Was Peter married?

U R my Sonshine said:

I had been told they really aren't to question doctrines. Or I guess I should say...disagree with doctrines. So if he disagreed with being celibate....he'd be okay with disagreeing, which doesn't "agree" with being RC.
Some RC friends here said if they have doubts about a doctrine they are to realize they are wrong and the church is right and pray to be in agreement.

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Celebacy of the priesthood is NOT a doctrine of the RCC, it's a discipline.

I agree that chaste doesn't mean celibate. A person having sex in the bonds of God's institution is chaste in my opinion. Sex was created by God for marriage and there isn't any unchaste about it.

Jig said:

If you read the verse I gave as a whole the men that were chaste were also never defiled by women. I'm sure the picture here is men who have never experienced sexual intercourse.

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How can having a sexual relationship with a wife being defilement. God created sex and He created it for marriage so how is getting married, then, and having sex being defiled?

Yes, St Peter was married. The Gospels and early Christian tradition agree on that. According to tradition, several of the apostles were married, though there are no Gospel records of that. St Paul was celibate (cf. 1 Cor 7:8).

In the earliest centuries of the Christian church, both priests and bishops were allowed to be married (cf. 1 Tim 3:2-4).

Gradually, as the number of Christian monastics grew in the 4th and 5th centuries, it became increasingly popular to choose bishops from among those who had taken monastic wows. This eventually became the rule both in the Eastern and in the Western Churches. Ordinary parish priests were allowed to be married. In the Eastern Churches, this is still the case.

That all priests should be celibate was unheard of until the mid 13th Century, when Rome started requiring priests to take vows of celibacy before ordination. In the Middle Ages, it wasn't too uncommon for priests both to marry and re-marry, and in parts of Europe priests were starting to get a bad reputation. Celibacy was introduced in an effort to improve the reputation of priests and the standing of the Church in general.

Celibacy is still a rule among catholics following the western rite, but married men can be ordained provided the Pope grants them an exemption. As far as I know, this is becoming more and more common nowadays. I know a number of catholic priests who are married.

Orthodox bishops are generally supposed to be celibate, while ordinary parish priests may be married (provided they have married before they were ordained). This is the rule also among eastern catholics (ie. churches that follow the eastern rite but recognize the supremacy of Rome).

Hi ebia,

ebia said:

Does anyone seriously think he wasn't?

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I am not quite sure. I mean, it isn't important to me anyway, but I would doubt it. I have no proof, but yeah. I honestly believe that he was too busy avoiding those evil men who wanted his head on a plate and spreading the Gospel message to be bogged down with a wife (no offense intended). Besides, several years after Jesus returned to heaven he was crucified up-side-down because he didn't consider himself worthy enough to suffer the same death as Jesus. Quite incredible.

Edit: Only just saw the previous post before mine. Oh well, I guess I was wrong.

Jig said:

I'm convinced Peter was married at one point in his life. I also believe that since you don't see or hear about his wife is because she probably dead before Peter met Jesus. This allowed him to follow Jesus without having to leave a family.

See the following verses that prove Peter the apostle had a mother-in-law:

Mark 1:30 (He's referred to as Simon)
Luke 4:38 (He's referred to as Simon)
Matthew 8:14 (He's referred to as Peter)

I dont know about you...but I can only recall one Simon that was also called Peter in the Bible.

I know a few people don't think he was married. I want to know what proof they have of it.

God Bless.

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Peter, also called Simon bar Jonah, was married at the time of his calling.

Scott_LaFrance said:

Peter, also called Simon bar Jonah, was married at the time of his calling.

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Peter, also called Simon bar Jonah was indeed married at the time paul wrote his letters.

1 Corinthians 9:5 NIV
Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas [ That is, Peter]

Bah! Catholic priests that are married (and there are a few) are former married ministers from various Protestant denominations (primarily Anglican / Episcopalian) that were already married when they converted.

The history since VII is particularly long and boring. Operationally it works pretty much like this:

As an aside there is a "pastoral provision" which would provide "a common identity reflecting certain elements of their own heritage." Here an entire Episcopalian congregation could enter the Catholic Church and be allowed to remain a parish and use an Anglican-style Catholic Mass with either the traditional language of Archbishop Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer or the modern English version. They would, however, submit to the Holy See on all matters etc etc etc. Since this is obviously, er, rare to non-existent the provision is extended thusly:

The Holy See has specified that this exception to the rule of celibacy is granted in favor of these individual persons, and should not be understood as implying any change in the Church's conviction of the value of priestly celibacy, which will remain the rule for future candidates for the priesthood from this group.

An ordained Episcopalian minister would make a profession of Faith and be received into the Catholic Church, and thereupon receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. He would then take appropriate courses which would enable him to minister as a Catholic priest (Holy Orders etc).

After proper examination by his Catholic bishop and with the permission of the Holy Father, he would be then ordained first as a Catholic transitional deacon and then as a priest. If the former Episcopalian minister were single at the time of his ordination as a Catholic deacon and then priest, he would indeed take the vow of celibacy. If the married former Episcopalian minister were ordained as a Catholic deacon and then priest, he would be exempt by a special favor from the Holy Father of making the promise of celibacy; however, if he later became a widower, then he would be bound to a celibate lifestyle and could not remarry. In the future, if a lay member of one of these reunited parishes wanted to become a Catholic priest, he would be required to take the promise of celibacy.

Further, the promise of celibacy is waived due to particular circumstances as a favor to those married clergy that wish to join the Church in a similar role based on their desire to reunite with the Catholic Church. This is, of course, confined to the Latin rite as outside of the US Eastern Rite Catholic priests are not require to be celibate (bishops are).

Posters above are correct in stating that celibacy is a discpline of the Church, not a doctrine. I believed this is confined to those that wish to become diocesan priests - not order priests. After Holy Orders I believe that they would merely become incardinated in their local diocese.

It is best to ask a Catholic about these matters.

Tonks said:

The Holy See has specified that this exception to the rule of celibacy is granted in favor of these individual persons, and should not be understood as implying any change in the Church's conviction of the value of priestly celibacy, which will remain the rule for future candidates for the priesthood from this group.

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"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge"(Heb.13:4).

In His grace--Jerry

JerryShugart said:

"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge"(Heb.13:4).

In His grace--Jerry

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As it was said earlier this is a discipline of the Catholic church, not dogma or doctrine.

Frankly, I see little value being contrarian in *everything* that is posted.

JerryShugart said:

"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge"(Heb.13:4).

In His grace--Jerry

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Fine, let's play the 'Bible Quote' game.
[BIBLE]1 Corinthians 7:27-34[/BIBLE]
Paul was celibate and encouraged celibacy among the priesthood. Considering how many Protestant churches put Paul up on the pedestal and say that what he said is more relevant in the 'Church Age' than what Christ Himself said, I'm surprised that this doesn't get mentioned much.

JerryShugart said:

"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge"(Heb.13:4).

In His grace--Jerry

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Interestingly, the person who wrote this strongly advocated for celibacy.

1 Cor 7:8, "To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I do."

Borealis said:

Fine, let's play the 'Bible Quote' game.
1 Corinthians 7:27-3427 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. 28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. 29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; 30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; 31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. 32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: 33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
Paul was celibate and encouraged celibacy among the priesthood. Considering how many Protestant churches put Paul up on the pedestal and say that what he said is more relevant in the 'Church Age' than what Christ Himself said, I'm surprised that this doesn't get mentioned much.

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First of all,there is absolutely no evidence that Paul was only speaking of those who were in a priesthood.

Secondly,Paul qualifies his words by grounding them on consideration of the "present distress" (1Cor.7:26) that the chrch was then experiencing in that age of persecution.

Here is what Paul says later about women and marriage:

"I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully"(1Tim.5:14).

In His grace,--Jerry

Some say Peter was married. Other say he was not married. But that's besides the point. How did Peter represent for Christ. People are using Peter, Paul, Mary to distract us from Christ. Isn't Christianity about Jesus Christ?

JerryShugart said:

"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge"(Heb.13:4).

In His grace--Jerry

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Matt. 19:11-12 - Jesus says celibacy is a gift from God and whoever can bear it should bear it. Jesus praises and recommends celibacy for full-time ministers in the Church. Because celibacy is a gift from God, those who criticize the Church's practice of celibacy are criticizing God and this wonderful gift He bestows on His chosen ones.



Matt. 19:29 - Jesus says that whoever gives up children for the sake of His name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. Jesus praises celibacy when it is done for the sake of His kingdom.

Matt. 22:30 - Jesus explains that in heaven there are no marriages. To bring about Jesus' kingdom on earth, priests live the heavenly consecration to God by not taking a wife in marriage. This way, priests are able to focus exclusively on the spiritual family, and not have any additional pressures of the biological family (which is for the vocation of marriage). This also makes it easier for priests to be transferred to different parishes where they are most needed without having to worry about the impact of their transfer on wife and children.

1 Cor 7:1 – Paul teaches that it is well for a man not to touch a woman. This is the choice that the Catholic priests of the Roman rite freely make.

1 Cor. 7:7 - Paul also acknowledges that celibacy is a gift from God and wishes that all were celibate like he is.

1 Cor. 7:27 – Paul teaches men that they should not seek marriage. In Paul’s opinion, marriage introduces worldly temptations that can interfere with one’s relationship with God, specifically regarding those who will become full-time ministers in the Church.

1 Cor. 7:32-33, 38 - Paul recommends celibacy for full-time ministers in the Church so that they are able to focus entirely upon God and building up His kingdom. He “who refrains from marriage will do better.”

1 Tim. 3:2 - Paul instructs that bishops must be married only once. Many Protestants use this verse to prove that the Church's celibacy law is in error. But they are mistaken because this verse refers to bishops that were widowers. Paul is instructing that these widowers could not remarry. The verse also refers to those bishops who were currently married. They also could not remarry (in the Catholic Church's Eastern rite, priests are allowed to marry; celibacy is only a disciplinary rule for the clergy of the Roman rite). Therefore, this text has nothing to do with imposing a marriage requirement on becoming a bishop.

1 Tim. 4:3 - in this verse, Paul refers to deceitful doctrines that forbid marriage. Many non-Catholics also use this verse to impugn the Church's practice of celibacy. This is entirely misguided because the Catholic Church (unlike many Protestant churches) exalts marriage to a sacrament. In fact, marriage is elevated to a sacrament, but consecrated virginity is not. The Church declares marriage sacred, covenantal and lifegiving. Paul is referring to doctrines that forbid marriage and other goods when done outside the teaching of Christ and for a lessor good. Celibacy is an act of giving up one good (marriage and children) for a greater good (complete spiritual union with God).

1 Tim. 5:9-12 - Paul recommends that older widows take a pledge of celibacy. This was the beginning of women religious orders.

2 Tim. 2:3-4 - Paul instructs his bishop Timothy that no soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim his to satisfy the One who enlisted him. Paul is using an analogy to describe the role of the celibate priesthood in the Church.

Rev. 14:4 - unlike our sinful world of the flesh, in heaven, those consecrated to virginity are honored.

Isaiah 56:3-7 - the eunuchs who keep God's covenant will have a special place in the kingdom of heaven.
Jer. 16:1-4 - Jeremiah is told by God not to take a wife or have children.

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/the_priesthood.html#priesthood-IV

JimfromOhio said:

Some say Peter was married. Other say he was not married. But that's besides the point. How did Peter represent for Christ. People are using Peter, Paul, Mary to distract us from Christ. Isn't Christianity about Jesus Christ?

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Like many threads it has the stink of thinly-veiled anti-Catholicism to it. It did only take 4 posts to get to a Pope question. Of course since Peter was the first Pope I suppose that's acceptable. Post 5 brought in the Catholic priest angle.

We're now up to the Scripture Catholic quotin' cut 'n pastin' time in the thread.

Quite speedy indeed.

Jig said:

Whats to stop someone who wants to minister Catholicsim yet wants to be married from frist becoming an Anglican priest on propuse after getting married and then switching to a Catholic priest? What a loophole. I'm surprised the Catholic church is making this exception, she's usaully steadfast....

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I suggest you look at 1) what it takes to become an Anglican minister - conversion and all. 2) The conversion back to Catholicism. 3) The Bishop interview. This is not an automatic thing. It is a case-by-case basis. I think that someone that spent the years to become an Anglican minister and then immediate returned to the Church to be ordained as a Catholic priest would be objected outright.

Plus, you're obviously lacking when it comes to the character of who are Catholic priests vis-a-vis this debate.

Nice try, though.

So it's end the crazyness.

Was Peter married?

Everyone says YES!

Do we need to go any further?