Question for my Catholic brothers and sisters

[Always in His Presence]

And how does your family feel about your ministry?

Absolutely love the question.

Wife is an active part of our church and so were our children when they were at home. Every time the doors were open, there we were. What I think is perhaps being missed is that there is no human on earth that spent or spends 100% of his waking moments. St. Peter was married and had a vibrant ministry - St. Paul made tents - I would imagine even the modern day head of the Roman Catholic Church has free time, maybe even hobbies.

Pope Leo:
He enjoys playing Wordle and Words With Friends regularly. According to his brother, it's a way for him to unwind and keep his mind sharp.

Watching Movies
Before stepping into his papal role, he watched The Conclave, a film about the papal election process. It seems he appreciates cinema that reflects his spiritual journey.

He is a sports fan. We are all human.

I ask this because the Christian Post (Protestant NOT Catholic) in 2011 published an article titled “Leading and Loving It: Pastors' Wives Overcome Depression”. In the article they report:

1) Eight in 10 pastors' wives say they feel unappreciated or unaccepted by their husbands' congregations

About the same statistically as the minister.

2) 80 percent of pastors’ wives responded that they wish their husbands would choose another profession

Seems a tad high - at least in my denomination - we are a pretty tight nit group with conference and retreats multiple time a year. I'd have to ask my wife.

3) "Wives' issues" is the No. 1 reason pastors leave their ministries

Can find that at all - quick search:

The number one issue driving pastors to leave the ministry is stress and burnout, often compounded by conflict and isolation.
Here’s a breakdown of what that really means:

Burnout & Mental Exhaustion

• Constant emotional demands, long hours, and the pressure to meet spiritual and organizational expectations wear pastors down.
• Many report feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, and mentally drained, especially when support systems are lacking.

⚔️ Church Conflict

• A significant number of pastors face personal attacks or resistance when trying to implement changes.
• In one study, 87% experienced conflict, and nearly half said it involved direct personal criticism.

Change in Calling

• Interestingly, 40% of pastors cited a shift in their personal sense of calling as the reason they stepped away.
• This often reflects a deeper internal struggle—feeling misaligned with the role or sensing a new direction spiritually or professionally.

‍♂️ Isolation & Lack of Support

• Many pastors feel alone in their struggles, with few safe spaces to share doubts or challenges.
• The absence of affirmation, accountability, or even basic appreciation can erode their sense of purpose.

4) The divorce rate among pastoral couples is similar to that of the general public, around 50 percent.

That is true - that is why my wife takes second place only to Jesus Christ in my life. Saturdays are our date night - every four to six weeks we set out for a two day trip to be alone. Balance is what helps and we

And they have this very interesting quote by H.B. London, former vice president of church and clergy for Focus on the Family and author of Married to a Pastor -- "The church becomes their husband's mistress, and they in many ways [wives] lose their identity."

That is a sad truth.

If you have not exprienced these issues within your family I would ask that you would at least recognize that you are fortunate, rare, and not the norm.

That's true - I have an unbelievable marriage - but we both work at it daily

When 80% of Protestant pastors wives wish their husband would leave the ministry, they very much validate St. Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 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. 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.

Just a few verses before that - St Paul also said:

1 Cor 7:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. 7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

I believe others have pointed out that the discipline of clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church is exactly that, a discipline. It is not doctrine, and can in fact be changed. Catholics simply accept Christ's words when he gave the Church the authority to "bind and loose". So the Church in her wisdom has determined that St. Paul was in fact right, and that a celibate clergy benefits all as they can have an undivided interest in the Lord and his work.

Which time? In 1 Cor 7:1-8 or 1 Cor 7:32-35?

 

[narnia59]

Absolutely love the question.

Wife is an active part of our church and so were our children when they were at home. Every time the doors were open, there we were. What I think is perhaps being missed is that there is no human on earth that spent or spends 100% of his waking moments. St. Peter was married and had a vibrant ministry - St. Paul made tents - I would imagine even the modern day head of the Roman Catholic Church has free time, maybe even hobbies.

Pope Leo:
He enjoys playing Wordle and Words With Friends regularly. According to his brother, it's a way for him to unwind and keep his mind sharp.

Watching Movies
Before stepping into his papal role, he watched The Conclave, a film about the papal election process. It seems he appreciates cinema that reflects his spiritual journey.

He is a sports fan. We are all human.

About the same statistically as the minister.

Seems a tad high - at least in my denomination - we are a pretty tight nit group with conference and retreats multiple time a year. I'd have to ask my wife.

Can find that at all - quick search:

The number one issue driving pastors to leave the ministry is stress and burnout, often compounded by conflict and isolation.
Here’s a breakdown of what that really means:

Burnout & Mental Exhaustion

• Constant emotional demands, long hours, and the pressure to meet spiritual and organizational expectations wear pastors down.
• Many report feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, and mentally drained, especially when support systems are lacking.

⚔️ Church Conflict

• A significant number of pastors face personal attacks or resistance when trying to implement changes.
• In one study, 87% experienced conflict, and nearly half said it involved direct personal criticism.

Change in Calling

• Interestingly, 40% of pastors cited a shift in their personal sense of calling as the reason they stepped away.
• This often reflects a deeper internal struggle—feeling misaligned with the role or sensing a new direction spiritually or professionally.

‍♂️ Isolation & Lack of Support

• Many pastors feel alone in their struggles, with few safe spaces to share doubts or challenges.
• The absence of affirmation, accountability, or even basic appreciation can erode their sense of purpose.

Those are the statistics quoted in the article and are based on a survey by the Global Pastors Wives Network. So pastors wives reporting on the state of their lives and marriages.

That is true - that is why my wife takes second place only to Jesus Christ in my life. Saturdays are our date night - every four to six weeks we set out for a two day trip to be alone. Balance is what helps and we

That is a sad truth.

That's true - I have an unbelievable marriage - but we both work at it daily

And when there is an urgent family issue at home or one in your congregation, which wins out? I just know from the words of my own pastor -- if he were married there would be no doubt who would win. It would be his family first. Which means that he would never be fully available to his congregation and their needs. Something in that dynamic has to take second place. Which is why that survey showed such tension in many pastor's home and the words of St. Paul ring true -- his interests are divided.

Just a few verses before that - St Paul also said:

1 Cor 7:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. 7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.


Which time? In 1 Cor 7:1-8 or 1 Cor 7:32-35?

He's right both times. Do you think he's wrong in one of those?

He very rightly and clearly states that a married man's interests are divided and he cannot place his full attention on the work of the Lord.

In the second passage he begrudgingly acknowledges that it's not possible for everyone to be able to live a celibate life. So basically if they can't control their urges they should marry.

 

[Always in His Presence]

And when there is an urgent family issue at home or one in your congregation, which wins out? I just know from the words of my own pastor -

Priests don’t have families?

What is the priest has a brother or sister or mother or father that has an urgent family issue at the same time? A member of his congregation does, is that any different?

 

[narnia59]

Priests don’t have families?

What is the priest has a brother or sister or mother or father that has an urgent family issue at the same time? A member of his congregation does, is that any different?

The responsibility that a man has to a parent or sibling is far different than the one a husband has to his wife or a father to his children.

So are there times when a priest may need to be with his immediate family over his congregation? Of course. Does that in any way equate to the amount of time a man needs to be present to his wife or children? Not even close. St. Paul never equates the care of parents to cause a man to have "divided interests". But he does with marriage.

There is a specific reason why the minister from Focus on the Family in the article I provided used the term "mistress" to describe the role a congregation can take in the life of a married pastor. The person who comes between a man and his wife, and by extension his children threatens the bonds of marriage.

Look, I am happy for you that this has worked out and your family has not experienced what countless other families have. I would just like for you to understand that is the exception, nor the norm. There is a very worthy and Biblical reason for the Church to impose the discipline of clerical celibacy, and there are men who are very much called to this life. And I am thankful for their sacrifice and their ministry to me every day.

 

[narnia59]

I love your post by the way and admire your traditional Catholic piety, my brother.

Thank you

 

[The Liturgist]

It's a fact that they don't remember most of them, I never said they didn't remember any of the sins. There is no Catholic "belief" one way or another. Something quite unusual could indeed be remembered. As to the sinner, if you wish you can be anonymous, that is, behind a curtain or something to that effect. That is the norm at our church, the priest can't see you and you can't see the priest. But you can make an appointment for a special face to face. When face to face I have seen a priest roll his eyes back into his head, as in a trance, while hearing my sins.

The Orthodox clergy I know of hate listening to confessions for an extended period because everyone’s sins are so boring and depressing and almost invariably are variations on the same pattern. So I doubt they could remember who did what or said what. The few who can tend to be particularly advanced confessors who are much sought after as Elders because they are able to provide extremely helpful life-changing advice. St. Seraphim of Sarov who is often regarded as the Orthodox counterpart to St. Francis of Assisi, although the two men were extremely different, for St. Seraphim was a monk who after years of standing in prayer all night found himself unable to stand or walk with ease, retired to a hermitage and opened a window and was visited both by the animals such as bears of the forest in Sarov and increasingly by pilgrims, is among those said to know what was troubling someone before they had even spoken with someone. We can regard this not as requiring a belief in telepathy or anything unnatural, but as a gift of the Holy Spirit in discerning from the countenance of people and their demeanor and also perhaps receiving additional information from the angels about what had troubled them.

St. Seraphim started a process that saved the Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Polish, Belorussian, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Moldovan churches from the stagnation that had fallen upon them after Czar Peter “the Great” had uncanonically and illegally seized control of the church, removing most members of the Holy Synod and putting the finances of the Church under the control of an Imperial Procurator, who was uncanonically made aa member of the Synod and thus replaced the Patriarch, whose office was suppressed, as the head of the synod, indeed being first without equals rather than first among equals because of his sole control of the purse strings. In the Vatican, checks and balances exist and the financial organs are complex, and dioceses have their own independent finances, so in this respect the bureaucrat put in charge of the Russian Orthodox Church from the reign of Peter the Great until the end of the Czarist period had more raw power than any Pope, although less spiritual influence since he was not a priest and was generally resented even by the most loyal bishops. Fortunately the piety of subsequent Czars kept the procurators in check, but the Russian church remained stagnant until St. Seraphim sparked a revitalization that continued with the likes of the anonymous author of The Way of the Pilgrim, St. ignatius Brianchaninov, a bishop and monastic hegumen who wrote On The Prayer of Jesus for the laity and The Arena for those considering or preparing for a monastic vocation, and St. John of Kronstadt, who helped promote high-frequency confession and consumption of the Eucharist as the rector of a seaman’s chapel in the port city of Kronstadt, which would be visited by hundreds of pilgrims in addition to the usual clientele of locals and sailors every Sunday, and whose book My Life In Christ is regarded as a modern classic.

Of the above, all were celibates, but St. Alexis Toth is a noted example of an Orthodox married priest.

 

[Always in His Presence]

The responsibility that a man has to a parent or sibling is far different than the one a husband has to his wife or a father to his children.

So are there times when a priest may need to be with his immediate family over his congregation? Of course. Does that in any way equate to the amount of time a man needs to be present to his wife or children? Not even close. St. Paul never equates the care of parents to cause a man to have "divided interests". But he does with marriage.

There is a specific reason why the minister from Focus on the Family in the article I provided used the term "mistress" to describe the role a congregation can take in the life of a married pastor. The person who comes between a man and his wife, and by extension his children threatens the bonds of marriage.

Look, I am happy for you that this has worked out and your family has not experienced what countless other families have. I would just like for you to understand that is the exception, nor the norm. There is a very worthy and Biblical reason for the Church to impose the discipline of clerical celibacy, and there are men who are very much called to this life. And I am thankful for their sacrifice and their ministry to me every day.

OK - thanks for the conversation.

 

[narnia59]

OK - thanks for the conversation.

You're quite welcome. Thank you as well.

 

[RileyG]

Matt 8:14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.

It is obvious from Holy Scripture that Peter was married.

1. Why doesn’t the leadership allow priests to follow Peter in marriage?

Priests were married up until the 1000s in the west. Celibacy became the norm due to priests selling land to their children etc

Also, there are still married Catholic priests todays in the eastern rite, as well as the Ordinariate and converts. They exist.

 

[Valletta]

The Orthodox clergy I know of hate listening to confessions for an extended period because everyone’s sins are so boring and depressing and almost invariably are variations on the same pattern. So I doubt they could remember who did what or said what. The few who can tend to be particularly advanced confessors who are much sought after as Elders because they are able to provide extremely helpful life-changing advice. St. Seraphim of Sarov who is often regarded as the Orthodox counterpart to St. Francis of Assisi, although the two men were extremely different, for St. Seraphim was a monk who after years of standing in prayer all night found himself unable to stand or walk with ease, retired to a hermitage and opened a window and was visited both by the animals such as bears of the forest in Sarov and increasingly by pilgrims, is among those said to know what was troubling someone before they had even spoken with someone. We can regard this not as requiring a belief in telepathy or anything unnatural, but as a gift of the Holy Spirit in discerning from the countenance of people and their demeanor and also perhaps receiving additional information from the angels about what had troubled them.

St. Seraphim started a process that saved the Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Polish, Belorussian, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Moldovan churches from the stagnation that had fallen upon them after Czar Peter “the Great” had uncanonically and illegally seized control of the church, removing most members of the Holy Synod and putting the finances of the Church under the control of an Imperial Procurator, who was uncanonically made aa member of the Synod and thus replaced the Patriarch, whose office was suppressed, as the head of the synod, indeed being first without equals rather than first among equals because of his sole control of the purse strings. In the Vatican, checks and balances exist and the financial organs are complex, and dioceses have their own independent finances, so in this respect the bureaucrat put in charge of the Russian Orthodox Church from the reign of Peter the Great until the end of the Czarist period had more raw power than any Pope, although less spiritual influence since he was not a priest and was generally resented even by the most loyal bishops. Fortunately the piety of subsequent Czars kept the procurators in check, but the Russian church remained stagnant until St. Seraphim sparked a revitalization that continued with the likes of the anonymous author of The Way of the Pilgrim, St. ignatius Brianchaninov, a bishop and monastic hegumen who wrote On The Prayer of Jesus for the laity and The Arena for those considering or preparing for a monastic vocation, and St. John of Kronstadt, who helped promote high-frequency confession and consumption of the Eucharist as the rector of a seaman’s chapel in the port city of Kronstadt, which would be visited by hundreds of pilgrims in addition to the usual clientele of locals and sailors every Sunday, and whose book My Life In Christ is regarded as a modern classic.

Of the above, all were celibates, but St. Alexis Toth is a noted example of an Orthodox married priest.

Saint Seraphim sound a lot like Padre Pio, there is much written about him as a confessor, as well as being a mystic. Saint Seraphim obviously had a big effect on a multitude of people, God seems to bring forth such saints when they are needed.

 

[LizaMarie]

Of Marriage and Orthodox Priests - First Things Interesting point of view from an Orthodox. I can see both sides of it. I'm a confessional Lutheran, but respect the Catholic view. I realize it is a discipline not a doctrine, so it could be reversed. Remaining single and celibate certainly does allow for a pastor to be available 24/7 to his congregation but as the article points out having a wife and children can also be helpful. I mostly like the Orthodox view, but I can also understand the Catholic view.
I've been living in my area for 35 years and I've seen 2 (WELS) pastors that I know leave the ministry altogether. Not for doctrine as they and their families still attend WELS churches but for other personal (I assume- I don't know) problems. Maybe the ministry wasn't for them, or maybe it was too hard balancing family and being a pastor(both have special needs children) In our own church if our pastor can't be available to us for any reason, he finds a fill in.

 

[The Liturgist]

Saint Seraphim sound a lot like Padre Pio, there is much written about him as a confessor, as well as being a mystic. Saint Seraphim obviously had a big effect on a multitude of people, God seems to bring forth such saints when they are needed.

Yes, I think Padre Pio would be a figure analogous in some respects to St. Seraphim, although closer probably to St. John of Kronstadt. Definitely a man of great love and a great Catholic saint.

One thing to look forward to when our churches reunite is writing the liturgical services for our respective saints in the styles of the different liturgical rites. The proper hymns for the Roman Rite and the Troparion, Kontakion and Canon for the Byzantine Rite (most of the liturgical variability in the Eastern liturgies actually happens in Matins and to a lesser degree in Vespers. I believe one benefit of unity is that it will likely increase attendance at the beautiful Roman Liturgy of the Hours, which has been an objective of your church since before the Council of Trent.

I think Pope Leo XIV should consider requiring all parishes celebrate the Office of Readings and Lauds before at least one Sunday mass and Vespers after at least one Saturday mass, or alternately celebrate them together as a vigil which is the norm in the Slavonic tradition, which has the advantage of creating a nice big service which has enough content to attract people (but combined with the mass it might be too long for Roman Rite Christians used to shorter services - the average Orthodox Divine Liturgy is two hours including the Third and Sixth Hours, and the Vigils is two and a half hours, which is the average length of the Liturgy if a bishop is present or it is a major feast, with Pascha being four hours. Conversely, in those churches like the Greek church which do Vespers on Saturday night and Matins on Sunday morning, Vespers and Matins tend to take an hour each.

The Slavonic model takes Vespers, Compline, the Midnight Office, Matins and Prime and combines them (and in some cases the Ninth Hour is added), for a lovely two and a half hour service, but people do not expect to receive the Eucharist at it, but they might receive artoklasia (Holy Water) or holy myrhh from the relics and icons.

The Roman Breviary, or Liturgy of the Hours, is extremely beautiful and it thoroughly frustrates me that one has to either go to a cathedral or a monastery in most cases to experience it (also the Oratorians, one of my favorite Catholic religious orders, usually celebrate it as well to some extent).

 

[Always in His Presence]

Yes, I think Padre Pio would be a figure analogous in some respects to St. Seraphim, although closer probably to St. John of Kronstadt. Definitely a man of great love and a great Catholic saint.

One thing to look forward to when our churches reunite is writing the liturgical services for our respective saints in the styles of the different liturgical rites. The proper hymns for the Roman Rite and the Troparion, Kontakion and Canon for the Byzantine Rite (most of the liturgical variability in the Eastern liturgies actually happens in Matins and to a lesser degree in Vespers. I believe one benefit of unity is that it will likely increase attendance at the beautiful Roman Liturgy of the Hours, which has been an objective of your church since before the Council of Trent.

I think Pope Leo XIV should consider requiring all parishes celebrate the Office of Readings and Lauds before at least one Sunday mass and Vespers after at least one Saturday mass, or alternately celebrate them together as a vigil which is the norm in the Slavonic tradition, which has the advantage of creating a nice big service which has enough content to attract people (but combined with the mass it might be too long for Roman Rite Christians used to shorter services - the average Orthodox Divine Liturgy is two hours including the Third and Sixth Hours, and the Vigils is two and a half hours, which is the average length of the Liturgy if a bishop is present or it is a major feast, with Pascha being four hours. Conversely, in those churches like the Greek church which do Vespers on Saturday night and Matins on Sunday morning, Vespers and Matins tend to take an hour each.

The Slavonic model takes Vespers, Compline, the Midnight Office, Matins and Prime and combines them (and in some cases the Ninth Hour is added), for a lovely two and a half hour service, but people do not expect to receive the Eucharist at it, but they might receive artoklasia (Holy Water) or holy myrhh from the relics and icons.

The Roman Breviary, or Liturgy of the Hours, is extremely beautiful and it thoroughly frustrates me that one has to either go to a cathedral or a monastery in most cases to experience it (also the Oratorians, one of my favorite Catholic religious orders, usually celebrate it as well to some extent).

I’m lost in this diatribe. What does this have to do with the topic of the thread?

 

[The Liturgist]

I’m lost in this diatribe. What does this have to do with the topic of the thread?

It specifically relates to clerical celibacy and confession.

What you’ve got to understand is that the Roman Church, the Orthodox and the other liturgical churches can only be explained in the context of their historical narrative, in the same way that Protestantism requires the context of Medieval Catholicism to be understood. So the only way to provide a fully useful answer to any of your questions requires an immersive study of scripture, mystical theology, Patristics, Liturgics and ecclesiastical history. Without focusing on these, in equal measure, there isn’t an answer.

 

[Always in His Presence]

It specifically relates to clerical celibacy and confession.

What you’ve got to understand is that the Roman Church, the Orthodox and the other liturgical churches can only be explained in the context of their historical narrative, in the same way that Protestantism requires the context of Medieval Catholicism to be understood. So the only way to provide a fully useful answer to any of your questions requires an immersive study of scripture, mystical theology, Patristics, Liturgics and ecclesiastical history. Without focusing on these, in equal measure, there isn’t an answer.

WOW, that sure does make things complicated

.

 

[The Liturgist]

WOW, that sure does make things complicated

.

It’s simple to believe in our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, but that doesn’t mean understanding the nuances of dogmatic theology or ecclesiastical history or pastoral care or the many other subjects studied by clergy are simple. There is a reason why so many important theologians such as Martin Luther have obtained doctorates or had equivalent education, going back to the early church where St. Irenaeus, Origen, St. Athanasius, the Cappadocians, Eusebius of Caesarea and St. John of Damascus, among others, were the most brilliant and educated minds of their era. Indeed if we go back to the New Testament itself, I am aware of no academic of the first century whose intellectual ability approached that of St. Matthew, St. Paul, St. Luke, St. Mark, St. John, St. Peter, St. James or St. Jude. Not all of the apostles were intellectuals, but the ones who required advanced intellectual abilities were granted it after the fashion of St. Solomon the King and Prophet. Indeed we see this in how those Apostles who wrote books of the Bible had originated, except for St. Matthew, St. Levi and Judas the traitor, as a group of fishermen, some of them being young; teenagers probably in several cases.

As an aside, I myself believe St. John the Beloved Disciple was probably 13 when he and his elder brother St. James the Great became disciples of our Lord were recruited - this makes his adoption by the Theotokos of mutual benefit and also explains how he managed to live into the ninth decade and survive his exile on Patmos in the years prior, which was a harsh wilderness; it helped that he was not martyred, but that he was younger than the others makes a great deal of sense. This is an example of what we call a theologuomemnon: a theological opinion which does not contradict Orthodox, Patristic doctrine but which is also not officially doctrinal; in the Orthodox church one has the freedom to embrace theologoumemna as long as one remains within the pale of Orthodoxy as established by the ecumenical councils, which gives us quite a lot more freedom than many, perhaps most denominations, while still ensuring we agree on that which is important. The other thing is that we don’t try to elevate theologoumemna to the level of doctrine or conflate them with doctrine, since this could lead to error, but rather differentiate between the two, and we do not believe in doctrinal development.

 

[RileyG]

I love your post by the way and admire your traditional Catholic piety, my brother.

Just so you are aware, she's a woman.

 

[RileyG]

Understood - so do I.

I'm trying to reconcile the idea promoted that Priest don't marry (not saying it's bad nor good), because if they did, they could not devote themselves fully to the calling.

I pray daily - I study daily - I counsel and advise - I handle as shepherd all aspects of a growing church - I supervise my associate pastor, preside over our Elders and Deacon board - along with the Sacerdotal duties etc. and travel internationally as an adjunct professor. Did I mention I am writing a third book? I have not had a 'day off' in 18 years, there is always something to do.

I still had time to marry, raise six children and now help with 9 grand children.

I live and agree to a morals code with my denomination - no tobacco, no alcohol - no extramarital sex - no drugs - and no public dancing (we are a Holiness based Denom.).

I can understand if Celibacy is required - just stating that it is a requirement would end all debate - but saying celibacy is required to devote full efforts to the ministry is hard to digest. Peter was married - did he not fully give himself to the church?

(If it's ok to ask)

You are an Assembly of God's pastor, correct? If I recall correctly, and understand correctly, Pentecostalism descended from Methodism, which had an emphasis on personal holiness and sanctification.

Does Holiness descend from Wesleyan Churches?

No drinking at all? Not even social drinking? What about Holy Communion?

Anyway, are you required to say certain prayers everyday or do some sort of service work daily?

I think this is an important distinction, priests (as well as nuns, monks, deacons, bishops, the Pope himself) are required to pray the Divine Office (AKA Liturgy of the Hours AKA The Hours) daily. Nuns/Monks often say it in community with others.

Essentially, celibacy allows priests (and nuns and monks) to experience their lover in a broader way by being fully committed to God's people. If I am making any sense?

And yes, married priests do exist, but they are the exception.

ALSO, it's DISCIPLINE priests aren't married, NOT doctrine, so it can indeed change.

 

[RileyG]

Valid thoughts:

Is it your understanding that Priest work non stop? They work from the time they wake up until they go to sleep?

I'd be curious what a typical week looks like to a Priest.

Indeed. Many priests are very busy due to the shortage of priests. I know of one priest that is in charge of seven, yes seven, parishes.

Many parishes have to accommodate and no longer have weekly Mass or their Church was turned into a chapel- where only special Masses can be held, or it can only be held for a wedding or funeral.

Unfortunately that happened in the Archdiocese where I grew up. BUT things are looking hopeful, we are getting more seminarians and men ordained to the priesthood.

My own current diocese where I live is blessed with many vocations to both the priesthood and religious life.

 

[RileyG]

Okay - I wonder sometimes if the 'discipline' is working. Given the multiple thousands of instances of sexual sin - both pedophilia and moral failures with woman, would it be beneficial to make celibacy and option.

My father was a seminarian and left because he met my mother and fell in love. With such a great need of priest to the point that churches are closing because of the lack of clergy - it just seen a logical solution for both.

Unfortunately, the sexual abuse scandal is NOT only limited to the Catholic Church. It also has happened in many Protestant denominations as well. It's a societal problem.