Why celibate bishops are a big deal?

[Not David]

Howdy!
Bishops have plenty of work to do overseeing local churches and dealing with their problems, have to travel a lot. So they don't have time to have a family.

Do you understand my rationale?

 

[spiritualchristian7]

I think celibacy should be a choice rather than mandatory
-just my unpopular opinion

 

[~Anastasia~]

Celibacy should always be a choice IMO as well. If a person doesn't have the grace for chastity, they should marry. At least that's what St. Paul tells us.

A bishop (at least in the EO Church) generally does have great responsibilities. So does a father/husband. We have many married priests of course - it is a great labor but one a man can manage and his role and experience as a father can help him in some ways be a father to his flock.

If the priest wants to be a bishop ... well, it can be thought of from both points of view. If he is married with a family, which responsibility will he neglect? Both are a sacred trust and it is not right to fail in his duty to either.

A married man CAN become a bishop, after his children are grown, if both he and his wife want to pursue religious careers and they mutually consent. But he cannot try to divide himself between home/family and the Churches he oversees.

All from the POV of Orthodoxy. Various denominations will have some different definitions and rules, so might not agree.

 

[Not David]

I think celibacy should be a choice rather than mandatory
-just my unpopular opinion

For bishops? Why?

 

[Not David]

Celibacy should always be a choice IMO as well. If a person doesn't have the grace for chastity, they should marry. At least that's what St. Paul tells us.

A bishop (at least in the EO Church) generally does have great responsibilities. So does a father/husband. We have many married priests of course - it is a great labor but one a man can manage and his role and experience as a father can help him in some ways be a father to his flock.

If the priest wants to be a bishop ... well, it can be thought of from both points of view. If he is married with a family, which responsibility will he neglect? Both are a sacred trust and it is not right to fail in his duty to either.

A married man CAN become a bishop, after his children are grown, if both he and his wife want to pursue religious careers and they mutually consent. But he cannot try to divide himself between home/family and the Churches he oversees.

All from the POV of Orthodoxy. Various denominations will have some different definitions and rules, so might not agree.

What do you mean by "if both he and his wife want to pursue religious careers and they mutually consent."?

 

[spiritualchristian7]

For bishops? Why?

Just in general.

Celibacy should always be a choice IMO as well. If a person doesn't have the grace for chastity, they should marry. At least that's what St. Paul tells us.
.

 

[Citanul]

Bishops have plenty of work to do overseeing local churches and dealing with their problems, have to travel a lot. So they don't have time to have a family.

But doesn't this also hold true for other jobs e.g. a CEO of a large company? They manage to have families despite having plenty of work to do. I've no real opinion on whether bishops should be celibate or not, but this doesn't seem like a particularly strong argument to me since having a lot of responsibilities in their job isn't something that's only faced by bishops.

 

[CaptainToad]

If they dont have a family with children they cant be bishops. Word of God.

 

[Not David]

But doesn't this also hold true for other jobs e.g. a CEO of a large company? They manage to have families despite having plenty of work to do. I've no real opinion on whether bishops should be celibate or not, but this doesn't seem like a particularly strong argument to me since having a lot of responsibilities in their job isn't something that's only faced by bishops.

Yes, and they are workaholics.

 

[Not David]

If they dont have a family with children they cant be bishops. Word of God.

Where?

 

[CaptainToad]

Where?

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Timothy 3:2-12 - King James Version

 

[Not David]

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Timothy 3:2-12 - King James Version

It says "husband of one wife"

 

[CaptainToad]

It says "husband of one wife"

It does. Whats your point?

 

[Not David]

It does. Whats your point?

That it means he should be married once.

 

[CaptainToad]

That it means he should be married once.

Not necessarily, doesn't say he cannot become a widower and remarry.

Look, I just stumbled upon your thread by accident. Your original post very much gave away that you are unfamiliar with scripture and the reason why celibacy was introduced.
So let me help you: It was introduced because of financial reasons. Cause: if you have children they have a right to inherit whats yours. If you don't it will stay !in the church. As easy as that! It's no secret.

 

[Paidiske]

Howdy!
Bishops have plenty of work to do overseeing local churches and dealing with their problems, have to travel a lot. So they don't have time to have a family.

Do you understand my rationale?

My church allows its bishops to marry. I have known married bishops and bishops who were single. I have not observed that the married bishops were worse bishops than the single ones.

I would note, though, that married bishops, to me, were more helpful when I was learning to be a married member of the clergy, because they knew that balancing act and what had worked for them, and were able to offer me advice and perspective out of their own experience; but at times it's been painfully obvious that the single bishops didn't quite "get" that reality.

I would say it's important for the bishop's spouse, should they have one, to be supportive of their role and willing to deal with what comes with it.

 

[Bob Crowley]

I'm not making a case for married or celibate bishops. I'm Catholic, ex-Protestant and I know very well that married pastors are quite capable of raising a family and running a church at the same time. I was in a Presbyterian Church for nine years before becoming Catholic, and the pastor there raised five sons very successfully, as well as being an oustanding pastor.

However he was also a very strong character. He told me he lived below the poverty line for years, commenting "I nearly starved!"

Granted one of the sons become a bit of a tearaway for a while, but then made the decision to become Christian and settle down. He's glad he did too, as the friends he had during his tearaway years by and large made a mess of their lives.

But I also know that some married pastors face a reaction from their kids for not having enough time for them.

However while the Catholic Church has a policy of celibate priests, it could hardly insist on one rule for them and another for bishops, as bishops invariably come from the priesthood.

Another thing I know - nobody applies to be a Catholic bishop. They're "called" by the choice and decision of others. No doubt some ambitious individuals try to promote themselves towards a position, but there is no formal application process.

 

[CaptainToad]

I'm not making a case for married or celibate bishops. I'm Catholic, ex-Protestant and I know very well that married pastors are quite capable of raising a family and running a church at the same time. I was in a Presbyterian Church for nine years before becoming Catholic, and the pastor there raised five sons very successfully, as well as being an oustanding pastor.

However he was also a very strong character. He told me he lived below the poverty line for years, commenting "I nearly starved!"

Granted one of the sons become a bit of a tearaway for a while, but then made the decision to become Christian and settle down. He's glad he did too, as the friends he had during his tearaway years by and large made a mess of their lives.

But I also know that some married pastors face a reaction from their kids for not having enough time for them.

However while the Catholic Church has a policy of celibate priests, it could hardly insist on one rule for them and another for bishops, as bishops invariably come from the priesthood.

Another thing I know - nobody applies to be a Catholic bishop. They're "called" by the choice and decision of others. No doubt some ambitious individuals try to promote themselves towards a position, but there is no formal application process.

Well, I am not catholic. For me celibacy is an evil thing. It puts an unnecessary strain on people. They have to make a choice before they enter the priesthood, one that God does neither demand nor endorse.
The high level of homosexuality and pedophilia among catholic priests also suggests the 'priest job' can serve as a cover-up and may facilitate evil passions

 

[Bob Crowley]

Well, I am not catholic. For me celibacy is an evil thing. It puts an unnecessary strain on people. They have to make a choice before they enter the priesthood, one that God does neither demand nor endorse.

The high level of homosexuality and pedophilia among catholic priests also suggests the 'priest job' can serve as a cover-up and may facilitate evil passions

This kind of judgemental, libellous Protestant arrogance cheeses me off, as a former Protestant myself. Get some education instead.

The Theological Basis for Priestly Celibacy

As for the "high level of pedophilia" among Catholic priests, I believe it's somewhere between two and four percent, depending on location, pretty much in line with the general male population. That means that ninety six to ninety eight percent of priests had nothing to do with the pedophile crisis.

Protestants haven't fared any better overall, but it's the Catholic Church which has copped most of the negative media reporting. I lifted the following paragraph from the following article.

religions-09-00027.pdf

1.2. Clergy Sexual Misconduct

Sexual misconduct refers to clergy that have engaged in legal, sexual relations, adultery, or some other related sexual action with a congregant that is deemed unethical or improper within these environments. Several studies have attempted to understand the prevalence of clergy sexual misconduct among Protestant Christian clergy (see Cooper 2002; Francis and Stacks 2003; Meek et al. 2004; Seat et al. 1993; Thoburn and Whitman 2004). Studies have revealed that as few as 1% to as many as 38.5% of all clergy, across a wide range of Christian denominations, have engaged in sexual misconduct of some form (Francis and Stacks 2003; Meek et al. 2004; Seat et al. 1993; Thoburn and Whitman 2004).

The Protestant figures are harder to pin down, as they're so divided, whereas the Catholic Church has a much greater unity. But insurance claims against churches for sexual misconduct in the USA indicate there is no difference between Catholic and Protestant Churches overall.

So stop judging when your own house is in just as much disorder.

 

[CaptainToad]

This kind of judgemental, libellous Protestant arrogance cheeses me off, as a former Protestant myself. Get some education instead.

The Theological Basis for Priestly Celibacy

As for the "high level of pedophilia" among Catholic priests, I believe it's somewhere between two and four percent, depending on location, pretty much in line with the general male population. That means that ninety six to ninety eight percent of priests had nothing to do with the pedophile crisis.

Protestants haven't fared any better overall, but it's the Catholic Church which has copped most of the negative media reporting. I lifted the following paragraph from the following article.

religions-09-00027.pdf



The Protestant figures are harder to pin down, as they're so divided, whereas the Catholic Church has a much greater unity. But insurance claims against churches for sexual misconduct in the USA indicate there is no difference between Catholic and Protestant Churches overall.

So stop judging when your own house is in just as much disorder.

Get some education, lol.

There is no theological basis for celibacy. The word of God is clear on that - no room for debate.
If a priest, for whatever reason, decides not to marry, that's fine. He cannot become a priest, though.
The fact that Christ never got married has nothing to do with celibacy. It was a purely financial decision, as so many.