Why does a nun have to take a vow of poverty and the priest doesn't?

Answer 1

The Priest does as well

Answer 2

The question would better be posed as "Why do nuns (and monks) take vows (period) and (diocesan) priests don't?"

I'm not sure what the full historical answer is, but the fact is that members of religious orders take vows. The vows vary, but the most common sets of vows are "poverty, chastity, and obedience" or "stability, obedience, and conversion of life". A priest does not have to take vows unless s/he is also a monk or a nun.*

Religious orders hold their property in common. The individual members generally own almost nothing. Priests who do not belong to a religious order still don't have much money, but that's not the same as vowing not to own private property. Similarly, in Latin Rite dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church (but not, say, Ukrainian Catholics**) diocesan priests promise not to marry (but they do not take a full-blown "vow"). In the Eastern Orthodox and Anglican churches, priests who are not monastics do not have to promise celibacy at all.

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*I'm writing as an Anglican. In the Roman Catholic tradition, of course, there are no women priests, but what I've written otherwise applies.

**I believe there have been Roman Catholic men who have applied to change their rite so that they can marry and still be ordained Catholic priests.

Answer 3

A nun lives in a community in which everything is held in common. Thus, no one person in the community has possession; everything is available for the use of the entire community. There are communities of men, as well, including religious brothers and priests.

A diocesan priest does not belong to a religious order and, therefore, doesn't live in a community. However, he doesn't get paid very much. Even bishops and cardinals don't get paid much. Pope John Paul's will revealed that he had very few earthly possessions.

Answer 4

Depending on the order, a number of priests and monks do take vows of poverty.

Answer 5

Some do, some dont, it depends on the requirements of the order they are joining.
Different orders both for nuns and priests have different focuses and different requirements.
It is not a requirement of the church, it is up the particualr order.

Answer 6

Neither HAVE to. It is totally up to the order they belong to. Most do though as poverty in material things helps them to fathom their poverty in spirit.

Answer 7

I thought he did? I was raised catholic and there sure as heck aren't rich priests running around...maybe cardinals and the pope, but not your typical parish priest.

Answer 8

Monks do, and so do nuns. Priest do not.

Answer 9

better yet why is he having sex with the alter boys when hes not supposed to?(before you give me a thumbs down look at the articles about priests molesting boys)

Answer 10

Fundies are funny has it right;
tdon61 has it right;
Gabriela has it right;
JS has it right;
Sanji has it right;
Jesus M has it right;
MARTHA B has it right.

Read Conversations with God by Neale Walsch to learn the truth.