Should the Catholic church allow priests to marry?

No, there are reasons why priests don't marry. Catholic priests do not marry because, while Christ does indeed approve of marriage for the Christian clergy, He much prefers that they do not marry. He made this quite clear when He praised the Apostles for giving up ``all'' to follow Him, saying, ``And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting.'' (Matt. 19:27-29). Also, Jesus explains why some do not marry, stating "some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingsom of heaven." The Apostle Paul explained why the unmarried state is preferable to the married state for the Christian clergy: ``He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God. But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided.'' (1 Cor. 7:32-33). In other words, matrimony is good-- Christ made it one of the holy sacraments of His Church--but it is not conducive to that complete dedication which is incumbent upon those who submit themselves to another of Christ's holy sacraments--that of Holy Orders. Even so, the unmarried state of the Catholic priesthood is not an inflexible law--under certain conditions a priest may be dispensed from this law.

God bless,

Stanbo

No one forces these men to be celebate. They make this decision when the join the seminary.

Priests used to be allowed to marry, and Eastern Rite priests still are. Someday, the Latin Rite priests may be allowed to marry, too, but not until the laity of the Church steps up and does a lot of the work. For now, being a priest is a 24/7/365 obligation, and a priest cannot properly care for a wife and kids when he is devoting so much time to the Church. If the laity would do more to help feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, comfort the dying, educate the ignorant, etc., etc., it would be different. Also, there is a financial consideration -- the difference between supporting a priest vs. supporting a priest, his wife and his kids is considerable.

Priests are sexual beings, just like the rest of us. They simply offer their sexuality to the Lord, as a sacrifice, and the Lord honors that sacrifice.

Sexual activity is NOT a necessity. Many people live without it. Many people SHOULD live without it, such as those who are only attracted to adolescents or children, or those who only have a taste for brutal, violent sex. We all expect sexual deviants to control their sexual appetites. It should be far easier for a mentally healthy person to control theirs.

I don't think so. People have needs, but there are positive ways to channel that. For example, some men remain single and do not have regular girlfriends. These men seem to be fine. Many priests don't have sexual issues and for those that do I don't really buy the whole "have needs" arguement as an excuse for pedophilia or inappropriate behavior. People can live without sex. Becoming a priest is a choice.

I think the thing that seperates the Catholic Church from Protestant Churches is that we don't change the rules just because they are difficult to follow. I think we should be consistant in this too.

However, I do respect the right for Protestant ministers to make their own choices on this issue and I can understand men choosing to become Protestant ministers more lightly than Catholic priests.

First, the Church does not force celibacy on priests. A priest freely chooses celibacy, a choice he makes long before he’s ordained. Priestly celibacy is a charism of the Holy Spirit, a gift, a special grace that depends on a free-will response by the receiver: [It] is to be welcomed and continually renewed with a free and loving decision as a priceless gift from God, as an "incentive to pastoral charity" as a singular sharing in God's fatherhood and in the fruitfulness of the Church, and as a witness to the world of the eschatological kingdom. (John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis, 29) Second, there are no objective studies that link mandatory celibacy to the priest shortage. If that were the case, then how does one explain the recent growth in priestly vocations worldwide? The late Cardinal John J. O’Connor said many of the men and women he talked to about vocations to religious life put the celibacy issue far down on their list of reasons for hesitating or turning away. A far more common reason was that no one ever seriously asked them (see "Celibacy Isn’t the Problem" by Cardinal John O’Connor).

<<Should the Catholic church allow priests to marry?>>

No.

<<I think they should be allowed to marry, I believe many problems could be avoided inside the Catholic church that way.>>

Problems such as?

<<Like it or not, humans are sexual beings, and priests will have needs like any other man.>>

Are you not aware that priests VOLUTARILLY take the vow of celibacy? It is not thrust upon them by surprise!

Are you also not aware that it is theologically possible for a married man to become a priest?

I am utterly baffled at all the confusion, lies, and deceptive answers posted in this question. How absurd.

<<"Like it or not, humans are sexual beings, and priests will have needs like any other man.">>

Then please explain to me why the Protestant minister sex abuse rate is 6%, compared to just 1% of Catholic priests.

There is no reason why Catholic priests need to be "allowed to marry", as these men WILLINGLY take a vow of celibacy during their ordination. It's not like the priests oppose the Churches stance; they agree and embrace it, indeed.

Besides, the VERY few pedophiles who have sneaked their way into the priesthood are NOT Catholics. They are criminals, who have abused Christ and His Church.

So don't judge the whole Catholic Church based off of just a few bad apples.

Sparki777 - <<"For now, being a priest is a 24/7/365 obligation">>

...As it should be.

If you polled priests you would be surprised at the no answers. My priest told me out of the blue one day that he loves being a priest because he is removed from the world. He can tend to the duties of the church without other worries that worldly people have. This opened my eyes to how devoted many priests must be. They remove themselves from the worries of the world to better serve their flock. I also remembered scripture that pointed out that those who pass up marriage can be closer to God, but those who have to have a wife should marry. Priests know going in what the sacrifices are, so where do you get the impression this is being forced upon them. Give me a Priest anyday, rather than a worldly man who is worried about his pension and a new car for his wife, to just mention a few of the pressures of this life.

The way we see it is no.

The Catholic Church adopted the policy of clerical celibacy to make sure that men got their positions based on their own merit, not on their "birthright." Also, Jesus never was married and they wanted to reflect Jesus.

A Catholic priest's duty lies with the Church and with the community. His ENTIRE focus must be on that. If he had a wife and kids, his job would put a financial and physical strain on their marriage. Plus, he would have to devote more time to his family than to the community.

And, once again, sexual misconduct has nothing to do with sex. It is about control. Pedophiles get into roles where they are close to children (i.e. bus driver, scout leader, and yes, priest). But most priests, in fact 96% of priests have never been charged with sexual misconduct. And there are exponentially greater instances of child abuse among Protestant pastors, scout leaders, teachers, youth group organizers, camp counselors, and even married couples. The last point alone makes your point moot.

The truth is marriage doesn't solve pedophilia, so just leave it alone.

No. Yes, human beings are by nature sexual. I do not deny that nor do I deny my own sexuality. Rather, I channel it into something else. Going for a run, prayong..etc. Just because humans are sexual doesn't mean we need to run around and mate with everything we see. If I become a priest, I want to be able to fully devote myself to Christ and his people, 100%. If I took a wife, I'd wouldn';t be able to do that. I'd have to pick between my wife and my Church until eventually, one is going to be neglected. St. Paul and Jesus both called for celibacy so people could devote themselves to Godly concerns rather then Earhtly matters. If you can't be celibate, find another way to serve God. No one is forcing me to be celibate. I am choosing it and God has given me the grace to embrace it for his sake. It's not like they spring the news on you out of nowhere. That is why seminary is so long, it lets you know how your life will be as a priest. And yes, St. Peter was married, but so what? Celibacy is a discipline, not a dogma. It could be repealed but it should not.

"To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion" (1 Cor. 7:8-9).

"Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. . . those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. . . . 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" (1 Cor, 7:27-34).

Priests, religious brothers and religious sisters (nuns) as part of their vocation choose not to marry following:

+ The practice recommended in the Bible

+ The example of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, and the Apostle Paul.

+++ Scripture +++

+ In Matthew 19:12, Jesus says, "Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."

Jesus says celibacy is a gift from God and whoever can bear it should bear it. Jesus praises and recommends celibacy for full time ministers in the Church. Because celibacy is a gift from God, those who criticize the Church's practice of celibacy are criticizing God and this wonderful gift He bestows on His chosen ones.

+ In Matthew 19:29, Jesus says, "And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life."

Whoever gives up children for the sake of His name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. Jesus praises celibacy when it is done for the sake of His kingdom.

+ Matthew 22:30 - Jesus explains, "At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven."

In heaven there are no marriages. To bring about Jesus' kingdom on earth, priests live the heavenly consecration to God by not taking a wife in marriage. This way, priests are able to focus exclusively on the spiritual family, and not have any additional pressures of the biological family (which is for the vocation of marriage). This also makes it easier for priests to be transferred to different parishes where they are most needed without having to worry about the impact of their transfer on wife and children.

+ In 1 Corinthians 7:1, Paul writes, "It is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman."

This is the choice that the Catholic priests of the Roman rite freely make.

+ Then in 1 Corinthians 7:7, Paul says, "Indeed, I wish everyone to be as I am."

Paul acknowledges that celibacy is a gift from God and wishes that all were celibate like he is.

+ In 1 Corinthians 7:27, Paul writes, "Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife."

Paul teaches men that they should not seek marriage. In Paul’s opinion, marriage introduces worldly temptations that can interfere with one’s relationship with God, specifically regarding those who will become full time ministers in the Church.

+ In 1 Corinthians 7:32-33, Paul teaches, "I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife." And in verse 38, "So then, the one who marries his virgin does well; the one who does not marry her will do better."

Paul recommends celibacy for full time ministers in the Church so that they are able to focus entirely upon God and building up His kingdom. He “who refrains from marriage will do better.”

See also

1 Timothy 5:9-12

2 Timothy 2:3-4

Revevation 14:4

Isaiah 56:3-7

Jeremiah 16:1-4

+++ Scriptural Examples +++

Biblical role models of a celibate clergy came from John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul.

John the Baptist and Jesus are both believed to have been celibate for their entire lives. Some scholars believe that the example of the Essenes influenced either or both Jesus and John the Baptist in their celibacy.

WWJD? What would Jesus do? Jesus did not marry.

The Apostle Paul is explicit about his celibacy (see 1 Cor. 7). There is also evidence in the gospel of Matthew for the practice of celibacy among at least some early Christians, in the famous passage about becoming “eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:12).

The concept took many twists and turns over the years and will probably take a few more before Christ returns in glory.

A priest is "married" to the Church. Some people think that a priest who takes his duties seriously cannot take proper care of a wife and family.

With love in Christ.