Why is it that Catholic priests areforced to take a vow of abstinance and forbidden from marriage?

Question

Nowhere in the 66 books of the bibledoes it mention anything about this, and in the Greek scriptures even the apostle Paul wrote that the leaders of the Christian congregation should (among other things) be the "husband of one wife".
Shed some light please....

Thanks for some interesting answers...Interesting though that God's first command to humans (after leaving eden) was to go and multiply, become many and fill the earth.... hard to do if we all abstain.

Please don't tell me you're following the examples of single servants of God, when so many servants of God were married, Job, Noah etc.

Great answer about being in it for the cash.

And to James T. thx for the answer, but being a JW you realize you aren't allowed to count this time on your publisher's record card. Also, this is a question for information, not an invitation to preach.

Answer 1

Celibacy started in the 1500s to prevent married priests from passing on church wealth and lands to sons who might not necessarily want to be priests. So it had nothing to do with God, Jesus or anything holy; it was so the church could hang on to it's loot. How cool is that?

Answer 2

Catholic priests are not FORCED. They have 9 years to choose this life of celibacy. The Apostle Paul did state that a man should be faithful to his wife... but he also states that if a man or woman choses to devote his life completely to God by being celibate, it is even better. Celibacy in the Roman Catholic church only became law in the 1200's??? around that time. Before that time, Catholic priests, including bishops did marry and were allowed. Celibacy is a CHOICE and NOT FORCED. SO please read your 66 books again. BTW, Paul said the bishop should be the husband of one wife.

Answer 3

Priests, religious brothers and religious sisters (nuns) as part of their vocation choose not to marry following:
+ The practice recommended in the Bible
+ The example of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, and the Apostle Paul.

+++ Scripture +++

+ In Matthew 19:12, Jesus says, "Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."

Jesus says celibacy is a gift from God and whoever can bear it should bear it. Jesus praises and recommends celibacy for full time ministers in the Church. Because celibacy is a gift from God, those who criticize the Church's practice of celibacy are criticizing God and this wonderful gift He bestows on His chosen ones.

+ In Matthew 19:29, Jesus says, "And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life."

Whoever gives up children for the sake of His name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. Jesus praises celibacy when it is done for the sake of His kingdom.

+ Matthew 22:30 - Jesus explains, "At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven."

In heaven there are no marriages. To bring about Jesus' kingdom on earth, priests live the heavenly consecration to God by not taking a wife in marriage. This way, priests are able to focus exclusively on the spiritual family, and not have any additional pressures of the biological family (which is for the vocation of marriage). This also makes it easier for priests to be transferred to different parishes where they are most needed without having to worry about the impact of their transfer on wife and children.

+ In 1 Corinthians 7:1, Paul writes, "It is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman."

This is the choice that the Catholic priests of the Roman rite freely make.

+ Then in 1 Corinthians 7:7, Paul says, "Indeed, I wish everyone to be as I am."

Paul acknowledges that celibacy is a gift from God and wishes that all were celibate like he is.

+ In 1 Corinthians 7:27, Paul writes, "Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife."

Paul teaches men that they should not seek marriage. In Paul’s opinion, marriage introduces worldly temptations that can interfere with one’s relationship with God, specifically regarding those who will become full time ministers in the Church.

+ In 1 Corinthians 7:32-33, Paul teaches, "I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife." And in verse 38, "So then, the one who marries his virgin does well; the one who does not marry her will do better."

Paul recommends celibacy for full time ministers in the Church so that they are able to focus entirely upon God and building up His kingdom. He “who refrains from marriage will do better.”

See also
1 Timothy 5:9-12
2 Timothy 2:3-4
Revevation 14:4
Isaiah 56:3-7
Jeremiah 16:1-4

+++ Scriptural Examples +++

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.

Biblical role models 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 4

Because they don't teach the truth about what the Bible teaches, and it shows that you need to be careful and make sure of who you're being taught by.

1 Timothy 4:1-3
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.

Answer 5

while one may joke of mollesting answers, the truth is that most that take up this calling may not be meant for this lifestyle... but those who take this calling and are truely called to it, do it one because they are called to it (you might have to be a christian to understand a calling by God) but it happens...the idea of denying ones self, and following God with out distraction can be said to have started when Christ told his follower to take up his/her cross daily, meaning denying worldly thing... while this is a gester of faith and obediance, abstinance can also be supported and is done by alot of people in the context of 1 corithianthians 7:34, and some of Pauls other writings, where it talks of his personal choice to not be married, and the good it can do... but note Paul mentions that if one burn, or has a problem with lust, in order to avoid this temptation one confines himself in marrage...but going with this verse if you read on it talks of how it benifits one to remain unmarreged, such as no thaving to worry about marrage and the opposite sex, and allows you to focus on God and his word. Seeing that priests are to be in the word and focused fully on God, it would be easy to say that a good way to see -visually- that they are not living with clutter. Clutter being things that could distract him from God. Now I feel a wife could be someone who could benifit in the areas of accountability and focus, if someone is outwardly denying something like the ability to marry then we can see that they are truly devoted to what it is they are doing the denying for....
my best answer... at 4:30 AM...
-Todd

Answer 6

this is because they have misapplied the apostle pauls words at 1corinthians7v8 where he recommends that if a person is unmarried and the person can control their sexual urges they shoul remain single then they could be better put to work and be more flexible serving god.but if not they should [like most of us]marry.Also priest and nuns are supposedly married to the church,this is not a bible teaching.

Answer 7

Marriage is a sacrament in the Catholic Church. Celibacy is not.

Men and women choose not to marry following:
+ The practice recommended in the Bible
+ The example of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, and the Apostle Paul.

+++ Scripture +++

+ In Matthew 19:12, Jesus says, "Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."

Jesus says celibacy is a gift from God and whoever can bear it should bear it. Jesus praises and recommends celibacy for full time ministers in the Church. Because celibacy is a gift from God, those who criticize the Church's practice of celibacy are criticizing God and this wonderful gift He bestows on His chosen ones.

+ In Matthew 19:29, Jesus says, "And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life."

Whoever gives up children for the sake of His name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. Jesus praises celibacy when it is done for the sake of His kingdom.

+ Matthew 22:30 - Jesus explains, "At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven."

In heaven there are no marriages. To bring about Jesus' kingdom on earth, priests live the heavenly consecration to God by not taking a wife in marriage. This way, priests are able to focus exclusively on the spiritual family, and not have any additional pressures of the biological family (which is for the vocation of marriage). This also makes it easier for priests to be transferred to different parishes where they are most needed without having to worry about the impact of their transfer on wife and children.

+ In 1 Corinthians 7:1, Paul writes, "It is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman."

This is the choice that the Catholic priests of the Roman rite freely make.

+ Then in 1 Corinthians 7:7, Paul says, "Indeed, I wish everyone to be as I am."

Paul acknowledges that celibacy is a gift from God and wishes that all were celibate like he is.

+ In 1 Corinthians 7:27, Paul writes, "Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife."

Paul teaches men that they should not seek marriage. In Paul’s opinion, marriage introduces worldly temptations that can interfere with one’s relationship with God, specifically regarding those who will become full time ministers in the Church.

+ In 1 Corinthians 7:32-33, Paul teaches, "I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife." And in verse 38, "So then, the one who marries his virgin does well; the one who does not marry her will do better."

Paul recommends celibacy for full time ministers in the Church so that they are able to focus entirely upon God and building up His kingdom. He “who refrains from marriage will do better.”

See also
1 Timothy 5:9-12
2 Timothy 2:3-4
Revevation 14:4
Isaiah 56:3-7
Jeremiah 16:1-4

+++ Scriptural Examples +++

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.

Biblical role models 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."

Answer 8

Contrary to popular belief, the Catholic Church does have some married priests. However, the Catholic Church also wants some priests who are unmarried, because as St. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34, "The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided." Thus, the Church selects some men for ordination from among those who choose to be "eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven", as Jesus said in Matthew 19:12.

Answer 9

In the section on prerequisites for ordination, the Code says again: "A candidate for the permanent diaconate who is not married, and likewise, a candidate for the priesthood is not to be admitted to the order of diaconate unless he has, in the prescribed rite, publicly before God and the Church undertaken the obligation of celibacy, or unless he has taken perpetual vows in a religious institute." (Can. 1037).

There is another aspect of the significance of celibacy in the life of the priest. The sacrifice of Christ is unique in that he was both priest and victim. He offered his life as a sacrifice for the salvation of man. "I lay down my life for my sheep.. No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will" (John 9:15,18). The human priest who participates in the priesthood of Christ should also participate in the priesthood of Christ should also participate in the victim aspect of Christ's priesthood. Celibacy by which the priest renounces marriage for good brings the sacrificial element into his life Perpetual chastity involves a perpetual sacrifice.

God Bless You

Answer 10

Yeah, that's something I'd like to know too. I also noticed that marriage isn't forbidden anywhere in the Bible - the opposite - God created the woman and the man to be together and share their life, their pain and happiness. In my country official is the Orthodox Church and priests are allowed to get married here.