why are Catholic priests forbidden sex and marriage?

Question

they must get sexually frustrated and does this have any bearing on all the paedophilia in their church?

Answer 1

Well I can tell you that it is not based on the bible, in fact the bible says that forbidding to marry is wrong, for instance 1 Timothy 4:1-3 says:

1 However, the inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, marked in their conscience as with a branding iron; 3 FORBIDDING TO MARRY, commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth.

So the fact that certain religions claiming to be christian would command some to be celibate was foretold, but it is not what god wants.

Answer 2

This is a comparatively modern practice, dating from 1139, when Pope Innocent II voided all marriages of priests and ruled that all new priests had to divorce their wives. This was upheld by the Council of Trent in the mid 16th century. The decision of Pope Innocent II was decided on economic grounds, as he didn't go along with the old saying that two can live as cheaply as one. Wives and children were costly to maintain. There is no cogent Biblical support for the celibacy of the clergy: on the contrary, the apostle Peter, who is claimed as the first pope, was a married man, along with other apostles, and St Paul in 1 Tim. 3:2 says that a bishop should be a monogamist, which suggests that married clergy were the norm. In the Orthodox Church men can only become priests if they are married. This particular doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church seems cruel and unjustified and has undoubtedly led to a great deal of hypocrisy, frustration and sexual abuse of various kinds, including paedophilia. It is hard to see why popes continue to support it, unless it continues to be a major economic issue or they take the view that they had to put up with it, so why shouldn't the youngsters? Of course priests are subject to sexual frustration and how unnecessary it all is! Particularly when Anglican and Episcopalian priests are allowed to keep their wives if they move over to the Roman Catholic Church to serve as priests there!

Answer 3

First, Judeo-Christian tradition has always held that single people be celibate. This is taught by Judaism and Christianity from before the Scriptures were written down.

The question should be: Why can't priests marry?

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.

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

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 4

Because they did not understand or read the scriptures. They have not understood the truth of God. God is a loving father and very much into family. He is not into false humility and false religious observations where denial and self flagulence is the order of the day. These guys used to beat themselves!

And no, this doesn't actually have any bearing on all the peadophilia. Despite what people think, there is as much outside the Catholic church as inside, but becuase they are 'the church' they are subject to greaterc expectations and it is a greater shock to know that the so called 'men of god' are so evil.

But the enemy knows this. That's why he set it up. Celibacy for religious reasons is not of god. It is false humility. Peadophilia is devil spirit possession. It is spirits of lust and sexual deviancy. Usually homosexual but sometimes not. These spirits know how to promote ideas and lies so they set things up so God gets a black eye. And the church condones them in the foolish notion that the church should not openly be seen to be to be evil. And they also follow foolish ideas on forgiveness because they cannot spiritually discern as they are blinded spiritually so they cannot know the devil spirits are among them.

so basically they have become an accident looking for somewhere to happen. And that is the truth on the subject.

Answer 5

I am anti religion, I have no time for any religious faith, to my mind they are all equally as stupid, But..........
I will assume that your question is a valid one and not just designed to stir up the shi**?
All religions have their own rules and this is just one of many weird ones, it is possible to convince yourself that to serve God as a leader that you must abstain from sex, I suppose it has been proven throughout history that people are very easily led! This is just another case in point!!
As for your paedophilia bit, while the church (not just the Catholic church) has an amount of paedophiles among them the fact that they get more publicity (than say a bank clerk )would explain why it appears to be more frequent.
I've changed my mind now, and decided that you are just stirring up some shi**!! I'm sure you would have know all that?

Answer 6

This only came about in the 6th century. Before this they could marry. It is taking the words of the apostle Paul to the extreme. He just said that being single made one more free to serve God, whereas being married you had family responsibilities that may hinder your duties to God. The church took this too literally.

How many priests have sex weekly anyway, and children who are funded from parish funds?

The catholic church created a problem then pretends it has no problem. A priest caught out is moved somewhere else, so the problem is never dealt with.

Answer 7

A disciple was told to go get married if he could not go without, but in other parts of the Bible a man is instructed to take proper care of his wife.

As males are not able to multi-task very well, the Roman Catholic church decided it was one or the other.

A priest is a man. Men have urges. Often the right hand is insufficient release. A choirboy is not a woman so technically speaking not breaking the vows, however morally and legally wrong and opposite to the thoughts of the laity.

Answer 8

They used to marry and have families like our eastern brethern. Then the church got greedy and decided that it wanted the lands and holdings of its preists for itself and so brought up that Jesus was not married. Somehow Dogma took over from Doctrine and now priests are not allowed a full and happy life (if they so choose) with a person to share with.

It would have no bearing on child molesting though, that is a mental disorder and a whole different can of worms.

Answer 9

Because some time in the early middle ages the church decided it was not in its interest that the fiefs and the property of church men would be inherited by their children.

Pedophilia is actually not more widespread in the Catholic church than in other walks of life, it's only considered more scandalous because priests used to be trusted with children, and because of the way the church tried to sweep it under the carpet.

Answer 10

Many catholic priets I have met are very good people, but, individually some may fall weak as any other ordinary person and that's why we seek Gods advice and go for penitance.

To answer your question, I think they are not forbidden as per se but this is a free choice they have made with their God to live a celibate life in order to serve God well. Its a sacrifice that one makes with his/her own God and any betrayal is punishable by God though is some cases if this goes against the law of the land they are held responsible for any unlawful acts.