Are catholic priest suppose to be married?

Answer 1

Usually, no. According to Canon law, priests are supposed to take a vow of celibacy and say unmarried. There are a few Catholics priest who are married, however. Some priests in Eastern Catholic churches, such as in Hungary, Slovakia, etc..., are allowed to get married because their traditions are more like Eastern Orthodox religions. A few priests are married in the United States, but they were priests in another religion before converting and did not get married while they were Catholic. If a Lutheran priest gets married and converts to Roman Catholicism, the church does not expect him to get divorced, so he gets to keep his wife. In those circumstances, those priests are not required to keep a vow of celibacy either. If a person starts being a Roman Catholic priest and takes a vow of celibacy and is not married, he is not allowed to get married or have sex afterwards.

Answer 2

The celibate clergy did not come into full bloom until about 1000 A.D. There were many married priests, bishops, and popes before this time.

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 3

Most of the 22 Catholic Churches allow married men to become priests. An example is the Byzantine Catholic Church, which has married priests and is in full communion with Rome.

To my knowledge, it is only the Latin Church which prohibits a married man from becoming a priest.

Thus, celibacy of the priesthood is not a doctrine of the Universal Catholic Church. It is only the practice of one branch of the Church, albeit the largest branch by far.

None of the 22 Catholic Churches in communion with Rome allow an unmarried priest to get married after he has become a priest.

Thanks for pointing out the requirement for celibacy of Eastern Catholic Bishops.

There have been some other exception in the Latin rite Church where a married man has been allowed to later become a priest. There was a case several years ago where a married couple's children were adults living on their own. The married man was allowed to join the priesthood, and his wife allowed to enter a convent. But these cases are few and far between.

There is another exception in the Latin rite Church where a married Episcopalian priest and his Congregation formally convert to Roman Catholicism. The former Episcopal Church is known as an Anglican Use Roman Catholic Church, and its original pastor is allowed to keep his status as a married man. I believe subsequent pastors, however, must be celibate. Once again, these cases are few and far between; I only have heard of around 5 Anglican Use Roman Catholic Churches, most of which are located in Texas.

Answer 4

The Latin Rite priests are not married. There have been a few exceptions of married converts from other faiths who got special permission to become a priest such as a convert from the Lutheran faith. The Eastern Catholic rites do have some married priests. But neither has ever had the Church allow a priest get married AFTER having taken the vow of celibacy as a priest.

But in truth, all priests are married to the Church, and all nuns are married to Jesus. That's why they can't get married after making a vow to God to be faithful to Him and to His Church.

It says in the bible that it is better to be celibate in order to not be divided over serving God and His people. A married person is concerned with his wife and family. A celibate person can devote themselves completely to serving God and His people.

Answer 5

Yes. Catholic priests are supposed to marry. If the Catholic church were interested in actually practicing Christianity, it would allow its priests to marry. Maybe someone can help me, I can't remember if it is a quote from Saint Paul or Saint Augustine, but there is a quote that says it's better to take care of one's sexual needs within the institution of marriage, rather than risk going to hell by looking elsewhere (unmarried women, little boys, or even self-gratification) for sexual fulfillment. As one answerer pointed out, the rule about chastity wasn't even part of church doctrine until long after the death and Resurrection of Christ.

Answer 6

No. The funny thing is that there were no laws originally against priests getting married. That rule was written in by the vatican around 1000 AD. God could really care less if a priest were married.

Answer 7

Nope! But the Anglican or Episcopal church which was borne from the Catholic Chuch by King Henry VIII allows its priests to marry.

Answer 8

In the Catholic religion they aren't aloud to marry.

Answer 9

The bible has nothing agenst a preacher being maried, alot of the desiples in the bible were married and so were alot of early church pastors.

Im hecka goina marry and Im in the process of becomeing a youth pastor.

Answer 10

not any more. the church decided around 1400 to forbid priests to marry. the reason was very simple. married people have kids, kids inherit from their parents. to keep land and other possessions in the church they decided: no more kids.