DOCSLIB.ORG

Priestly Celibacy

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Priestly Celibacy Priestly Celibacy Priestly Celibacy Theological Foundations = Gary Selin Foreword by J. Francis Cardinal Stafford The CaTholiC UniversiTy of ameriCa Press Washington, D.C. Copyright © 2016 The Catholic University of America Press All rights reserved The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standards for Information Science—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. ∞ Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Selin, Gary, 1964– Title: Priestly celibacy : theological foundations / Gary Selin ; foreword by J. Francis Cardinal Stafford. Description: Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2015038132 | ISBN 9780813228419 (pbk. : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Celibacy—Catholic Church—History of doctrines. | Priesthood—Catholic Church. | Lord’s Supper—Catholic Church. | Catholic Church—Clergy—Sexual behavior. | Priests—Sexual behavior. Classification: LCC BX1912.85 .S45 2016 | DDC 253/.252—dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015038132 To the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests ConTenTs Foreword by J. Francis Cardinal Stafford ix = Introduction 1 1. The Development of Clerical Continence and Celibacy in the Latin Church 7 2. The Renewed Magisterial Teaching on Priestly Celibacy 57 3. The Threefold Dimension as a Source of Renewal of the Theology of Priestly Celibacy 105 4. The Eucharist and Priestly Celibacy 167 Conclusion 179 = Bibliography 185 Index of Biblical Citations 197 General Index 201 foreword The Author Fr. Gary B. Selin, a diocesan priest, has been engaged in a book-length “sacra conversatio” concerning the origin and theological development of clerical celibacy. This “holy conversation” brings forward persons from the beginning of the Church to the present. His work is as useful as the theme is timely. The author himself is a thoughtful, gentle, and scholarly man of God. “Silence and work” are as integral to the rhythm of his ministry as they were to St. John of the Cross in the formation of Carmelites.1 The author’s experience in the formation and education of seminarians is extensive. Selin’s theological method is guided by the principle that reality is intelligible and true. He understands priestly celibacy as a gift, es- sentially related to the Eucharist. By acting in the Person of Christ, the Head of the body (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 2), the priest hands himself over forever to the service of God and of the Bride of Christ, His Church. This “renunciation in the supernatural order”2 acts as a major musical key in the life of a priest, for it is given to the man as a free gift in perfect resonance with his own freedom. Because of the mutual freedoms, the gift received is a surpassing surprise from God, enabling the priest to act with holy simplicity in the Person of His Incarnate Son. God’s gift of celibacy makes “the silent music” more accessible. In four chapters together with an introduction and conclusion, Se- 1. Letter of St. John of the Cross to the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Beas, 1587, The Col- lected Works of St. John of the Cross, trans. Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD, and Otilio Rodriquez, OCD (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, 1964), 688. 2. Karl Rahner cited by David W. Fagerberg, On Liturgical Asceticism (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press), 2013, 80. ix x foreword lin recaptures the sacred character of the priesthood. After meditating upon the major texts of the Catholic tradition, he pulls together various elements of authoritative teaching. His contribution is substantial to the long-overdue development of a coherent and systematic theology on the significance of perfect continence in priestly life and ministry. The Content Selin’s presentation is rooted in the Bible and tradition. On exegetical and historical grounds, he insists that the origins of priestly celibacy com- menced with the New Testament and was supported by papal and episco- pal interventions. He reports on the June 16, 390, meeting of the Fathers of the Council of Carthage. They put into place a remarkable foundation for future theology. The prominence they gave to the liturgical context is particularly salient: “It is proper (decet) that the holy bishops and priests of God as well as the Levites, that is those who are in the service of the divine sacraments, observe perfect continence.” The bishops concluded the decree with a climatic liturgical and ascetical singularity “so that they may obtain in all simplicity what they are asking from God.” The more one meditates upon this text and acts upon it, the better one understands the “disciplined obedience”3 of the new man in Christ. The bishops gath- ered in ancient Carthage realized that its content was “what the apostles taught and what antiquity itself observed.” Selin points out an unsettling historical reality. Over the past twenty- one centuries, with rare exceptions such as Johann Adam Möhler and Matthias Joseph Scheeben, the Church has not offered systematic reflec- tion on the topic of priestly celibacy per se. In some centuries, especially more recent ones, Catholics stumbled badly over its origins and fumbled about its nature. What the author accomplishes builds upon the break- through of Pope Blessed Paul VI in his 1967 Encyclical Letter, Sacerdota- lis Caelibatus. The pope, drawing upon the Vatican II Council, endorses three theological factors justifying priestly celibacy: the Christological factor represents the chief motive for the Church to hold fast to priestly celibacy modeled on the celibate life of Jesus; the ecclesiological factor enhances priestly pastoral charity; and the eschatological factor bears 3. Ibid., 26. foreword xi witness to the resurrection of the body. Selin highlights qualities that are easily overlooked—the comparative adverbs by which the Vatican II Council extols celibacy’s “manifest suitability” to serve the “new human- ity.” The four are the following: facilius (more readily), liberius (more freely), expeditius (less encumbered), and aptiores (better fitted).4 In reviewing Jane Austen’s Emma, Sir Walter Scott coined what Ad- ela Pinch called a “conceit” in describing a typical reader of the novel: a “wandering traveler” who has no chance of having “his head turned.” Pinch elaborated on Scott’s insight. Scott was illustrating the motive of Austen’s incorporating only the “ordinary” and “normal” of everyday life to illustrate the “new style of novel.” By employing exclusively “or- dinary details” to interpret the new epoch unfolding in post-Napoleonic, consumer-oriented England, Scott stated his perception of Austen’s in- tentions: “The youthful wanderer may return from his promenade to the ordinary business of life without any chance of having his head turned by the recollection of the scene through which he had been wandering.”5 But Pinch’s final interpretation of Austin as nihilistic is mistaken. A different, revolutionary vision unfolded in the ancient Church that brings us closer to Alasdair MacIntyre’s accurate judgment about Jane Austen’s Christian identity. That vision continues in today’s Catho- lic commitment to evangelization. Whenever Blessed Paul VI referred to the eschatological characteristics of priestly celibacy, he indicated that priestly celibacy was a perennial “head-turner” because in New Testa- ment terminology, “the world has been turned upside down” (see Acts of Apostles 17:6) by Jesus’s proclamation of the Kingdom of heaven.6 What his encyclical pointed out was that the eschatological mystery 4. Vatican Council II, Presbyterorum Ordinis, n. 16. 5. Aptly cited by Adela Pinch in Emma by Jane Austen, ed. James Kinsley with an intro- duction by Adela Pinch (Oxford: Oxford University Press, reissued 2008), ix–x. Pinch calls attention to Scott’s use of “a whole revolution of turns” found in Emma. Eschatology, of course, was not the point of reference of Scott, Pinch, or Austen; however, Scott’s “wandering traveler” turning his head is an excellent metaphor for illuminating the Christian eschatological land- scape. In contrast to Scott, Catholics have had the capacity also to underline the kairos (in the sense of “the extraordinariness”) of the ordinary in light of the sacramentality of the world and of human beings created as male and female. 6. See biblical theme of C. Kavin Rowe, World Upside Down: Reading Acts in the Greco- Roman Age (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009). xii foreword vitalizing priestly celibacy has been given to the Church to “turn the head” of every “wandering traveler” in this land of unlikeness. A celi- bate priest has always been a divine exclamation point among ordinary and everyday things: “Acknowledge that you are strangers and exiles on the earth” (Heb 11:13). Priestly celibacy carries forward and explicates the central mysteries: Trinity, Incarnation, and Redemption. A superb integrator, Selin uses the reality of lived celibacy to build bridges to other conciliar themes: pas- toral charity, created and redeemed body, sacrament of marriage, poor church for the poor, eschatology, and so forth. The author highlights the ancient genealogy of nuptiality as a fountainhead of a Christian anthro- pology rooted in the Bible. This theological patrimony was later enriched by Origen, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John of the Cross, and others. The crucial theological motive of the bishops of the 390 Council when reiterating the necessity of clerical celibacy was the
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Holy See
    The Holy See PIUS PP. XII APOSTOLICA ADHORTATIO MENTI NOSTRAE* AD CLERUM UNIVERSUM PACEM ET COMMUNIONEM CUM APOSTOLICA SEDE HABENTEM : DE SACERDOTALIS VITAE SANCTITATE PROMOVENDA. Venerabiles Fratres ac dilecti filii salutem et Apostolicam Benedictionem Menti Nostrae vox resonat Divini Redemptoris Petro dicentis : « Simon Ioannis, diligis me plus his?. pasce agnos meos, pasce oves meas » (cfr. Io. 21, 15 et 17); itemque illa, qua idem Apostolorum Princeps Episcopos ac sacerdotes aetatis suae hisce verbis adhortabatur: « Pascite qui in vobis est gregem Dei, . forma facti gregis ex animo » (1 Petr. 5, 2 et 3). Quae verba attento animo considerantes, praecipuas esse supremi ministerii Nostri partes putamus id efficere pro viribus, ut sacrorum Pastorum ac sacerdotum opera, quae christianum populum ad vitanda mala, ad superanda discrimina et ad sanctimoniam assequendam conducat oportet, efficacior cotidie fiat; quod quidem nostris praesertim temporibus necessarium est, dum adhuc gentes ac populi ob recens, immane bellum non modo gravibus difficultatibus vexantur, sed animorum etiam perturbatione acerrime afficiuntur; et dum catholici nominis hostes ob rerum adiuncta, in quibus civilis societas versatur, audaciores facti, homines a Deo et a Iesu Christo arcere exitiali odio obtectisque insidiis enituntur. Christianae instaurationis necessitas, quam hodie boni omnes cernunt, Nos iubet mentem voluntatemque Nostram ad totius orbis sacerdotes potissimum covertere, quandoquidem novimus humilem, vigilem studiosamque eorum operositatem, qui, in media
    [Show full text]
  • Los Fundamentos Del Principio De Capacidad Contributiva En El Pensamiento De Santo Tomás De Aquino*
    Los fundamentos del principio de capacidad contributiva en el pensamiento de Santo Tomás de Aquino* Grounds for the Contributing Capacity Principle in the Thinking of Saint Thomas Aquinas Os fundamentos do princípio de capacidade contributiva no pensamento de São Tomás de Aquino ANDREA AMATUCCI1 Profesor emérito de la Universidad Federico II de Nápoles – Italia Fecha de recepción: 5 de noviembre de 2014 Fecha de aprobación: 9 de diciembre de 2014 Página inicial: 161 Página final: 176 Resumen Santo Tomás de Aquino, gran exponente del tercer período de la filosofía y teolo- gía medieval denominada Escolástica, se inspiró en el pensamiento aristotélico y agustiniano. Le atrajeron de modo especial las teorías causales de Aristóteles, de la Escolástica y de su Maestro Alberto Magno. Santo Tomás propuso las si- guientes concausas del tributo: a) la causa final; b) la causa formal; c) la causa eficiente; d) la causa material. La teoría de las causas de Santo Tomás consoli- da y enriquece algunos aspectos del actual concepto de tributo, y permite valorar si la ley tributaria respeta o no el principio de capacidad contributiva, que garanti- za la igualdad y la equidad. El Derecho de la Unión Europea atribuye al Principio del “efecto útil”, que Santo Tomás formuló y refirió a la ley tributaria, la función de imponer una interpretación y una aplicación de la norma comunitaria “funcional”, orientada a la consecución de sus fines. La ley tributaria debe aplicarse al caso concreto cuando de ello se deriven efectos que se identifiquen con los fines eco- * Conferencia impartida en las Jornadas de estudio sobre La evolución del sistema fiscal y el principio de capacidad contributiva, celebradas en la Universidad Federico II de Nápoles en septiembre de 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • Preamble. His Excellency. Most Reverend Dom. Carlos Duarte
    Preamble. His Excellency. Most Reverend Dom. Carlos Duarte Costa was consecrated as the Roman Catholic Diocesan Bishop of Botucatu in Brazil on December !" #$%&" until certain views he expressed about the treatment of the Brazil’s poor, by both the civil (overnment and the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil caused his removal from the Diocese of Botucatu. His Excellency was subsequently named as punishment as *itular bishop of Maurensi by the late Pope Pius +, of the Roman Catholic Church in #$-.. His Excellency, Most Reverend /ord Carlos Duarte Costa had been a strong advocate in the #$-0s for the reform of the Roman Catholic Church" he challenged many of the 1ey issues such as • Divorce" • challenged mandatory celibacy for the clergy, and publicly stated his contempt re(arding. 2*his is not a theological point" but a disciplinary one 3 Even at this moment in time in an interview with 4ermany's Die 6eit magazine the current Bishop of Rome" Pope Francis is considering allowing married priests as was in the old time including lets not forget married bishops and we could quote many Bishops" Cardinals and Popes over the centurys prior to 8atican ,, who was married. • abuses of papal power, including the concept of Papal ,nfallibility, which the bishop considered a mis(uided and false dogma. His Excellency President 4et9lio Dornelles 8argas as1ed the Holy :ee of Rome for the removal of His Excellency Most Reverend Dom. Carlos Duarte Costa from the Diocese of Botucatu. *he 8atican could not do this directly. 1 | P a g e *herefore the Apostolic Nuncio to Brazil entered into an agreement with the :ecretary of the Diocese of Botucatu to obtain the resi(nation of His Excellency, Most Reverend /ord.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mediation of the Church in Some Pontifical Documents Francis X
    THE MEDIATION OF THE CHURCH IN SOME PONTIFICAL DOCUMENTS FRANCIS X. LAWLOR, SJ. Weston College N His recent encyclical letter, Hurnani generis, of Aug. 12, 1950, the I Holy Father reproves those who "reduce to a meaningless formula the necessity of belonging to the true Church in order to achieve eternal salvation."1 In the light of the Pope's insistence in the same encyclical letter on the ordinary, day-by-day teaching office of the Roman Pontiffs, it will be useful to select from the infra-infallible but authentic teaching of the Popes some of the abundant material touching the question of the mediatorial function of the Church in the order of salvation. The Popes, to be sure, do not speak and write after the manner of theo­ logians but as pastors of souls, and it is doubtless not always easy to transpose to a theological level what is contained in a pastoral docu­ ment and expressed in a pastoral method of approach. Yet the authentic teaching of the Popes is both a guide to, and a source of, theological thinking. The documents cited are of varying solemnity and doctrinal importance; an encyclical letter is clearly of greater magisterial value than, let us say, an occasional epistle to some prelate. It is not possible here to situate each citation in its documentary context; but the force and point of a quotation, removed from its documentary perspective, is perhaps as often lessened as augmented. Those who wish may read them in their context, if they desire a more careful appraisal of evidence.
    [Show full text]
  • Papal Politics, Paul VI, and Vatican II: the Reassertion of Papal Absolutism Written by Aaron Milavec
    Papal Politics, Paul VI, and Vatican II: The Reassertion of Papal Absolutism Written by Aaron Milavec This PDF is auto-generated for reference only. As such, it may contain some conversion errors and/or missing information. For all formal use please refer to the official version on the website, as linked below. Papal Politics, Paul VI, and Vatican II: The Reassertion of Papal Absolutism https://www.e-ir.info/2013/07/28/papal-politics-paul-vi-and-vatican-ii-the-reassertion-of-papal-absolutism/ AARON MILAVEC, JUL 28 2013 During the course of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), free and open discussions gradually took hold among the assembled bishops once the curial grip on the Council was challenged. Within this aggiornamento[1] that was endorsed by John XXIII, the bishops discovered how creative collaboration with each other and with the Holy Spirit served fruitfully to create sixteen documents overwhelmingly approved by the assembled bishops. Given the diversity of viewpoints and the diversity of cultures among the two thousand participants, this consensus building was an extraordinary mark of the charismatic gifts of the movers and shakers at the Council. As Paul VI took over the direction of the Council after the untimely death of John XXIII, he at first endorsed the processes of collegiality that had operated during the initial two years. With the passage of time, however, Paul VI began to use his papal office on multiple levels by way of limiting the competency of the bishops and by way of pushing forward points of view that he and the curia favored.
    [Show full text]
  • Abuse, Celibacy, Catholic, Church, Priest
    International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2012, 2(4): 88-93 DOI: 10.5923/j.ijpbs.20120204.03 The Psychology Behind Celibacy Kas o mo Danie l Maseno University in Kenya, Department of Religion Theology and Philosophy Abstract Celibacy began in the early church as an ascetic discipline, rooted partly in a neo-Platonic contempt for the physical world that had nothing to do with the Gospel. The renunciation of sexual expression by men fit nicely with a patriarchal denigration of women. Non virginal women, typified by Eve as the temptress of Adam, were seen as a source of sin. In Scripture: Jesus said to the Pharisees, “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.” His disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.” (Matthew 19:3-12).Jesus Advocates for optional celibacy. For nearly 2000 years the Catholic Church has proclaimed Church laws and doctrines intended to more clearly explain the teachings of Christ. But remarkably, while history reveals that Jesus selected only married men to serve as His apostles, the Church today forbids priestly marriage.
    [Show full text]
  • Mary in Film
    PONT~CALFACULTYOFTHEOLOGY "MARIANUM" INTERNATIONAL MARIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE (UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON) MARY IN FILM AN ANALYSIS OF CINEMATIC PRESENTATIONS OF THE VIRGIN MARY FROM 1897- 1999: A THEOLOGICAL APPRAISAL OF A SOCIO-CULTURAL REALITY A thesis submitted to The International Marian Research Institute In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree Licentiate of Sacred Theology (with Specialization in Mariology) By: Michael P. Durley Director: Rev. Johann G. Roten, S.M. IMRI Dayton, Ohio (USA) 45469-1390 2000 Table of Contents I) Purpose and Method 4-7 ll) Review of Literature on 'Mary in Film'- Stlltus Quaestionis 8-25 lli) Catholic Teaching on the Instruments of Social Communication Overview 26-28 Vigilanti Cura (1936) 29-32 Miranda Prorsus (1957) 33-35 Inter Miri.fica (1963) 36-40 Communio et Progressio (1971) 41-48 Aetatis Novae (1992) 49-52 Summary 53-54 IV) General Review of Trends in Film History and Mary's Place Therein Introduction 55-56 Actuality Films (1895-1915) 57 Early 'Life of Christ' films (1898-1929) 58-61 Melodramas (1910-1930) 62-64 Fantasy Epics and the Golden Age ofHollywood (1930-1950) 65-67 Realistic Movements (1946-1959) 68-70 Various 'New Waves' (1959-1990) 71-75 Religious and Marian Revival (1985-Present) 76-78 V) Thematic Survey of Mary in Films Classification Criteria 79-84 Lectures 85-92 Filmographies of Marian Lectures Catechetical 93-94 Apparitions 95 Miscellaneous 96 Documentaries 97-106 Filmographies of Marian Documentaries Marian Art 107-108 Apparitions 109-112 Miscellaneous 113-115 Dramas
    [Show full text]
  • Vatikano Paslaptys
    Bernard Lecomte Vatikano paslaptys Bernard Lecomte Vatikano paslaptys Iš prancūzų kalbos vertė Genovaitė Dručkutė baltos lankos VATIKANO PASLAPTYS UDK 23/28(456.31) Le52 Redaktorė Dovilė Gimberienė Viršelio dailininkas Zigmantas Butautis Maketavo Sigrida Juozapaitytė Versta iš: Bernard Lecomte, Les secrets du Vatican, Perrin, Paris, 2009 © Genovaitė Dručkutė, vertimas į lietuvių kalbą, 2010 © Perrin, 2009 Published by arrangement with Literary Agency “Agence de l’Est” © Baltų lankų leidyba, 2010 Printed in Lithuania ISBN 978-9955-23-370-1 4 Evelinai 5 VATIKANO PASLAPTYS 6 Turinys Įvadas ..............................................................................11 I Popiežius prieš sovietus ......................................... 13 Kaip Pijus XI apmulkino rusų bolševikus II „Tegyvuoja popiežius! Tegyvuoja Dučė!“ ......... 31 Kodėl Mussolini įkūrė Vatikano valstybę III Nebaigta enciklika ................................................... 46 Kaip popiežius vos nepasmerkė rasizmo ir antisemitizmo IV Pijaus XII tyla ............................................................62 Dėl ko iš tiesų buvo galima priekaištauti popiežiui karo metais V Finaly byla ...................................................................83 Kaip popiežius ir žydai dalijosi karo vaikus 7 VATIKANO PASLAPTYS VI Kunigų-darbininkų drama .................................... 99 Kodėl Pijus XII nutraukė ryšius su proletarais VII Užgrobtas susirinkimas .........................................121 Kaip Vatikano II Susirinkimas vos nesužlugo per atidarymą VIII
    [Show full text]
  • THE VIRTUE and the SACRAMENT of PENANCE in ADOLESCENT PERSONALITY GROWTH by Sister Mary Rice, C.S.J
    001343 UNIVERSITE DOTTAWA ECOLE DES GRADUES THE VIRTUE AND THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE IN ADOLESCENT PERSONALITY GROWTH by Sister Mary Rice, C.S.J. Thesis presented to the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ottawa' through the Department of Religion as partial ful­ fillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 1^s=^ ill Ottawa i«RA*ts ^%#^ \ »*Ay of <*** Sisters of St. Joseph Pembroke, Ontario, Canada 1968 UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES UMI Number: EC55635 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform EC55635 Copyright 2011 by ProQuest LLC All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 UNIVERSITE D'OTTAWA ECOLE DES GRADUES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Sincere gratitude is due to the Rev. Dr. James Forgac, O.S.B., under whose competent direction this thesis was written, and to the many friends whose suggestions and interest were of much encouragement. UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES UNIVERSITE D'OTTAWA ECOLE DES GRADUES CURRICULUM OF STUDIES Sister Mary Honora, Mary Rice, was born December 29, 192 4, in Douglas, Ontario.
    [Show full text]
  • Sacerdotalis Caelibatus
    SACERDOTALIS CAELIBATUS ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI ON THE CELIBACY OF THE PRIEST JUNE 24, 1967 To the Bishops, Priests and Faithful of the Whole Catholic World. Priestly celibacy has been guarded by the Church for centuries as a brilliant jewel, and retains its value undiminished even in our time when the outlook of men and the state of the world have undergone such profound changes. Amid the modern stirrings of opinion, a tendency has also been manifested, and even a desire expressed, to ask the Church to re-examine this characteristic institution. It is said that in the world of our time the observance of celibacy has come to be difficult or even impossible. 2. This state of affairs is troubling consciences, perplexing some priests and young aspirants to the priesthood; it is a cause for alarm in many of the faithful and constrains Us to fulfill the promise We made to the Council Fathers. We told them that it was Our intention to give new luster and strength to priestly celibacy in the world of today. (1) Since saying this We have, over a considerable period of time earnestly implored the enlightenment and assistance of the Holy Spirit and have examined before God opinions and petitions which have come to Us from all over the world, notably from many pastors of God's Church. Some Serious Questions 3. The great question concerning the sacred celibacy of the clergy in the Church has long been before Our mind in its deep seriousness: must that grave, ennobling obligation remain today for those who have the intention of receiving major
    [Show full text]
  • VENERABLE POPE PIUS XII and the 1954 MARIAN YEAR: a STUDY of HIS WRITINGS WITHIN the CONTEXT of the MARIAN DEVOTION and MARIOLOGY in the 1950S
    INTERNATIONAL MARIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON, OHIO In affiliation with the PONTIFICAL FACULTY OF THEOLOGY "MARIANUM" The Very Rev. Canon Matthew Rocco Mauriello VENERABLE POPE PIUS XII AND THE 1954 MARIAN YEAR: A STUDY OF HIS WRITINGS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE MARIAN DEVOTION AND MARIOLOGY IN THE 1950s A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Licentiate of Sacred Theology with Specialization in Mariology Director: The Rev. Thomas A. Thompson, S.M. Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute University ofDayton 300 College Park Dayton OH 45469-1390 2010 To The Blessed Virgin Mary, with filial love and deep gratitude for her maternal protection in my priesthood and studies. MATER MEA, FIDUCIA MEA! My Mother, my Confidence ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My sincerest gratitude to all who have helped me by their prayers and support during this project: To my parents, Anthony and Susan Mauriello and my family for their encouragement and support throughout my studies. To the Rev. Thomas Thompson, S.M. and the Rev. Johann Roten, S.M. of the International Marian Research Institute for their guidance. To the Rev. James Manning and the staff and people of St. Albert the Great Parish in Kettering, Ohio for their hospitality. To all the friends and parishioners who have prayed for me and in particular for perseverance in this project. iii Goal of the Research The year 1954 was very significant in the history of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. A Marian Year was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII by means of the 1 encyclical Fulgens Corona , dated September 8, 1953.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rite of Sodomy
    The Rite of Sodomy volume iii i Books by Randy Engel Sex Education—The Final Plague The McHugh Chronicles— Who Betrayed the Prolife Movement? ii The Rite of Sodomy Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church volume iii AmChurch and the Homosexual Revolution Randy Engel NEW ENGEL PUBLISHING Export, Pennsylvania iii Copyright © 2012 by Randy Engel All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, New Engel Publishing, Box 356, Export, PA 15632 Library of Congress Control Number 2010916845 Includes complete index ISBN 978-0-9778601-7-3 NEW ENGEL PUBLISHING Box 356 Export, PA 15632 www.newengelpublishing.com iv Dedication To Monsignor Charles T. Moss 1930–2006 Beloved Pastor of St. Roch’s Parish Forever Our Lady’s Champion v vi INTRODUCTION Contents AmChurch and the Homosexual Revolution ............................................. 507 X AmChurch—Posing a Historic Framework .................... 509 1 Bishop Carroll and the Roots of the American Church .... 509 2 The Rise of Traditionalism ................................. 516 3 The Americanist Revolution Quietly Simmers ............ 519 4 Americanism in the Age of Gibbons ........................ 525 5 Pope Leo XIII—The Iron Fist in the Velvet Glove ......... 529 6 Pope Saint Pius X Attacks Modernism ..................... 534 7 Modernism Not Dead— Just Resting ...................... 538 XI The Bishops’ Bureaucracy and the Homosexual Revolution ... 549 1 National Catholic War Council—A Crack in the Dam ...... 549 2 Transition From Warfare to Welfare ........................ 551 3 Vatican II and the Shaping of AmChurch ................ 561 4 The Politics of the New Progressivism .................... 563 5 The Homosexual Colonization of the NCCB/USCC .......
    [Show full text]