Why can't Catholic priests get married but Reverends and Vicars can?

Answer 1

Catholic priests have taken a vow of celibacy. This tradition was because it was believed a priest could not give his all to his calling if he had a wife and children. Although some protestant Ministers, priests, reverends etc. choose to formally or not take that vow for the same reasons, it is not required for their ordination.

Answer 2

I'm guessing it's because of Paul's words in the New Testament, saying that it if someone is unmarried, they should stay unmarried, etc. A Catholic friend told me that they were, at one point, allowed to marry, but I don't have a source to actually back that claim up. However, what I find strange about the whole thing is that GOD ordained marriage long before the first temple or New Testament church came about. God made Adam and Eve for each other, and pronounced their coming together to be good. It doesn't make sense to me that a priest isn't permitted to get married before he becomes a priest. Yet, if he gets married, and then gets the "call" later in life, they let him marry. What is the difference in the timing of when he got married? Some say that being married will distract a man from his work for the kingdom. However, if he chooses a wife who shares his heart for the church, it can be a great blessing. His wife can be a great blessing to the women of the church. His people can see what a loving, Christian marriage is supposed to look like, so when they come to him for marriage counseling, the woman has a woman to talk to, not just the priest! Although not always showcased, the Bible shows how a godly woman can make a vivid impact on history (Rahab, Esther). Allowing priests to marry can also make the church feel like a more safer place for women. My guess, if I had to make a guess, would be because they wanted to keep women out of the church. Either that, or they wanted the priesthood to become a convenient cover for homosexuals, so men who were not straight could enter the priesthood and be celibate for their entire lives, and it would not seem strange. Please take no offense to that statement.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Catholic priests are reverends, and sometimes vicars. A reverend is a conventional title of respect for a Christian minister, protestant or catholic. A vicar, commonly, is the resident pastor of a local church. The catholics sometimes use, for related meaning, the expression of the pope as being the "vicar of Christ'--they are the Christ-appointant resident pastor of Christ's church, as the expression intends to say.

Long ago, the Roman church developed some differences in practice from other equally old orthodox Christian groups. One of those differences is what is called "the cult of Mary", where the mother of Jesus was venerated in title and tale to demigod status. Another difference is a purity, or holiness, issue regarding sex. There were times, which periodically resurfaced, where priests were having children and installing their own children as officers in various capacities. In part to thwart this nepotism, in part because some of the children were illegitimately produced (unmarried, or even from nuns who had sequestered themselves in sacrifice to God), the guideline then became that priests and pastors will not marry and will not have sex, period. Celibacy, then, was from several sources of need and appearances. Among the reasons was a medevil notion that sex was simply dirty, and the church couldn't have a bunch of church leaders that were doing such demeaning and immoral things. One of the things that Martin Luther was so hot and huffy about in his split with the Roman Catholic church was that people were buying indulgences, permissions to do such disgusting things as have sex with someone other than their wife, as if having sex with the wife weren't bad enough, and all without danger of losing one's soul. The practice was about as Scriptural as spitting in someone's eye is acceptable on Thursdays and every third Monday--it simply isn't in the Bible.

The Roman Catholic church has retained this quaint requirement, celibacy, and that is part of why they try to cover up the failings of pedophile priests, there is a perceived tendency homosexual men to become priests in order to prey upon little boys (although a few of the reports involve little girls). The crimes become a bundle of faults and they are hoping that they can be hushed up, desiring the issue will go away. Some families have situations like that. They know that uncle Bob should never be left alone with his nieces, etc.

The Protestant ministers saw examples in Scripture that many of the early church leaders were married, that made the matter permissible. Some would even find passages that indicate that a married minister would even be preferred (1 Timothy 3:2 for instance).

Answer 5

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.

WWJD? (What would Jesus do?) Jesus did not marry.

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 6

I am not familiar with Reverends and Vicars in the Catholic Church that can get married.

Reverends is normally used in a Protestant Christian faith.

Not sure about Vicars.

Peace!

Answer 7

Read the book of Esther--She was put into the care of the king's eunuchs. Esther prefigures the Church. Scripture also says that some men are eunuchs because of accident or some because of something done to them and still others just decisions made themselves for the kingdom of God. Many people judge the celibacy of priests by this world's logic not taking into account that if they were really serious about the priesthood the Lord himself would allow the grace to continue in a celibate manner--Remember it is for The Kingdom of God and his Kingdom is not of this world.

Answer 8

Different denominations, different rules.

The Roman Catholic Church has two Sacraments of Committment - Marriage and Holy Orders. The current belief is that one person cannot full commit his or her self to both. (Not that women have the option of becoming priests.) There are historical reasons for this as well a theological ones that sometimes stem from scriptures.

Answer 9

Because the Catholic Church is living in a vacuum they created centuries ago and they don't have the sense to wake up and get into the modern world. They also hold to the rather outdated notion that Jesus Christ was unmarried and a lifelong virgin which is more than likely not true since it has been shown he was probably married.

Answer 10

It's been this way since the dawn of time. First the priests could get married, but then there children were fighting over church property, so they were forced to not be married anymore. If the church wavers on this, they will be forced to change their stance on birth control and everything else, god forbid they change with the times...