What is the reasons Catholic preists do not marry?

Question

I am not a Catholic, nor am I necessarily criticizing this practice that the priests must remain celibate.

My question is this: are they celibate because they should not have sex? or are they celibate because they should not have family and kids whom they may care about more than the church visitors who come to church?

Answer 1

they like little boys to much

Answer 2

Perhaps both but I'm leaning much farther toward the fact that sex is something a person must sacrifice if they choose to serve/dedicate their life to the Lord by becoming a Priest. I really don't think it's because they shouldn't have family and kids to tempt them into caring more about them than the church visitors/congregation. After all, God is supposed to be all about Love...selfless Love.

The priest serves as a mediator between God and His worshippers, just as Christ did. They say that Jesus was the only "perfect" human being and He served His Father and remained celibate so maybe by being celibate the Priest's become as close to being like Jesus as they ever can.

This is truly a controversial subject (personally, I'm not sure I believe Jesus was celibate; after all, he was a man and he was of the flesh/human.....if ya know what I mean). Also, I believe that this practice of a Priest having to be celibate is totally assinine; after all....they, too, are men and are human. Maybe if this rule didn't exist, there wouldn't be so many of them getting into so much trouble these days. I think their curiosity about sex (especially because it's taboo to them) has gotten the better of them...many of them. Wouldn't you say???

Answer 3

The Catholic doctrine preventing priests from being married comes from the archetype of priests, who are known to be the Disciples of Jesus Christ. He told them to leave all their Earthly belonging, including money, property, their niche in society, and even their families. Since priests are supposed to be like the Disciples of Christ, it is only natural that they themselves be celibate and ideally die virgins without experiencing love from a woman.

Abstinence is part of it, but not all. Sex is seeing by many Catholics as a serious and almost spiritual thing that should only be done between husband and wife and to go against that is to be breaking the 10 Commandments and inevitable damnation. Now that is just the somewhat radical Catholic belief, but do bare in mind that many Catholics take that seriously. And with that, Priests should put down Earthly pleasures, the greatest among to be sex. So priests are supposed to be the embodiment of Christ and basically his go-to men on Earth. With that Priests and other religious including Nuns, are supposed to be able to get up and go where needed and shouldn't have to leave behind a family.

So it is partly due to abstinence, but mostly because priests should be like the Disciples and be without families and refrain from earthly pleasures. It's similar to Tibetan Monks who two refrain from marriage, sex, and other earthly pleasures in the peruse of following a God.

There is some gray area in the whole idea, because the Bible was said to be written by some of the Diciples who put together many of Jesus' teachings and events in his life, which of course can contain misunderstanind and error. But nonetheless Catholics believe that the Bible was written through the influence of the Holy Spirit so when the first heads of the Roman Catholic Church were putting together a doctrine, they found enough reason to make it clear that no clergy or religious leader should be married and have a family.

Answer 4

Well, there are two reasons...

from a spiritual standpoint you are correct. The Roman Catholic Church believes that priests and nuns first priority should be their parishioners and the church itself (A priest can be asked to move to anywhere in the world, if you have a wife and children, that becomes more difficult to do.)

From a historical standpoint, you have to remember that for a very long time, the oldest male was the heir to everything in his family. So if you are a priest, and could not marry and have heirs yourself, the church inherited your land, and any and all money in your pocession.

Answer 5

It is an archaic custom. In the beginning of the priesthood, priests could and did marry. As the early church accumulated more and more land, with the priest in charge of it, the office of priest was often passed to a son or sold to a friend's son. Thus, priests' families became very wealthy and powerful. In an effort during the middle ages to reform the church, it was decided to forbid priests to marry to prevent this situation. Now it is just a tradition.

Answer 6

the assumption of a celibate clergy got here from the Jews, John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul. The Jews. The Talmud argues that a individual whose “soul is definite up with the Torah and is continually serious approximately it” might proceed to be celibate (Maimonides, regulations of Marriage 15.3). as an occasion, Yahweh ordered the prophet Jeremiah to no longer marry (Jeremiah sixteen:a million-4). apart from, the Essenes became right into a set that became into lively in Jesus’ time that practiced celibacy and concept with the aid of maximum scholars to be the authors of the lifeless Sea Scrolls. John the Baptist and Jesus are the two believed to have been celibate for their finished lives. some scholars have self assurance that the occasion of the Essenes inspired the two or the two Jesus and John the Baptist of their celibacy. The Apostle Paul is specific approximately his celibacy (see a million Cor. 7). there is likewise evidence interior the gospel of Matthew for the practice of celibacy between a minimum of a few early Christians, interior the admired passage approximately turning out to be “eunuchs for the sake of the dominion of heaven” (Matt. 19:12). the assumption took many twists and turns over the years and could probable take some greater before Christ returns in glory. With love in Christ.

Answer 7

This is such a naive question. You really must know nothing at all about Catholic culture to ask this.

Dude, the majority of priests are gay. Get it? They're GAAAY. This is not an anti-Catholic slur; it's just, simply.... The Truth. Every Catholic I've ever met who has half-a-brain knows it.

No matter what the Church says officially, the real reason they don't want to drop the rule against marrying, is that it would expose the fact that most priests don't want to marry women because they don't want women, period.

Nimadan

Answer 8

The answer is yes to both of your examples, although strictly speaking it is not true that all Catholic priest are forbidden to marry, only those of the Western rite who are members of orders. Secular priests married by the time they were ordained have never been forbidden, although there are few. Most Eastern rite and other Uniate priests are married. Also those who come from lands where church property was not threatened by inheritance laws, there were even married bishops in some German principalities through at least the 19th Century.

Few know it, and many Irish Catholics would probably deny it, but St. Patrick (who came from a family of priests and deacons) was most probably married, some controversies from his time say more than once. St. Peter was married, as we know from scripture, as was St. James, who had a son listed among the apostles. It would be extremely unusual according to Jewish custom of his day if Jesus himself were not married, since he was addressed as Rabbi. There is no record that St. Paul, taught by some of the best scholars of the Bible and Talmud was accorded the title Rabbi, probably because he remained unmarried. By the time of the Councils in the 4th Century most of the bishops came from unmarried clergy who were members of monastic orders as is still the custom among Orthodox Christians. Priests were most frequently married. Celibacy is largely kept in place by the reactionary pressure of the American church.

The law itself comes from the Gregorian reform in 1100, and was unknown prior to that time.

Answer 9

Until the year 1022 AD Catholic priests were allowed to marry and have mistresses.

But according to some historical accounts, there was a problem with children of these priests claiming church property as their inheritance. And for this reason Pope Benedict VIII banned all marriages and mistresses for priests.

Answer 10

Yes.

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."

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."

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

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

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

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

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, and Jeremiah 16:1-4.

+++ Scriptural Examples +++

Biblical role models of a celibate clergy came from John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul.

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.

WWJD? What would Jesus do? Jesus did not marry.

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 11

The priest is married to the church. It didn't always use to be this way, but that's the way it has been for many years. Instead of getting married, they have dedicated their lives to God.