Now that Catholic priests have no claim on church property should they be allowed to marry?

Question

Originally priests were not able to marry in case they passed church property to children in the event of their deaths, but now they have no claim might it not be prudent to allow them to make their own choices ? Repression of sexual urges is against nature - no?

Answer 1

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.

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.

A priest is "married" to the Church. Some people think that a priest who takes his duties seriously cannot take proper care of a wife and family. "A man cannot serve two masters."

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The idea of an unmarried clergy goes back to Paul's teaching and the attitude of the pharasaic sect towards sex and women. (They were largely against both, and Paul was a pharisee before he became a Christian). There is no record as to whether the first Pope had a wife, but he certainly had a mother-in-law.

The present rule in the Latin rite is more to do with convenience than doctrine. Priests live on the job. They don't normally get a salary, just some pocket money out of the Easter and Christmas collections.

There are married priests in the Catholic Church. It's quite common in the Eastern rites. In the Latin rite, there are married priests who have joined the church with their wives from the Anglican communion. They can only work for parishes who are rich enough to provide them with a suitable house and a salary, or as prison or military chaplains.

Answer 3

>>>Originally priests were not able to marry in case they passed church property to children in the event of their deaths>>>

No, that's not why priests are asked to promise not to marry.

Nor is it correct that priests "do not make their own choices."

No one is forced to be a priest, sir or madam. Any Catholic man who becomes a priest -- and takes on the celibacy that comes with it -- does so willingly and voluntarily.

Nor is celibacy a "repression of sexual urges." It's not a "giving up" of sex. It's an act of total devotion to God and to His Church and its people.

Priests have not been able to "pass church property to children" for centuries -- if they were ever able to.

Yet priests have still lived celibacy all that time. Celibacy has nothing to do with such earthly matters -- its reasons are far deeper.

.

Answer 4

I researched this topic pretty thoroughly, along with the number of "laicized" priests who reluctantly quit the church because they wanted to marry. You're right that property was a major reason that marriage for priests was forbidden (in the 12th century); since then, the rule has also taken on a pretty heavy weight of tradition. Personally, I think they should be allowed to marry. But I'm not longer a Catholic, so I don't have much say in what they do.

Answer 5

Pastor Billy says: Chillipope has to be true to his profile

Chillipope
About me: Non-denominational, lover not a hater, free-thinker, superstition's not for me.
Prepared to listen to your argument but I use good old logic to make my mind up.

Firstly you must drop this presupposition of priests and church property which is entirely a myth. Secondly you also need to be that free-thinker and listen to actual statistics on abuse in general society and the sins of non-catholic clergy which statistically is higher than Catholic priests and these clergy are primarily married men.
The statistics prove that marriage is not the answer to the problem.

please see the following for a statistical education

http://www.reformation.com

and

http://www.catholicleague.org/research/abuse_in_social_context.htm



Finally no one is not allowed to marry as a Catholic if that was true there wouldn't 1.1 billion Catholics worldwide and growing.
Contrary to the misinformation you've fallen for not all Catholic priests are single although a majority are. There are married convert clergy, widowers who were once married and Eastern Rite Catholic clergy who can be married clergy.

If marriage is the answer why is it so many Evangelical Protestant preachers have fallen into the sin of divorce such as John Haggee and Charles Stanley to name a few.

Answer 6

but since you're not a priest, why are you very much concerned about it? or if you're a Catholic priest and you don't approve of the rules, why not stop being a priest? it's not really a big issue, isn't it? and i doubt that the reason you mentioned why priests are not allowed to marry is the real reason.

Answer 7

it truly is a decision. no extra no a lot less. you're making it into this grand plan to make money.... it truly is a own decision Eph 5:21-33 - marriage is powerful: holy image of Christ & church Mt 19:12 - celibacy praised by Jesus, who change into chaste Jer 16:a million-4 - Jeremiah instructed now to not take spouse & have little ones 1Cor 7:8 - St. Paul change into celibate 1Cor 7:32-35 - celibacy stated for complete-time ministers 2Tim 2:3-4 - no soldier receives entangled in civilian pastimes

Answer 8

I am a catholic and in my opinion Priests should be allowed to get married. We are ordaining Deacons into the Church who can get married or are already married

God Bless You

Answer 9

I believe they should be allowed to marry.
With the history of paedophilia among catholic churches, I think now would be the right time to make things right and allow for it.
It is definitely against nature to repress sexual urges

Answer 10

if property was the only reason to stop them in the first place then yes allow them to marry