Celibacy -  Myths, Lies and False Doctrines Concerning Celibacy

Celibacy -  false teaching regarding celibacy of the ministry and priests.

The basic doctrine regarding the Catholic Church is that it is something a person enters into voluntarily, if they want to be a priest or nun.

Marriage is not regarded as evil in the eyes of the Catholic Church, and no Catholic is forbidden to marry. However, Catholic priests in the West may not be married, but no one is forced to become a priest. Marriage is therefore not forbidden to them as human beings, but only as priests. A Catholic man is free to choose the celibate priesthood, the married life, or the single life, which also is celibate. Celibacy according to Catholic rules is forced on no one.

However, there are vows of celibacy that are required of them to enter the priesthood, or order.

Apparently in early centuries priests and bishops could marry, practices in the West and East were the same, but celibacy was soon preferred, and  became mandatory. By the early Middle Ages the celibacy rule in the Latin or Western Rite was firmly set. This was a disciplinary rule, not doctrine. The imposing of the rule did not imply a change of doctrine.

The unnatural imposition of celibacy for the priesthood, and for nuns in the Catholic Church, has probably been a contributing factor to the sexual harassment of nuns by priests, and to problems of sexual abuse by some of the catholic priests.

This is an ongoing problem, but much of it has been covered up.

There is nothing in the Bible to suggest that those in the ministry be celibate. In fact Peter was married, as were a good number of the other apostles. Apostle Paul was not married, but nowhere does Paul even suggest that it was a church rule for the clergy to be celibate.

Essentially this rule doesn't make any sense. It has resulting in many nuns being sexually abused by Priests. This apparently seems to be an especially serious problem for catholic nuns in Africa. It has also resulted in a percentage of homosexual priests abusing young boys, as in the case in Newfoundland a ways back. Celibacy for the priesthood is a contributing factor towards homosexuality, by especially priests.

These matters are an ongoing concern. Allowing for the clergy to marry, would not solve all of the problems regarding sexual abuse in this area, but it would certainly reduce the prevalence of the problem.

The catholic church, and any other church or religion that doesn't permit marriage by the clergy, of priesthood, is simply inviting abuse. The policy simply doesn't make any sense, and is against nature. For sure some may chose voluntary celibacy to devote themselves more to God and Christ, but it should always be voluntary. There should be no forcing this on anyone, or no compelling the clergy to be celibate. It just doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

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