Yes. And I also propose that using a phrase famously attributed to Ebenezer Scrooge is not compelling from a literary perspective.
I am celibate because the one great romance of my life was unsuccessful, no one else has come along as yet, and I am commanded not to engage in fornication, not that it is any of your business, however, I am considering a monastic vocation. Monasticism is not about trying to impress God by the way; any monk with such a view would be in grave danger of spiritual delusion resulting from pride, which is known to be the most dangerous passion for monastics (since lust, gluttony, avarice and other passions can be conquered with difficulty, but when one does that, the temptation to be proud of it as though it were done by one’s own ascetic perseverance and not through the grace of the Holy Spirit is immense). Monks who fall into spiritual delusion in turn sometimes wind up dead as a result of demonic tricks, and on other occasions, if they become bishops or abbots, or otherwise gain influence, they can be a danger to the church as they are situated to introduce schisms and heresies.
Rather, the point of monasticism is to focus on a life of prayer without the distractions of secular living.
I am not a fan of the Roman Catholic approach, which is now confined to the Roman, Ambrosian and Mozarabic Rites only, of having celibate secular clergy. Friars make sense however, as they cost less to maintain than either celibate secular priests or married priests, being that they are monks, and the Orthodox church sends out monastic priests to do similar work as friars, for example, running mission parishes or providing replacement clergy for parishes who lose their priest, and these priests generally form the pool from which the vast majority of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox bishops are recruited, although married and widowed bishops do exist. Orthodox priests not attached to a monastery are almost always married, the exceptions being priests who converted from Roman Catholicism.
Note that everything I have said about monasticism applies to Eastern and Oriental Orthodox monasteries only.
@dzheremi and
@GreekOrthodox are very knowledgeable in these traditions. There are also Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist monasteries; Anglican monasteries tend to be Benedictine, but there are also Franciscan friars in that tradition, (
@Shane R might know if there are any in the ACNA or Continuing Anglicanism or if it is thus far an Episcopalian/Church of England thing) and I think Lutheran monasteries, which exist in Sweden and Germany, are Augustinian, as is St. Augustine’s House in the US (whose abbot died, I believe).
@MarkRohfrietsch would know more.
The Methodist religious order is the Order of St. Luke. Also, the founder of Taize was a celibate Calvinist, who I admire, and who my friend
@hedrick might know more about.
If you read your New Testament again, you might take note of where St. Paul expressly stated that virginity is preferable to Holy Matrimony, although marriage is still good. But celibate virginity, when possible, is better. Furthermore, he himself was known to be celibate, as were a great many of the apostles.
