Sacrament of Holy Orders, Pt. 2

This post is dedicated not so much to the actual sacrament, but to a particular discipline of priests in the Roman Rite. This would be the celibate lifestyle. First of all, I would like to emphasize that this is not a doctrine or a dogma that priests have to be celibate. It is a discipline found only in the Western Church. The Eastern Catholic Churches allow for married men to become priests (though no clergyman can ever marry, and no married men can become bishops.)

Practical Reasons

First, let us explore some practical reasons for priestly celibacy. The priesthood is not a job (at least not in the traditional sense of the word "job" though it is certainly work). The priesthood is a lifestyle, not something that the priest does from 9-5 and then goes home and is just a regular guy. The priest is always a priest ... 24/7. This is as opposed to a salesman who sells stuff during his shift and then goes home without any (or very little) job responsibilities except to make sure to show up to work the next day. The priest is also almost always "on call" ... though there may be some exceptions for that (such as his mother dying or some such thing).

Now, let us explore the difficulties a married man might experience as a priest. First, a hypothetical situation: Your wife goes into labor. At the same time, you get a call that one of your parishioners is dying in the hospital of the small town in Mississippi where your one-priest parish is and needs you to hear his confession. Who do you go to? Your marriage vows require that you be with your wife (or at least on hand) in this situation, but as a priest, you are obligated to go hear the confession of the dying parishioner ... especially if you are the only priest for miles. This is, of course, an extreme example.

Now, the married priest is the father of 2 families: his parish and his immediate family (wife and kids). A father must never neglect his children unless it is unavoidable. However, since the married priest has 2 families, the chances such an occurence are increased exponentially.

Scriptural

I think I have went far enough with practical reasons. Here are some Scriptures that encourage priestly celibacy.

Matthew 19 :10-12
The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry." But he said to them, "Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it."

Now, it is obvious from the above that not all are meant to marry. "Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given." Also ... there are eunuchs "who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven." This last, to me, seems to be those priests and religious who work for the kingdom of heaven every day.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

St. Paul seems to agree that being married is not the best thing for everyone. Those who are unmarried can turn their eyes always to the Lord.

Revelation 14:3-4
and they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are chaste; it is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes; these have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb,

This seems to promote virginity. Those who have not defiled themselves with women "follow the Lamb wherever he goes" and are "first fruits for God and the Lamb". Now, this and of itself does not seem to imply much except that some virgins will go to heaven ... but when you also take into account the fact that, under the Old Covenant, the "first fruits" of the Chosen People were the Levites ... the tribe of priests and others who do some work for the temple. In the New Covenant, therefore this would apply to priests and religious who do work for the Holy Temple of the Church.

(Thanks to A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics By: Patrick Madrid for the list of these 3 Scriptures)

It is apparent that Jesus obviously did intend for some people to be celibate. However, I will yet again reiterate the point that THIS IS NOT CHURCH DOCTRINE OR DOGMA. It is merely a discipline of the Western Church. And, yet again, among the Eastern Catholics, married men can become priests (but never bishops ... if you think it'd be hard running a parish and a family, imagine running a diocese and a family ...).