Celibacy and chastity

Lately the Church has been getting a lot of bad publicity concerning priests and even bishops that have either sired illegitimate children or made sexual advances to some woman they have had contact with. According to ecclesiastical law, those who are married cannot be ordained as priests and those ordained cannot be married. There has been no violations of this ecclesiastical law. There have been no reports of priests who have gotten married. But the law on celibacy includes the obligation of observing perfect chastity under the same vow. And that is what is an issue today, the increasing reports – and this is worldwide – of priests violating their vows of chastity.

Christ Himself had something to say on this matter. In Mt. 19:11-12, He says, "Not everyone can accept this teaching, only those to whom it is given to do so. Some men are incapable of sexual activity from birth; some have been deliberately made so; and some there are who have freely renounced sex for the sake of God’s Reign. Let him accept this teaching who can." As early as the first three centuries of the Christian era, celibacy was already practiced by the majority of the clergy, but it was not until the Council of Elvira in 305 that it became mandatory. In 386 and two later councils in Carthage the imposition was further strengthened on all priests, bishops and deacons.

The latest official stand on the matter was during the twenty-first Ecumenical Council that opened on October 11, 1962. It was popularly called Vatican II and considered the greatest religious event of the twentieth century. Vatican II said "Through virginity or celibacy observed for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, priests are consecrated to Christ in a new and distinguished way. They more easily hold fast to devote themselves in Him and through Him to service of God and men. They more readily minister to His Kingdom and to the work of heavenly regeneration, and thus become more apt to exercise paternity in Christ, and to do so to a greater extent."

There are many interesting views on celibacy. C.H. Dodd described it as "The ideal state, first because the time is short and detachment from the things of this age is required, and secondly because marriage diverts man and woman alike from the service of God." Samuel Johnson had a contrary point of view. He thought that it was "A state more gloomy than solitude: it is not retreat, but exclusion from mankind."

But the problem confronting the church is not celibacy, it is the chastity of its priests and bishops. Here, too, people have opposing views. St. Francis de Sales said, "Chastity the lily of virtues, makes men almost equal to angels. Nothing is beautiful but what is pure, and the purity of men is chastity." Totally opposing his view was Adous Huxley who saw chastity as "the most unnatural of the sexual perversions."

Now chastity is a Church problem. What do you do with priests who have not lived up to their vow of celibacy, which includes chastity? What do you do with the illegitimate children they have sired? Should they continue as the instruments of God who could not even behave like gentlemen or would it be better for them to leave the church to take care of the woman they have abused and legitimatize their children? It’s a tough question!