Should Catholic priests be allowed to get married?

Question

I ask this because I have been to Eastern Orthodox churches where the priests are married. I have been to Protestant churches where the ministers are married.
Rabbis get married too.
Catholic priests seem to be the only ones in all of Christendom that do not marry.

Answer 1

I agree that Catholic priests should be allowed to marry. I've never seen anything in the Bible that says a minister or priest should be single or celibate (as long as they're having sex only within a monogamous marriage).

Answer 2

The Catholic priesthood is unique, and what a blessing to us!.

The priest represents Christ on earth- and Christ did not marry. The priest, like Christ, takse the Church as his bride. And like Christ, he is willing to sacrifice on her behalf.

Christ said there will be no marriage in Heaven. The Celibate ( unmarried) priesthood is a foreshadowing of that- and reminds the rest of us that there really ARE things worth making a sacrifice for.

BTW- Eastern Catholics priests CAN'T get married. Once they are a priest, they are forbidden to marry, and only the unmarried priests can become bishops. They can get married THEN be ordained, but even if their wife dies, once ordained they cannot marry.

Protestants don't count because they do not have valid apostolic succession.

Oh...another BTW....Protestant and Jewish clergy have a higher divorce rate than the general population....and a good chunk of them believe that Catholics have it right.

The Church teaches our priorities must be: GOD, FAMILY, WORK. If you work IS God...where does that leave your family? Dead last. And the Church- and God- don't ever want that.

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."

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 4

As a Romon Catholic priest I would have to say there has been many times that would love to have someone to love but I will tell you honestly I could not be the priest that I am now if I was married why you ask? because I make an example to my parishioners as a Representative of our lord Jesus our was unmarried but I will tell you the truth I do believe if one of my brother priests wanted to get married I would be more then happy to agree with them it really depends on the priest
peace and blessing
Fr. Mauro

Answer 5

It depends on your definition of Catholic. In the Latin Rite of the Catholic church priests make a promise of chastity. There are priests in the Eastern Rite that are in communion with the Pope that are allowed to marry. The majority of Catholics are of the Latin Rite but it shouldn't be thought of as a command coming down from the Pope to try and hold back priests. It is a way Roman Catholic priests show their devotion to God, by living chastlely as Jesus did.

Answer 6

They really should return to the original doctrine, which is how the Orthodox do it.

And to Princess: You are mistaken. Catholic priests could be married a long time ago. It was changed for (what seemed like at the time) practical reasons, but there is no theological requirement for it.

By the way, there are still lots of monks and nuns. They follow a path that is right for them, which includes not being married and forever celibate. It is not for everyone, but for those who can do it, it offers a better spirituality.

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Answer 7

Yes, let our priests get married. I consider myself a conservative Catholic. The priest shortage is only getting worse. I'm not sure that a married clergy will solve the shortage, but I can't believe that it will make the shortage worse. We need priests to celebrated the Eucharist and preach the Gospel. This is far more imprtant than maintaining a discipline of the Church!

Answer 8

The Catholic Church is really messed up. If a priest molests a child, all they do to him is move him to another diocese where no one knows of his past abuses. But if a priest does the honorable thing and gets married, he is excommunicted from the Church.

Clerical celibacy finds no support in the Scriptures. The faithful men of old who are mentioned in the Scriptures married. The Levite priests had to marry to keep the line of priests intact. As for the prophets, only Jeremiah was commanded not to marry.

It is noteworthy that priests are not objecting to something that is commanded in the Bible. In fact, The Catholic Encyclopedia (Vol. III, p. 481, edition of 1908) acknowledges:

“We do not find in the New Testament any indication of celibacy being made compulsory either upon the Apostles or those whom they ordained.”

Answer 9

If they marry before becoming a priest they are allowed to be married. Paul said it is better for a man to not marry, but this I say of myself not as a commandment of God. The Catholic church tends to think that they will be more dedicated to the church if they do not marry.

Answer 10

Only Latin Rite priests are under the discipline of not being able to marry. In the US, to the best of my knowledge, there is still a special suspension on allowing marriage, but there haas been discussions in recent years to allow them to marry again.

You should ask why this discipline is practiced in theLatin Rite Church (ie, the Biblical basis, etc.).