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We continue to develop the theme of priestly celibacy. In keeping with the historical tour that started in last month’s column, we can see how was the Christian community, in the field of the Latin Church, which demanded their priests celibacy, both in order to better imitate the life of Christ as in the face of the greater dedication to the service of the evangelization of the people of God. |
| Before proceeding further noted here an observation that must be taken into account at the time of “date” the teachings or practices of the Church: when a council or a Pope legislate or define a particular doctrine, does not mean that the doctrine has been “engaged” in the Church at that time, but rather it is something that already existed, and only now it seems necessary to legislate. Let’s take a more recent example: if a historian of the century 26 read in the history books that it was Pope John Paul II in the 20th century who solemnly defined on the impossibility of the priestly ordination of women, could legitimately conclude that the Catholic doctrine of the non-validity of the ordination of women was “introduced in the Church” only in the twentieth century? Be mistaken if you think our imaginary historian, since the decision of Pope John Paul II is not an “innovation”, but a “clarification” of a doctrine has always held, but about which there was no need to legislate in advance, as it was accepted by the whole of the faithful. Something similar happens with the “legislation” on priestly celibacy: it has been legislated in the centuries III or IV does not mean that the item was unknown before. This principle applies to many dogmatic definitions that some rush to see how “innovations” of the Church, when in reality they are but a make explicit what was already believing in advance (as well the dogma of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, the Assumption of the Virgin, and so many other doctrines).
From the 4th to the 12th centuries Although it is likely that the local Churches have legislated on this subject in the past, which has come to us from more ancient are the decisions of the Council of Elvira (between the years 295 and 302), which was a council of bishops of the lands which today are in Spain. The Council mandates that the bishops, priests and deacons to be admitted to the orders are celibate, or to leave their legitimate women if they want to receive holy orders. This practice was not regulated in the same way in the churches of the Eastern world (Asia Minor), which did not prevent the bishops and priests ordained in communion with their respective wives. In the west, on the contrary, the preaching of the great pastors of the century IV and V testifies decisively, to have a clear preference for the celibate priesthood. You can find historical testimonies of the existence in the west of priests who lived with their wives, but were the “in the field”, far from their bishops We also have a testimony of the year 386: the Roman Council convoked by Pope Siricius, forbidding priests to continue relations with its former women. In fact the laws varied from one place to another; let us not forget the great distances that had to go in those times to communicate, so that decisions of a local church took perhaps years to reach the ears of the other churches. It was not unusual that, in spite of the indications of the councils and the popular preference by celibate priests, some take women. Councils of the century VI and VII regulate explicitly that the Bishops “should” leave their wives once ordained, while for the priests and deacons may not seem like “required” separation. Even in the 8th century we find that the Pope Zacharias did not want to apply to all of the local churches the customs more characteristic of some, so that each one could legislate as it seemed more appropriate to the King (Cucumber). What never was accepted in any side was that an orderly could marry. The married could be ordered, but the ordained could not marry. From the 12th century until today In the year 1123, with the first Lateran Council , that the candidate for the orders must refrain from women, and that the marriage of a person ordered was invalid, so that all dealings with women once received the management was going to be simple cohabitation. It is in this spirit that regulated all subsequent Councils. It is clear that the law was not put into practice immediately on all sides, but little by little he was gaining strength of habit in all the churches of the west. In our days, this doctrine finds many adversaries, but as we have seen, is nothing new. The Church does not define the celibacy as an absolute necessity, but sees it as the best means to which the servant of God and his people to act “without divisions”. Finally we can say that in this topic you must talk with accuracy, since the wrong use of words hinders the dialog and does not help to see the reality of things. It is not uncommon to hear expressions of this type: “The Church imposes to the priests celibacy”, or in question form: “Because the priests cannot marry?”. While it is understood that celibacy is a ecclesiastical regulations, a “law” of the Church, however it does not seem to me to be entirely correct to speak of “imposing” Celibacy, or “force” at the same. In the Catholic Church, no one is obligated to be celibate, because no one is obliged to become a priest. For the reasons already set forth in the New Testament and we have suggested above and for many other reasons, to the Church of Christ in the last thousand years it has seemed good to consider the vocation to the priesthood and the vocation to celibacy as a single vocation. Call and not right The main point here is in reality the following: the priestly vocation is a call of God to his Church, and not a personal right of the candidate. This is not the case with the priesthood what happens with other professions, which “have the right”: the Church, uniting “priesthood” with “celibacy” is not “imposing anything on anyone”, because no one has to be a priest; rather, it must be said that in so doing is exercising a “right” given by God himself to his Church to determine certain disciplinary aspects of the priestly office. In fact it is precisely the Church orders priests for divine service. In the Church there are hundreds of ways to serve the people of God, and if anyone believes that it is called upon to play an active role in the Church – and in truth all are!-, but at the same time believes that it is not called to celibacy, know that you can occupy this place according to the gift that God gave you, subject to the opinion of the Church, and must not seek at all costs “being a priest”. |
