what is the historic reason Catholic clergy cannot marry?

Question

I heard is was made so that their children would not inherit their property. Thus have it leave the Church and the Church wanted to avoid that.

If anyone can conferm of deny this please tell me

Answer 1

In early christianity, priests did marry. But the laws in inheritance during Medieval times were such that the first born son inherited the land. If the priest had been successful, that would have meant that the church (at this time the Catholic Church) would not get the land. By outlawing marriage, no legitimate heirs were involved, and the land remained with the church. Today the Roman Catholic Church is more wealthy than many countries..... Keep in mind, that priests still lived with a "wife" and they still had children, but because no marriage (no 'legal' one recognized by the church) was involved, no heredity was either. The the church retain the property.

Inheritance laws of Medieval and "Dark Ages" Europe held that the first born son of a married man inherited the property..... By keeping the preisthood legally unmarried, the church retained the rights to the property.... This celebacy had nothing to do with Jesus, it had to do with the distribution of wealth......(In fact, Jesus was likely married -- to whom, we don't know, but celebacy was not a desired thing in the Middle East 2000 years ago.... jesus was Jewish, and it was the absolute responsibility of his father to not only teach him a trade, but to find him a wife -- maybe even before he was born. (In case you haven't figured it out, the Da Vinci Code is fiction, sweetie...)

Answer 2

There's the doctrinal answer: that priests sacrifice worldly pleasure in order to be closer to God. Nuns, for example, are the "brides of Christ" and they don't engage in sexual activity because that would be a betrayal of their "wedding" vows.

There's also the real world answer. The earliest Christians actually believed that Jesus Christ would return "any day now" and avoided having children. This was obviously a self-defeating policy, as the numbers of believers would decrease with every succeeding generation, and as time passed people realized that Armageddon wasn't coming any time soon. The taboos about childbirth were relaxed and everyone enjoyed families.

However, after the collapse of the Roman Empire and the rise of feudalism, with local lords holding fiefs, and many of those lords being bishops, archbishops and cardinals, the Church faced a crisis of heredity. Centralized power would be greatly diminished if Church lands passed onto the sons of the bishops who were already there. Lack of centralization would eventually lead to fragmentation of Christianity as local priests and bishops would develop their own interpretations of the Word.

Centralized power was a great concern in the early Catholic Church, with a great many religious debates being held over whether or not the diocese in Rome was just another bishop, first among equals, or supreme overlord. Obviously the final view prevailed, that's why only the bishop of Rome (the Pope) is known as the Vicar of Christ on Earth. Indeed, the earliest Edicts against heresy were used to destroy dissenters who opposed the supremacy of the Pope.

Answer 3

I've heard that same explanation used before, and it makes perfect sense. During the middle ages, the Church was powerful, and the biggest asset was land, so if the priests ( many of whom were nobility and landowners ) had heirs, then the Church would not grow as fast as it did.

Another reason is that self denial of pleasure was a common philosophy taken from other religions. Buddhists monks being a famous example. Many people thought that for a person to be holy, they had to suffer in cert ain ways , such as isolation, fasting, painful procedures to the flesh, and staying celibate.

Of course , there's no Biblical command to not marry. 1 Timothy 4; 1 - 3

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

No, priests are asked to take a vow of celibacy as a discipline. St. Paul, in 1 Cor. 7:32-35, suggests that an unmarried man stay unmarried so as not to be devided between pleasing God and pleasing his wife. Also, Jesus praises those who would freely renounce sex for the sake of the kingdom of God in Mt. 19:12. No man is forced by the church not to marry. They are free to choose marriage or priesthood.

God bless,
Stanbo

Answer 6

Way back when, Catholics could pay a priest to absolve them from their sins. They could actually prepay to abosolve them of their sins. Priests were wealthy at this time in history ! When the priests died, all of their money was usually left to their wives. The Catholic Church did not like this, and made the rule that priests could no longer marry; therefore, when a priest died, his money went to the church.

Answer 7

"...but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is APPROPRIATE and to secure UNDISTRACTED DEVOTION to the Lord. (1 Cor 7:33-35)

If the silly story about priests' private property were true, (1) the Church would have had no reason to keep the rule in effect the past few centuries; (2) there would never have been a reason to require celibacy for priests in religious orders, who have always taken a vow of poverty; and (3) there would have been no reason to allow Eastern Rite Catholic priests to be married, as they are today and always have been.

Answer 8

I dont know the reason but its not in the bible that they cant so its bupkiss to me.


Catholics take the married to the church thing to the literal level, nuns are married to christ, priests are married to the church, my goodness, Paul only sugested that men would be able to devote more to the church single, that dosent mean you have to, im becoming a youth pastor but my wife will only make my ministry more powerfull, in ways I dont even know yet (partly cuz i havent met her yet)

Answer 9

I forget what book in the new testament it is, but Paul stated that he wishes all men would be single, so as to devote their lives to God. Having a spouse is fine and good, but he was making the point that a single person could devote more of himself. He also stated that it was better to marry than to burn with lust. Hope that helps a little.

Answer 10

That's what I've heard too. But besides, it makes sense to think that this is part of the terrible sexual repression the Catholic church favours.