For more than 1,000 years Catholic priests were married
Nov 24, 2009
EDITOR—The Catholic Church cannot countenance women becoming priests and gives many reasons justifying that position. On Sunday, Ojok mangweni wrote that the reason why only men can be priests “in the Christian tradition†is because Jesus only appoi
EDITOR—The Catholic Church cannot countenance women becoming priests and gives many reasons justifying that position. On Sunday, Ojok mangweni wrote that the reason why only men can be priests “in the Christian tradition†is because Jesus only appointed men to be his apostles.
We must be reminded once again that Jesus was a Jew and it is for that very reason that he was circumcised on the eighth day. If he chose only men, he was behaving like an authentic Jew and that should not attract apostolic tags to justify the monopoly of priesthood by men in the Catholic Church.
Be that as it may, it seems what Jesus did or didn’t do during his ministry is being pointed out selectively to justify the status quo and win an argument. The argument is that Jesus chose only men as his disciples and therefore women cannot be priests today.
Fair enough. What about celibacy in the priesthood? A similar argument is advanced that Jesus was not married and therefore priests cannot marry. But a casual examination of the New Testament shows that Simon Peter, claimed to be the first pope, was a married man.
That is clear in Matthew 8, 27, Mark 1, 27 and Luke 4, 14. So, if jesus was not married, its implication cannot be pastoral otherwise he would not have chosen married men just as he didn’t choose women. The truth is that before the middle ages, Catholic priests were not celibate. For more than 1,000 years, priests were married men.
Celibacy came about as an administrative measure against the conduct of an all-powerful and promiscuous clergy. In 1022, Pope Benedict VIII banned marriage for priests and in 1139, Pope Innocent II voided all marriages of priests and all new priests had to divorce their wives.
This had nothing to do with Christian tradition. Why were Catholic priests not celibate for so long if the Church had to follow in Christ’s footsteps? Catholics need an honest and better explanation.
Assumpta Dheyongera
Surrey, UK
We must be reminded once again that Jesus was a Jew and it is for that very reason that he was circumcised on the eighth day. If he chose only men, he was behaving like an authentic Jew and that should not attract apostolic tags to justify the monopoly of priesthood by men in the Catholic Church.
Be that as it may, it seems what Jesus did or didn’t do during his ministry is being pointed out selectively to justify the status quo and win an argument. The argument is that Jesus chose only men as his disciples and therefore women cannot be priests today.
Fair enough. What about celibacy in the priesthood? A similar argument is advanced that Jesus was not married and therefore priests cannot marry. But a casual examination of the New Testament shows that Simon Peter, claimed to be the first pope, was a married man.
That is clear in Matthew 8, 27, Mark 1, 27 and Luke 4, 14. So, if jesus was not married, its implication cannot be pastoral otherwise he would not have chosen married men just as he didn’t choose women. The truth is that before the middle ages, Catholic priests were not celibate. For more than 1,000 years, priests were married men.
Celibacy came about as an administrative measure against the conduct of an all-powerful and promiscuous clergy. In 1022, Pope Benedict VIII banned marriage for priests and in 1139, Pope Innocent II voided all marriages of priests and all new priests had to divorce their wives.
This had nothing to do with Christian tradition. Why were Catholic priests not celibate for so long if the Church had to follow in Christ’s footsteps? Catholics need an honest and better explanation.
Assumpta Dheyongera
Surrey, UK