Dear gk, Yes I may witness, Christ according to all accounts was celibate. The Aposles were commanded to imitate him in all His ways and so the church that Christ established strives to imitate Him in all his ways. The reason for marriage is simply to satiate a burning desire. Not all men or women are consumed with this burning desire. Reading Saint Paul explains it best of all when he says, "I would rather that you remain single even as I, yet for those with a burning desire let them marry". The question is not one of celibacy, the question is who has a burning desire for marriage and why? Whomever asks the question is begging for a sensible answer. The truth of the matter is there is no sensible answer for the burning desire that causes marriage. This is a mystery only God can answer. It is said in the Old Testament after the garden of Eden that God made a punishment for woman that she will "desire her husband" and that man shall, "be set as master of his wife". God made many decisions after the fall of Adam and Eve to change the course of Paradise. Christ came to change the course of Paradise also into a new direction and created new rules for existance. One rule Christ created was celibacy for Priests and Nuns. We do not know for certain why Christ did this  although He alluded to a certain single-mindedness about serving the church. I beleive His intent was to indicate that a man cannot serve the church and a wife in the capacity of ordained ministry. In His wisdom, I do believe He is correct. 

Now to the question from (whom you describe as Satan). The question comes from a certain jealousy contained within those whom were formed with that "burning desire". For them, there is no sensible answer as Saint Paul has told us that for the married, 'thier lives will be filled with trials" not experienced by those whom are single. It is my opinion that the entire resentment for the celibate Priesthood (and single Catholics and Nuns) is formed by the burden of trial experienced by the married. Hence, they are (jealous) of those who do not suffer the same trial.

Saint Peter demonstrated some of that jealousy when he said to Christ, "And what of John (the Evangelist, meaning what would happen to him) to which Jesus replied, "What is that to you if I have other plans for him" [not precise quotes] Jesus also said, "Some are born eunichs, some are made eunichs by the world, and some have made themselves eunichs for the sake of the Kingdom.

Therefore, the new order that Christ established did not deem equality in marriage or celibacy a thing to be grasped at, rather that each accept his or her station or calling in life and live this life in Imitation of Christ. Yet for the married, this task becomes compounded doubly with the indisoluable union of man and wife. In other words, try to serve God and a wife at the same time, it is prophecied that this thing cannot be done. Either you will serve one and neglect the other. Sad but true accoding to all accounts of the Holy Scriptures.

In the Holy Love of God I am your brother in Christ and my name is Royal

hmm --- we should be balanced and truthful in this.

 Celebacy as a rule for all our clergy was not always a requirment, although it has alwasy been a prefered state of life and some bishops required within thier diocease. Celebacy as a requirement does not exist in any of the eastern rights in full union with Rome.  That being said the roman order expects more out of thier priests and so what.  Studies have shown that the rates of accusations of sexual impropriaty and people joining the priesthood are not particularly affected by weather or not a priest can be married ( within the various rights).

That being said it was certainly Mary , Jesus, his disciples and Paul followed fast by many other including augustine who started the 'celebacy thing'.  It is good , holy and most useful in many ways.  Unlike the protestant denominations the largest Church in the world has learned through 2 millenea a thing or two about the best way to ensure that it's staff is fully devoted to the mission of Christ.

When it comes to married protestant clergymen I'd like to offer a simple retort as flippant as the inital acusation.

How many minesters sons or daughters have you know who weren't 'hell on wheels' and wild beyond belief? Not many I'd posit.

Could that be because a servant can't serve two masters. One can be married easily to both God and a wife.

Celebacy isn't simply holy, ordained by God as a perfrence and calling.  A celebate clergy is a wise idea proven out by 2000 years of communal expierence.

Noel,

Were we advised to be fruitful and multiply?

Yes.  You point out something that needs to be discussed.  Great call to our roots.

Yet, Christ, the One and Only High Priest, whom all Priests try to emulate in practice, for some reason was celibate.  He could have easily loved, married and had children before his public life began.  As you say St. Peter did and many others, including our brothers in the Eastern Church still today.  It might be a good idea for all of us to pray to understand why Jesus, the victim and priest who offered himself up for all, chose to be celibate.  Why would He who inspired the Bible to be written with "be fruitful and multiply" choose not to?

It is not good for man to be alone.

Ibid.   - and  ... Christ is good.  Christ is Truth.  Christ is Life.  Christ is the Way.  Yet, he chose to be "alone" in the married and conjugal sense.  And yet he still commanded us to love.  He called for unity.  He spoke of being one with the Father as He (the Father) and I (Jesus) are one.  As you seem to ask, can Christ not have a good life because the Old Teatament says "It is not good for man to be alone."  This is a question I hand back to you.

What thinks you?

GK - God is good!

gk,

To add to your post, St. Paul (in either Romans or Corinthians) talks about how single people should stay single because a spouse distracts them from doing the Lord's work. 

Matty & David,

Thanks for this additional information.  It is clear to me that celibacy is not a bad thing because God was celibate by choice when he had his chance to fall in love and marry.  St. Paul seconds the deal.  That is enough for me.

But, I see how, with the pedophile scandal and our sex-saturated culture, one can think celibacy is not that great and should be changed.  And I want to learn more and more about why people see this differently and how I can better understand and explain the goodness of celibacy for the kingdom.

GK - God is good!

Dear Mattymattychoochoo, The only reason the Catholic church accepts the "baptism" done in a protestant community is because the Catholic church accepts a "baptism" done by any one person who professes belief in Christ who baptises using the trinitarian salutation, "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".

There is a Catholic church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota called Pax Christi which baptized many children, "In the name of the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sanctifyer" which raised many doubts concerning the validity of the baptism and sure enough when the Bishop of Minneapolis/Saint Paul became aware, the pastor of Pax Christi was required to re-do all those baptisms.

If your read Pope Benedict XVI's "response to some questions regarding the Doctrine of Faith" from the website www.vatican.va then search for the phrase that I just wrote you will read what the Pope has to say about the validity of all communities of belief that are not Catholic.

In the Holy Love of God I am your brother in Christ and my name is Royal

Dear Noel,   To answer your questions from my understanding:

A protestant leader does not minister to a sacrament, they can only preach to a sacrament as a Catholic Priest is the only valid minister of a Sacrament.

Anyone who professes faith in Christ using the trinitarian salutation only as; In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit while pouring water upon the head of the person may be considered a valid instance of Baptism although the documentation of the event must be recorded in writing and signed and witnessed with Godparents or else the church must re-do the Baptism.

The Catholic church does recognize the consecrated lives of married couples in many different ways. Some couples consecrate to an order such as the Franciscans, Benedictines, Carmelites. Some simply keep thier marital vows. Marriage is a Sacrament in the Catholic church and that is why it is indissoluable when validly vowed from the beginning. The marriage can only be considered invalid when evidenced that the vow was invalid by lack of Catholic understanding and committment from the beginning or day of the wedding, resulting in a decision of annulment. This is a difficult revelation to understand but according to the Tribunal, a couple who have received an annulment may marry each other again providing they prove proper preparation and reception of the Sacrament the second time around.

The church teaches that the Priest witnesses the vows made by the couple entering the Sacrament. In other words, the prime minister of the marriage is the husband. The Priest is a minister to the marriage secondarily when the prime minister questions his role in the Sacrament.

In a protestant community again, marriage is not a Sacrament as the vows were not entered into by the authority of a Catholic Priest. Many protestant marriages are done at the beach or backyard or some other recreational location. Thier is no "Rite" performed during the protestant agreement, usually it is a very brief agreement -till death do us part, etc although the protestants lack any marital ministerial redress procedure, if it fails, it simply fails. Not so in the Catholic church, if it fails, the church and parishoners and priest are required by the catechism to pray for and assist the couple to renew the vows. Only in the case of obvious deceit from the beginning is it acceptable to provoke the Tribunal to a decision regarding validity.

As Pope Benedict XVI has clarified [what was already declared in Church Doctrine for decades] the fullness of faith [Sacraments and Sacramentals] resides in the Catholic faith.  Essentially the understanding is that all others that profess faith in Christ that are not Catholic are communities of beleivers, not churches and they have leaders that are not ministers at all of any Sacrament, only preachers of whatever they may be preaching which is not consistant with Catholic teaching/preaching and not consistant with each other. The particular word I saw used in expression of the protestant communities is defect.

More can be found at www.vatican.va then search in the search bar at the top right for "some questions regarding the Doctrine of Faith". You can read it probably better than I can as my eyesight is growing weaker.

This is how I understand the Doctrine of Faith and the Catechism to be saying of the Sacraments and validity in ministry.

 In the Holy Love of God I am your brother in Christ and my name is Royal

Royal 

You wrote:

A protestant leader does not minister to a sacrament, they can only preach to a sacrament as a Catholic Priest is the only valid minister of a Sacrament.Anyone who professes faith in Christ using the trinitarian salutation only as; In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit while pouring water upon the head of the person may be considered a valid instance of Baptism.

Do you contradict yourself? 

First of all you say that a Catholic priest is the only valid minister of a Sacrament.  Then you say anyone who professes faith and uses the trinitarian salutation performs a valid baptism. 

I still hold that protestants can baptize, which agrees with your second statement.

However if a Protestant converts to Catholicism I was taught that he/she is conditionally baptized, in case his/her previous baptism was not valid.  Thus the words are “if you were not baptized, I baptize you….".

 God bless,


NoelFitz.
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In necessariis, unitas; in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas.
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bhokuto