Celibacy Issue Flares Again Within Ranks of U.S. Priesthood (NYT)

[Merlin]

While leading American bishops issued letters yesterday defending mandatory celibacy for priests as a vital church dictate that is not open to discussion, groups of priests in several dioceses were considering joining fellow priests in Milwaukee who recently petitioned for a change.

"There is an enormous amount of support for this among priests," said the Rev. Donald C. Fisher of the Association of Pittsburgh Priests, a liberal group of clerics and laypeople that plans to collect 5,000 signatures on a petition supporting optional celibacy. "It's the elephant in every clerical living room."

About a third of Milwaukee's priests signed a letter to bishops last month lamenting that a severe priest shortage was forcing many parishioners to go without the Eucharist and other sacraments that only priests can administer. As of this summer, 3,040 of the 19,081 parishes in the United States lacked resident pastors, and priests are often assigned to several parishes at once.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/05/national/05CHUR.html


Which do you think Jesus would want:

(a) A dwindling supply of sexually repressed priests who have no real grasp of the normal state of adult life among their parishoners, and are thereby hindered in serving their spiritual needs?,

or

(b) An adequate supply of priests for whom the normal expression of sexuality is permitted, who have a full appreciation for the nature of the lives of their parishoners, and who are therefore fully capable of minstering to their spiritual needs?

[lcordero]

1. they should get the option of at least being able to rub one out every

once in a while.

[PATRICK]

2. theologically simple matter

The only conservative rational position is that of the very catholic Eastern Orthodox Churches including the Roman Catholic's own Ukrainian Catholics where the bishops cannot marry but ordinary priests can if they decide to before ordination. Centuries of experience also in the high church Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran churches also. And, especially Rome accepting the wives of converted Anglican active priests seems a curious one way street.

Dangers of course, but look at the Roman Catholic discipline now besides the shortage. Institutionally the people with the most say are those in the old system nervous about big changes so it will likely take an emergency general Council to resolve. Afraid of women and open gays, marital problems, finances, offending conservative Catholics etc.

Small stuff compared to the institution of celibacy in the West in the first place which drastically ended common law marriages, catered to negative views on sex and married life separating it from ritual purity and only moved perceived problems to another location. Conveniently done during the "Dark Ages".

[shrike]

3. Celibacy was established relatively late in the church's history

As a Catholic, I see no reason to keep it. Why not make it optional? Hell, it's optional for the laity. Of course, for some laity it's not optional, but that's another matter ...