Should priests be allowed to marry?

Answer 1

Maybe they'd leave little boys alone if they could get married instead.

Answer 2

Of course they should, and a certain percentage are already, depending upon the Rite of the Catholic church they are in. I'm writing this following me reading the first 21 answers to this, and I'm amazed at the ignorance in some of the answers.
Priests in the Ukrainian Catholic Church - sometimes called the Byzantine Rite, or Greek Catholic - are allowed to marry. My father-in-law was a priest, as is his son, but my brother-in-law chose not to marry. My niece married a man who became a priest. We have many friends who are priests, several of them who are married with families. My own father was a Deacon, the first married one in our province, and the Bishop wanted him to go on to be a priest, but he chose not to.
In the early church, many priests and bishops were married. There was no ban on this. The reason it got changed (don't know the century), was that the hierarchy of the church decided it didn't want land or properties passed to the families of the clergy, but wanted it to remain in the hands of the church.
Married priests are literally a godsend to parishes and churches. Particularly with less men entering the priesthood, it is an option which had better be looked into quickly by the Roman Catholics. A married priest is in no way "torn" between the work he does as a priest and his role as a husband and father. These roles are complementary. The wives get very involved in the parish, as do the children. It is beneficial for any man to have the support of a wife and children, and so it should be no different for a priest.

Answer 3

Part of the confusion is that the Ukrainian, Russian, and Greek churches are not part of the Roman Catholic Papacy. These are usually referred to as Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Orthodox Catholic churches. They do not recognize any authority from the Pope. They are organized as under 7 patriarchies where the Pope is seen one of the 7 but who is now estranged. Basically, when the Roman Empire split in half to become Rome and Byzantium the Roman half became the Catholic church and Byzantine half became Eastern Orthodox. The Eastern Orthdox church is on the rise is the former Soviet Union while the Catholic Church today is only growing in South and Central America; it has been declining for some time in Europe and the US.

This is a shame because the whole point of calling Vatican II more than 40 years ago was to bring the Catholic church closer to other Christian churches. This goal was derailed by Pope John Paul II whose tragic legacy lives on after his death.

Answer 4

Of course. Living a celibate life is actually considered a sin according to the New Testament in several of the writings of Paul. In 2nd Timothy, Paul says outright that priests should be good husbands. Not only that but when Paul sees the perilous last days(the days in which we are now), he says that only the unrighteous abstain from marriage and tell others the same.

Therefore, living a celibate life is a sin. Afterall, God told all his children to multiply and replenish the Earth.

"For neither is the woman without the man, nor the man without the woman in the Lord."

"It is not good for man to be alone."

Keep in mind though, that living an unchaste life is a sin as well.

Answer 5

It would be interesting to see married Catholic priests because the entire hierarchy of the Church is based on a male supremacy concept. Married men answer to their wives in addition to the Pope, and their wives are right there and the Pope is in Rome. I think it would be sensible to allow, although not encourage, marriage in the Church as it would allow more men to qualify for the priesthood and it would n't be such a haven for men who are unsure or uncomfortable with their own sexuality.

Answer 6

I think the point of priests not marrying is that they are devoting their lives to God and that their parish is their "family." That being said, yes priests should be allowed to marry, just as women should be allowed to become priests, less and less men are choosing to enter the clergy, and eventually the church will be unable to fulfill its duty to its followers. There are thousands and thousands and thousands of Catholic Churches, we don't often hear about the good priests or parishes...only the bad ones. That would be like saying ALL preachers are drug addicts and hire prostitutes. Bad apples typically spoil the barrell.

Answer 7

Absolutely!!! They are human beings who have needs too. Priests deserve to be happy and live a happy life. They are men of God and they have a right to be married.

Answer 8

Yes. Much of the time, the duties of the priest can be better performed without the stress of family; however, it is entirely unbiblical for celibacy to be practiced among priests and Christian clergy. Many priests, pastors, etc., find it necessary to abstain from sexuality and/or marriage in order to fully perform their duties. However, God does not demand a certain stereotypical performance from Christian clergy (i.e., God does not demand abstinence from pastors, priests, etc.).

Answer 9

Why not? Pastors are allowed and they are the same thing as priests, basically.

Answer 10

they are only men...not gods. they feel the same urges and temptations as anyone. they also wed people because every faith knows that love is necessary. of course they should be allowed to marry.

Answer 11

They can remain in the church after they molest children so what’s the big deal if they get married? But then again why marry if you can still be in the church if you’re a fornicator?