should priests and bishops be allowed to marry?

[bribrius]

doesn't the bible say if you cannot withhold yourself sexually than to marry?

i am thinking the love affairs, depression, (maybe the choir boy molestation?) is a failure in the church to allow priests that choice, if they feel they need it.

christian ministers are allowed to marry generally. Except for certain positions in the catholic church (maybe others cant that im not aware of?)

But i thought the bible said you have the OPTION of becoming married, to with hold oneself from sin.

so i dont understand why catholics refuse this.

 

[mycorrhiza]

It has no Biblical support. Like many other things in faith it was added by the catholic church. It's probably there so that priest can be allowed to fully focus on God. Some also choose celibacy to imitate Jesus.

Some say it has to do with money. Not being married means that he has no children that will inherit his money, which means that it will go towards the Church.

 

[HerDotness]

No, a priest may leave his money to whomever he wishes just like anyone else. Unless he's a member of an order that takes a vow of poverty, he may enjoy as much wealth as he possesses.

Nuns, monks and most sisters and brothers (the vowed religious who live and work among laypeople) do take the vow of poverty and give up any wealth and most personal possessions when they enter their order.

I was raised Catholic and was taught that priests not marrying leaves a priest better able to respond to the needs of his congregation rather than having to consider how going to someone's aid might affect a wife and children.

 

[1137]

I do find it funny that a religion that claims to be based on love does not allow its leaders to love, nor much of its congregation (homosexuals). Instead, they use fear and this nonsensical idea of sin they have created to control all their followers, from the shepherds to the sheep. All people, even priests and bishops, should be allowed to freely express love. In fact, homosexual priests and bishops should be allowed to marry other men.

 

[HerDotness]

93, Doors!

I heartily agree with you on that, to be sure.

93 93/93

 

[Banner]

The Catholics chose what went into the Bible. In other words, they wrote the book on it..lol. You can't convince them afterwards that the book is the "end all be all" to Christianity. They are not the ones that came up with that idea.

 

[Skwim]

should priests and bishops be allowed to marry?

Only each other.

 

[HerDotness]

^5, Skwim! Good one.

 

[Tarheeler]

I've always though that keeping a person from developing those intimate relationships was like keeping them from fully interacting with humanity. True, there are many who choose not to marry or have children, but they still have intimate and sexual relationships.

 

[HerDotness]

However, it's not as though a man is coerced into the priesthood by any means, so presumably someone who chooses to become a priest is willing to live a celibate life.

Thing is that the RCC does have some married priests, clergy who've converted to Catholicism and wish to become priests. So, I had a lot of difficulty as a Catholic understanding why a Catholic man who wished to marry and be a priest couldn't do both.

 

[e.r.m.]

doesn't the bible say if you cannot withhold yourself sexually than to marry?

i am thinking the love affairs, depression, (maybe the choir boy molestation?) is a failure in the church to allow priests that choice, if they feel they need it.

christian ministers are allowed to marry generally. Except for certain positions in the catholic church (maybe others cant that im not aware of?)

But i thought the bible said you have the OPTION of becoming married, to with hold oneself from sin.

so i dont understand why catholics refuse this.

Of course they should be allowed to marry, according to the Bible, but catholics make it very public that the Bible is not their sole doctrine, so they must have some extra-Biblical no marriage rule floating out there that they follow.

Molestation is not a result of not marrying. It's a result of catholic leaders not caring about the powerless and voiceless population of children. They therefore do not prevent people who are already pedofiles, from having access to children.

 

[e.r.m.]

No, a priest may leave his money to whomever he wishes just like anyone else. Unless he's a member of an order that takes a vow of poverty, he may enjoy as much wealth as he possesses.

Nuns, monks and most sisters and brothers (the vowed religious who live and work among laypeople) do take the vow of poverty and give up any wealth and most personal possessions when they enter their order.

I was raised Catholic and was taught that priests not marrying leaves a priest better able to respond to the needs of his congregation rather than having to consider how going to someone's aid might affect a wife and children.

What I heard is that historically, money wasn't what the catholic church wanted, but land.
A long time ago anyway.

 

[e.r.m.]

However, it's not as though a man is coerced into the priesthood by any means, so presumably someone who chooses to become a priest is willing to live a celibate life.

Thing is that the RCC does have some married priests, clergy who've converted to Catholicism and wish to become priests. So, I had a lot of difficulty as a Catholic understanding why a Catholic man who wished to marry and be a priest couldn't do both.

A person could choose to be celibate without becoming a priest. He should have the same "choice" if he becomes a priest.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

But i thought the bible said you have the OPTION of becoming married, to with hold oneself from sin.

so i dont understand why catholics refuse this.

Because Sola scriptura (Latin for "by scripture alone") was not a part of the early Church. It is a belief that came around during the Reformation, By contrast, both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox believe that the Bible is not the one and only infallible source of Christian doctrine. For the earlier christians, Scripture is only one of three equal authorities; the other two being Sacred Tradition and the episcopacy ( a form of hierarchical church governance ).

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Of course they should be allowed to marry, according to the Bible, but catholics make it very public that the Bible is not their sole doctrine, so they must have some extra-Biblical no marriage rule floating out there that they follow.

Sex is not put in a positive light in many parts of the New Testament.

"For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."-Matthew 19:12

1 Corinthians 7
1 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband...
8 Now to the unmarried[a] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

The belief of early Christians:

-"We Christians marry only to produce children" - Justin Martyr

-"If a man marries in order to have children, he ought not to have a sexual desire for his wife. He ought to produce children by a reverent, disciplined act of will." - Clement of Alexandria


-"Matrimony is always a vice. All that can be done is to excuse it and to sanctify it; therefore it was made a religious sacrament" - Saint Jerome

 

[Scott1]

Because Sola scriptura (Latin for "by scripture alone") was not a part of the early Church.

Nope... all the early Church had was Scripture -- by that I mean what we refer to as the Old Testament.

The early leaders of the Church (the Fathers) without exception used the OT and eventually what became the NT gospels as the sole "pure" source of Christian teaching.

As the Church progressed, it became clear that one could use a personal interpretation of Scripture to advocate all sorts of heresy --- when disputes arose, the Bishops would be the deciding voice as heirs of the Apostles.

Their views and the everyday worship of the Church (the Sacraments / Eucharist / etc.) became the second part of what we refer to as divine revelation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Priests in my Church may marry -- but my Priest (who is married) views celibacy as a profound gift of self to the Church.

I would hope that those outside the Church understand that this is something that may change one day in the Latin Rite --- but I pray it never does, even though that means I will never become a priest. :sad4:

 

[blackout]

Do congregants then have to financially support the pastor's spouse?

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Nope... all the early Church had was Scripture -- by that I mean what we refer to as the Old Testament.

The early leaders of the Church (the Fathers) without exception used the OT and eventually what became the NT gospels as the sole "pure" source of Christian teaching.

You have Prima scriptura and Sola scriptura confused they are two different things.

Sola scriptura teaches that the Scriptures are the sole infallible rule of faith and practice.

Prima scriptura is the belief that says canonized scripture is the most important source of divine revelation. It also teaches that there are other ways of knowing Gods will that do not come from canonized scripture.Things like church traditions, mystical insight, angelic visitations, and common sense, also can be used. The early church did not believe in Sola Scriptura. Clear proof of this if the early church only relied on the OT why did they except Pauls changes in dietary laws. Did he get that from scripture or mystical insight ?

Frankly the Hindu way I like much better. Scripture is like a grocery list once you buy your food it is no longer needed. Scriptures are only for those who need it. The goal is to transcend them. Direct revelation is possible for all of us.

 

[HerDotness]

Do congregants then have to financially support the pastor's spouse?

In a sense. A pastor is paid just as is anyone else with a job and family to support.

Some pastor's spouses I've known had their own careers and would likely have been self-supporting if not married. Others chose to work with their pastor-spouse and thus would be entitled to be supported by the congregation as I see it.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

There are real problems for a church with an influx of married priests.

married Anglican priests moving over to the Roman church. also bring their families with them.
These must be housed and supported even after the death of a priest, and pensions , Education and housing support continued. this has become a real issue.

Even Churches with normally married priests, have special issues of the cost and difficulty of relocation of priests families when priest are moved from one parish or post to another.