My dearest friends:
WOULD YOU TELL YOUR PRIEST THAT HE HAD A HOLE IN HIS PANTS?
TRUE STORY:
A celibate priest recently chastized his parish for failing to point out that he had a hole in his pants because no one pointed it out to him. (Now, if he were a married priest, his wife probably would have received a call alerting her about this problem, but alas, no one called him or his secretary.) The poor priest discovered the huge hole when he changed his clothes before retiring!
I don't mean for this to be a debate on married priests vs. celibate priests. I see the benefits of having both a monastic priesthood and a married priesthood.
If a priest is going to be celibate, however, I believe that the monastic life will help him to keep his vows and grow in holiness, if the monastery is well regulated and is truly a place of sanctity. Furthermore, the monastic can devote his full time to the ministry and not worry about the support of a wife and children.
It would be better if most celibate diocesan priests were monastics because celibate diocesan priests face severe temptations due to loneliness. However, abbots of monasteries should be carefully selected so that they are holy men of God yet also gifted with common sense to run the monastery efficiently.
WHY CANNOT WE HAVE BOTH A MARRIED PRIESTHOOD AND A CELIBATE ONE?
As most of the Apostles were married men, there is a tradition that allows married men to be ordained to the priesthood.
The Eastern Catholic Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Churches have continued the apostolic tradition of ordaining married men to the priesthood. Note: priest cannot marry, they must be married before their ordination to the diaconate.
Anglican clergy converts to Catholicism are given special permission to be ordained to the Catholic priesthood if approved by Rome.
Any comments?
Elizabeth
WOULD YOU TELL YOUR PRIEST THAT HE HAD A HOLE IN HIS PANTS?
TRUE STORY:
A celibate priest recently chastized his parish for failing to point out that he had a hole in his pants because no one pointed it out to him. (Now, if he were a married priest, his wife probably would have received a call alerting her about this problem, but alas, no one called him or his secretary.) The poor priest discovered the huge hole when he changed his clothes before retiring!
I don't mean for this to be a debate on married priests vs. celibate priests. I see the benefits of having both a monastic priesthood and a married priesthood.
If a priest is going to be celibate, however, I believe that the monastic life will help him to keep his vows and grow in holiness, if the monastery is well regulated and is truly a place of sanctity. Furthermore, the monastic can devote his full time to the ministry and not worry about the support of a wife and children.
It would be better if most celibate diocesan priests were monastics because celibate diocesan priests face severe temptations due to loneliness. However, abbots of monasteries should be carefully selected so that they are holy men of God yet also gifted with common sense to run the monastery efficiently.
WHY CANNOT WE HAVE BOTH A MARRIED PRIESTHOOD AND A CELIBATE ONE?
As most of the Apostles were married men, there is a tradition that allows married men to be ordained to the priesthood.
The Eastern Catholic Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Churches have continued the apostolic tradition of ordaining married men to the priesthood. Note: priest cannot marry, they must be married before their ordination to the diaconate.
Anglican clergy converts to Catholicism are given special permission to be ordained to the Catholic priesthood if approved by Rome.
Any comments?
Elizabeth