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The Obligations of Continence and Celibacy for Priests

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The Obligations of Continence and Celibacy for Priests COMPASS PRIESTLY CELIBACY The Obligations of Continence and Celibacy for Priests BRENDAN DALY ELIBACY IS a hotly debated issue in are very critical of Cochini and the idea that the Catholic Church for a number of clerical continence was of apostolic origins. Creasons. There is the enormous scan- They contend that this has not been proved. dal of sexual abuse by clergy and the percep- They argue that there is a lack of clear evi- tion by many people that if the law on celi- dence about priestly celibacy and continence bacy was changed then sexual abuse would prior to the fourth century especially in rela- be a much smaller problem. tion to the apostles and in the first century There are many cultures around the world after their deaths. They say patristic support that do not accept celibacy. For example, al- is limited. However, they do not produce though missionaries have been working with strong patristic or council legislation to sup- Inuit people in Northern Canada for well over port their own view. Balducelli is very critical 100 years, not one Inuit man has ever been of the theological justifications for continence ordained a Catholic priest. However, there are in the sources that Cochini uses. These married Inuit clergy belonging to other denomi- sources have a negative attitude to sexual in- nations. tercourse: e.g. the reference to Origen’s 6th homily on Leviticus 21 concerning the neces- PART ONE sity of perpetual prayer and the necessity of History of Celibacy uninterrupted continence.5 Cochini, recognis- ing this, argues that the theological justifica- There are two very divergent approaches to tion for celibacy should change to the priest’s celibacy at the theological level beginning with relationship to Christ whom he represents. Gustav Bickell (1838-1917) and Francis Xavier At this point in the Church’s history, eve- Funk (1821-1917). Gustav Bickell argued that ryone is conscious of the sexual misconduct clerical celibacy was of apostolic origins and and abuse problems within the Church. Un- intrinsically related to ministry. Celibacy was fortunately, there seems to have always been initially a customary law, and only gradually a gap between the teaching of Jesus and the received a fixed, written form. Scholarship in human reality. This human reality has always recent times that supports the argument of complicated the Church’s legislation and any Gustav Bickell has been the work of Cochini interpretation of it. Balducelli is probably right in Paris, Cholij at the Gregorian University, and in contending that historical objectivity is elu- the Vatican archivist Stickler.1 sive when clerical celibacy is being discussed. Francis Xavier Funk argued that clerical As Stickler maintained ‘a correct interpreta- celibacy was the consequence of canon law tion of the sources can only be established on and Church discipline beginning with the this basis: by taking into account their authen- Council of Elvira, in Spain, in 306. Many schol- ticity, integrity, credibility and particular ars including Vogels,2 Balducelli3 and Dennis4 worth.’6 20 COMPASS 2009 #4.indd 20 11/12/2009 1:46:27 PM PRIESTLY CELIBACY Key Concepts Rev. Dr Brendan Daly is Principal at Good The Chinese have a proverb that ‘the first step Shepherd College, towards wisdom is getting things by their right Auckland, a Lecturer in names’. This is particularly true on the sub- Canon Law, a Judge on ject of celibacy. the Appeal Tribunal of Clerics7 are all those who have been or- the Catholic Church for dained deacons. Australia and New ‘Continence means the non-use of the Zealand, and an sexual faculties.’8 Associate Judicial Vicar ‘Chastity is the moral virtue that moder- of the Tribunal in New Zealand. ates and regulates the sexual appetite in man and woman.’9 ‘Single persons are chaste when they are continent with all persons until they Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left marry. Clergy are bound to perfect and per- house or wife or brothers or parents or chil- petual continence; and are chaste when they dren, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who do not use their sexual faculties with anyone will not get back very much more in this age, 11 of either sex for life. and in the age to come eternal life. Celibacy is a publicly committed state of In Matthew 19:27 and Mark 10:29-30, leav- living chastely, whereby the person, accept- ing one’s wife is merely implied in the context ing the gift of God and identifying with Jesus of leaving everything in order to follow Jesus. Christ, freely chooses not to marry for the sake The apostles left home because of their com- of the kingdom of God while serving God and mitment to the Lord and to the preaching of other people. the Gospel. People at home were left behind ‘Celibacy’ comes etymologically from the as a result. Latin coelebs meaning an unmarried man. How- Saint Paul writing to the Corinthians shows ever, it must be distinguished from simply be- his clear preference for celibacy: ing not married like a bachelor, as well as re- I want you to be free from anxieties. The un- flecting key aspects of Church teaching.10 married man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married Scripture man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, and his interests are 12 Jesus taught that the reign of God was immi- divided. nent and that following him overrode many The Pastoral letters, to Timothy and Titus, ordinary activities in life. Being a disciple in- teach us that bishops, presbyters and dea- volved ‘losing one’s life’ (Mk. 8:35); ‘leaving cons were often married men. In the Pastoral the dead to bury their dead’ (Mt. 8:22); ‘taking Letters to Timothy and Titus there is a special up the cross’ (Mk. 8:34); since anyone loving phrase that recurs also in early canonical leg- ‘father or mother, son or daughter more than islation and patristic writings: ‘a husband of him would not be worthy of him’ (Mt. 10:37). one wife’. Saint Paul writes to Timothy stating For Jesus and his disciples the task of procla- that: ‘A bishop must be above reproach, mar- mation had to also be enacted ‘sacramentally’ ried only once.’ (1 Tim 3:2.). Then writing to in their lives ‘for the sake of the kingdom of Titus, Saint Paul tells him to appoint, in Crete, heaven’ (Mt. 19:12). Peter was married since presbyters ‘married only once’.(Titus 1:6). Writ- Jesus cured his mother-in-law. (Mark 1: 29-31) ing to Timothy concerning deacons Paul says, In the text of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus makes ‘Let deacons be married only once’ (1 Tim 3:12). the leaving of wife explicit in his answer to De la Potterie is of the opinion that there is no Peter’s question: doubt that the expression ‘husband of one 21 COMPASS 2009 #4.indd 21 11/12/2009 1:46:27 PM COMPASS wife’ is a covenantal formula.13 De la Potterie14 Western Legislation points out the parallel with 2 Corinthians 11:2, where Saint Paul describes the Church in Cor- The Spanish Council of Elvira in 305 A.D inth as a ‘wife’, a ‘bride’ presented to Christ as taught in canon 33: a ‘chaste virgin’. Elsewhere in the New Testa- We decree that all bishops, priests, and dea- ment, bridal imagery is significant as in Rev. cons, and all clerics engaged in the ministry, are 21:1-3, or in Ephesians 5: 22-23, where mar- forbidden entirely to have conjugal relations riage is a sacramental image of the union of with their wives and to beget children; whoever Christ and his Church. Ordination makes or- shall do so, will be deposed from clerical dig- 18 dained ministers sacramentally representative nity. of the relationship of Christ to the Church as There is no indication that this legislation is a bridegroom to bride, so that those ordained new imposition on clergy. If it were new legis- can only be ‘husband of one wife.’15 lation, there would have to be a case made to justify its introduction. Also, there would be Early Church historical records of opposition to such a de- manding new requirement of clergy. Clearly Clement of Rome (ca. 96) and Ignatius of this was no new legislation, but legislation that Antioch16 (ca. 110) speak of early Christians was made to counter a non-observance of a being celibate and imitating Christ. However, well-known and recognised tradition. in the first few centuries of the Church, early All the leading Latin Fathers of the 4th cen- inscriptions, synods, papal decretals and tury, including Saints Augustine, Jerome (347- patristic writings demonstrate very many of 419) in his Commentary on the Epistle to the clergy were married and had children. Pope Titus19 and Ambrose (333-397) in his Letter to Hormisdas (514-523) fathered a son who be- the Church of Vercelli20 , support the legisla- came Pope Silverius (536-358).17 However, we tion concerning clerical continence. do not know if Pope Hormisdas fathered his Pope Siricius (384-399) in the decretals son before ordination. Directa (385 A.D.) wrote a letter to Himerius While it is relatively easy to compile im- answering his questions about continence. pressive lists of married clergy, Cholij, Cochini This letter was intended for circulation and Stickler argue that the married status ex- amongst the Carthaginians in one of the prov- isted with a longstanding, discipline of ob- inces of Spain.
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