Call To Action and Married Priests

CALL TO ACTION (CTA) AND THE PUSH FOR A MARRIED PRIESTHOOD

Call To Action (CTA), in its 1990 "Call for Reform," "call(ed) upon the Church to discard the medieval discipline of mandatory celibacy…and to open the priesthood to married men so that the Eucharist may continue to be the center of spiritual life of all Catholics."

CTA contends that the priest shortage is caused by the rule of mandatory celibacy, and that this is leading to a "Famine" of the Eucharist.

CTA thus contends that a return to a married priesthood—as existed in the early Church and still exists in the Eastern rite Churches--would solve the problem.

In order to examine this premise, let us first revisit the discipline of the early Church, and the evolution of the rule of celibacy within this discipline.

Early on in both the East and the West (Roman Rite), a married man could be ordained. ON THE OTHER HAND, if a man was still unmarried at the time of his ordination, he had to remain unmarried; thus maintaining Paul’s call to remain in the state that one is called (cf 1 Corinthians 7:17-24).

In the West, a married man, upon ordination, was expected to live with his wife in celibacy, and thus, in replacing a carnal marriage with a spiritual one, model the spiritual marriage that existed between Mary and Joseph.

In the Eastern Church, celibacy for a man already married before ordination was not required, but such a priest was expected to abstain from marital relations for at least a day or two prior to performing any sacred liturgical functions. Given that such sacred functions were performed nearly daily, an intelligent observer would realize that a de-facto celibacy discipline, for all intents and purposes, existed in the East also.

The main objective of the reforms of Gregory VII and Benedict VIII was to discourage fornication by the unmarried priests, as well as prevent a growing secularization of ecclesiastical property by the children of the married priests, many of whom resulted, obviously, from

The breaking of the vows of marital celibacy entered into with the priest’s wife; or,

An illicitly contracted marriage by a priest who had previously been ordained while still in the single state; or;

Fornication that was subsequently accompanied by a marriage with the woman involved.

The main reason the Church discipline prohibits priests from marrying is, essentially the same one given that prohibits married men from being ordained:

It is difficult for a priest to give a complete and ‘authentic gift of self’ while obligated to serve two different "tabernacles" (cf 1 Corinthians 7:32-33):

THE Tabernacle of the Church and hence his spiritual children; and,

The "tabernacle" of his wife (click HERE for further thoughts on this), and hence his biological/legal children (cf Familiaris Consortio, elements 21; 55-57)

This is why, when the Church opened the permanent diaconate to married men, it was "provided they be of more mature age" (cf Lumen Gentium, element 29), "and (only) then with the consent of the wife" (cf CIC/83 1031.2; 3). In other words such a married couple must, "count the cost" (cf Luke 14:25-35) of giving such an ‘authentic gift of self’ (cf Gaudium et Spes, element 24; Luke 17:33) in entering into such a commitment.

Furthermore, consistent with longstanding discipline (ie, that which existed well before the Gregorian reforms), an unmarried man entering into the permanent diaconate would still have to remain single [‘remain in the state in which he was called’ (1 Corinthians 7:17-24)] and could not marry

IF the Church discipline were to ever change, it would be a change toward a discipline NO LESS STRINGENT than the discipline existing for married and single candidates for the permanent diaconate (cf 1 Corinthians 7:17-24). In fact, in the document Ultimus Temporibus (issued November 30, 1967) a report was given on two formulas, concerning the Law of Priestly Celibacy, that were considered at that particular Bishops’ Synod.

"Formula B" (receiving the minority vote at that time) reads:

It belongs solely to the Supreme Pontiff, by reason of pastoral needs and the good of the universal Church, to allow the priestly ordination of married men, who are of mature age and proven life.

Concerning married Protestant pastors admitted into the Catholic Priesthood
They, if not of a mature age, most certainly were found to have been of a proven life.

In leaving the ‘land’ of their birth for an unknown future, they no doubt, along with their wives, had to have ‘counted the cost,’ and decided that the long-term benefits of, first of all, converting to Catholicism far outweighed the potential hardships or risks (ie, possible career risk, given that their ordination into the Catholic Priesthood was not automatically guaranteed).

They indeed ‘counted the cost’ and, in showing a strong fidelity to and trust in Truth, like Abraham "walked by Faith" (cf Genesis 12:1-7; 22:2-18)

Concerning Catholic Priests who left the Priesthood to get married

They will not be eligible for re-instatement even IF the discipline of the early Church, or that still existing in the East, is "restored" In the West.

Although many of those that left in the past few decades are now of a ‘mature age,’ they are not of a ‘proven life.’ They knew the rules going into the Priesthood, but did not adequately "count the cost," of giving an Authentic Gift of Self, and they instead demonstrated a lack of fidelity to a vow--a lack of fidelity which, if demonstrated once, may perhaps manifest itself again (perhaps by a subsequent divorce from their wife--the wife they married after "divorcing" themselves from the Priesthood).

This lack of fidelity is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that the numerous groups advocating a married priesthood are often:

Populated by former priests who left to get married (cf Jude 6-7) (RE: CORPUS, "Rent-a-Priest," CITI) and not necessarily married laymen seeking ordination

In league with groups that promote dissent (click HERE for further edification) in general from other Magisterial teachings and directives, particularly with regard to issues pertaining to sexual matters (click HERE for further edification)and those striking at the core of the Truth about humanity as having been created in the image of God, the Father of Tender Mercy (cf Genesis 1:27, 2:22; Jeremiah 31:22; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Dives in Misericordia, footnote 52)

Is it at all possible that a willingness to ally themselves with such groups could be compatible with the spirit of solidarity and charity (in the Church and in the world) that can only be rooted in Truth??? (cf Matthew 7:15-20; 12:33; Jude 16)

THE ANSWER, MOST CERTAINLY, IS "NO"

***

As a further example of how dissension can lead to schism, and at the very least raise the specter of further scandal, consider the many instances in which individual Protestant congregations have been torn asunder upon a Pastor’s divorce or finding of adultery/fornication. The ultimate example, of course, is how the Church of England is, thanks to Henry VIII, essentially a "child" of selfish, carnal passions, and divorce. That is inescapable, historical fact.

We thus return to CTA’s premise:

Is a priest shortage, caused by the Law of Celibacy, exacerbating a ‘Famine’ of the Eucharist???

OR, is not this priest shortage rather a result of a Famine for Truth (cf Amos 8:11) and the fact that individuals and families have lost:

The sense of God and of all that is holy; and

Esteem for the Church [as an ‘expert in humanity’ (cf Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, element 41)] who, in the end, is the only body capable of studying the true roots of the problem (cf Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, element 49)?

When marriage (or any solemn vow) and human sexuality, as a great value given by the Creator, is not esteemed, in ‘Spirit and Truth’ (cf John 4:21-24), neither can Celibacy (cf Familiaris Consortio, element 16).

The present moral environment, of divorce, adultery, and fornication [and the resultant, out-of-wedlock births--and abortions as a means of hiding one’s shame (cf Leviticus 18:21)] is the kind of environment that existed when Gregory VII reinforced the Law of Celibacy.

The real cause, of a lack of vocations to the priesthood and of priests ‘gone bad’ (ie, pedophilia, homosexuality, fornication; etc), lies in the breakdown of the family. This in turn is a consequence of an "eclipse" of Truth (cf Amos 8:9-11) about the Human person, whose life acquires fullness only when he, having ‘counted the cost,’ gives an authentic gift of self (cf The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality element 34).

That is the real root of the diminution of all such vocations to chaste love, be it in marriage, the celibate religious life, or the celibate single life devoted to service to the Church and society (cf Catechism of the Catholic Church, element 2347; Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, element 78).

It is well past the time for each one of us to once again be honest about ourselves and God, "count the cost" and, based on such Truth, give an ‘authentic gift of self’ by worshipping and serving God in ‘Spirit and in Truth’ (cf John 4:21-24), WHATEVER THE VOCATION.

Consider:

A married Priest with a young, growing family would need a home and a living wage suitable for such (cf Convenientes ex Universo, Section III).

A large Parish with more than one such Pastor would probably need to provide more than one such house and wage.

This proliferation of additional properties, quite likely away from the main Parish property, could eventually lead to a secularization of Church properties, as happened before the Gregorian reforms

The burnout rate for married Protestant Pastors with families is high. Similarly, the Church, an Archdiocese, or a Parish would need to accommodate/pay for a Pastor’s indefinite leave of absence to deal with such ‘family matters.’

These considerations most certainly require one to "count the cost" (cf Luke 14:25-35; Matthew 20:22), which is something anyone must do before entering the religious life, marriage, or discipleship in general under the EXISTING rules

Return to Poisoned Waters, in order to find out more about the threat to an Authentic Human Ecology posed by Call To Action (and other groups and individuals with similar attitudes and motives) OR visit
Church Sex-Abuse Scandal: The Hypocrisy Of It All
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