general precept for the human race. Otherwise, every unmarried man and woman of marrying age would be in a state of sin by remaining single, and Jesus and Paul would be guilty of advocating sin as well as committing it.

End of quote.

The Catholic Church does not forbid marriage, in fact, unlike official Protestant doctrine, the Catholic Church insists marriage is a mystery created, blessed, endorsed and loved by God. Official Protestant doctrines say marriage is not a sacrament. Ironically, this was cited by the Massachusettes Supreme Court in its Homosexual Marriage Ruling. The Puritans passed a law saying that marriage was completely a non-religious affair and soley and issue for the state. Since religion and morality do not impact marriage the court reasoned under Massechussettes Common Law and morality changes, there is no valid complaint to religion since it was the religious founders of Massachussettes who decided by majority vote that there was no religious component to marriage. Ironic isn't it. The Puritans would have flipped out.

Priests, who are not already married, renounce future marriage in order to fully devote their lives to Jesus. It isn't mandatory because becoming a priest isn't mandatory. All that said, the Catholic Church has quite a number of married men every year who become priests, just generally not in America.

In the Western Patriarchate, which is most Catholics of North America, the Church in council altered the norms for selecting candidates for the priesthood to limit corruption. People were getting ordained in order to keep Church land in the family. By prohibiting marriage, they were no longer able to create children to control large blocks of land. Only those truly devoted to Jesus would have an interest, or so the thinking went, to becoming a priest. Futher, in times of persecution, wives have been made hostage to hostile powers. Hitler actually devotes a section of Mein Kampf to his hostility to the Catholic priesthood. He found it a potential large danger. He felt Protestants would be easy to manage but with no wives to arrest and no one to use as pressure, there was no leverage against priests. He could kill them, but he couldn't control them. Ultimately he became more sophisticated and defused any threat of the Catholic Church being an active opponent until it was far too late for them to realize what was going on. Only the Jehovah's Witnessess were a consistant credible threat to Hitler. They refused to salute any flag or king, as a result he had them executed wherever they were.

The same was true under Stalin. You can arrest a married priest or pastor's family and control the sermon. You just have to imprison or execute the unmarried. Christianity was very early on a persecuted religion. Celibacy has been a normal response especially in persecuted areas.

Answer 2

The 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 some Catholic priests are married. There are 22 rites within the Catholic Church, 21 of these rites allow there priests to marry although most do not. The Latin or Roman rite which is the largest generally does not allow married priests although there have been exceptions with converts to the faith who were already Anglican priest's for instance.

Celibacy for priest is a discipline not a matter of faith or theology. Paul in the Bible especially looks to celibacy as a higher calling for those who are able to accept that gift.

Answer 4

It comes from the example of St. Paul written in 1 Corinthians 7:17 - 40: Only, everyone should live as the Lord has assigned, just as God called each one. I give this order in all the churches.
18
Was someone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was an uncircumcised person called? He should not be circumcised.
19
Circumcision means nothing, and uncircumcision means nothing; what matters is keeping God's commandments.
20
Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called.
21
Were you a slave when you were called? Do not be concerned but, even if you can gain your freedom, make the most of it.
22
For the slave called in the Lord is a freed person in the Lord, just as the free person who has been called is a slave of Christ.
23
You have been purchased at a price. Do not become slaves to human beings.
24
Brothers, everyone should continue before God in the state in which he was called.
25
Now in regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, 11 but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.
26
So this is what I think best because of the present distress: that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.
27
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation. Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife.
28
If you marry, however, you do not sin, nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries; but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life, and I would like to spare you that.
29
12 I tell you, brothers, the time is running out. From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
30
those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning,
31
those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away.
32
I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.
33
But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
34
and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35
I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction.
36
13 14 If anyone thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, and if a critical moment has come and so it has to be, let him do as he wishes. He is committing no sin; let them get married.
37
The one who stands firm in his resolve, however, who is not under compulsion but has power over his own will, and has made up his mind to keep his virgin, will be doing well.
38
So then, the one who marries his virgin does well; the one who does not marry her will do better.
39
15 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whomever she wishes, provided that it be in the Lord.
40
She is more blessed, though, in my opinion, if she remains as she is, and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

Basically, Paul is saying that as a married person, they would be more inclined to worry about their wife (or husband if nuns could marry) before looking after the Church. It is not wrong to marry, but if a person chooses to do so, then as long as their wife (or husband) lives, they can't be priests (or nuns).

Answer 5

Actually, Catholic priests were allowed to be married until Pope Gregory (I believe that's his name) decided it would be in the Church's best interest not to allow it. This way more money stayed in the Church, rather than a priest having familial responsibilities. It is true! Look it up.

Answer 6

no theological theories as of yet but the common theory is the doctrine of Charlemagne states no member of the holy church can be married, priest or nun in order to keep the body pure, if I had to guess because of the immaculate conception and the catholics infatuation with the virgin Mary

Answer 7

It's not theological to my knowledge. Several popes were married and at some point, it was decided that priests would pay more attention to their religion without a family to distract them (not to mention having to support several children due to the church not allowing birth control pills).

Answer 8

Priests don't have time to raise a family. They already have a family of more than 1000 members of a congregation. You know how the church feels about contraception..

Answer 9

The theological reason is to not divert attention from devotion to God

The practical reason was to ensure that the Church inherited any property owned by or bequeated to the priests.

Answer 10

I think it started with a group of priest vowing chasity as a symbol of their commitment to God and Christianity. This was it the early days of the religion. It was just sort of adopted by the Vatican eventually and sticks to this day. The Vatican has always been slow to change, so I don't see this issue changing anytime soon.

Answer 11

After 2000 years I think they already know why the priests don't marry.

Just like all religions there's something in the Bible that they have taken literally.....Jesus said to his Apostles after he had chosen them to leave their families & their fishing boats, give away all their possessions and come follow Him.

And there you have it.....priests not marrying.