Expert: Brenda Martin - 4/2/2008

Question
Deus caritas est. I am a R/C from Bombay, India.I am intersted in theology. My questions are as under:
1What is the significance of celibacy in the church?

2: What is the Xtian meaning of Sexuality? Explain the meaning of sexuality on 3 levels-primary,affective and genital. God bless thee.James N Bombay

Answer
Hi there James, you asked--"WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CELIBACY IN THE CHURCH?"

Mmm very good question; it is NOT a teaching of Jesus Christ; it is one that has developed in the churches as they slowly but surely departed from the teachings of God, as stated in the bible.

Pope Paul VI (head of the catholic religion) admits that “the New Testament, which preserves the teaching of Christ and the Apostles . . . does NOT demand celibacy of sacred ministers.”

So if God doesn’t “demand celibacy” of its followers, then why is it there?

For one thing, a celibate priesthood gives power to the church authorities. This is because, having no heirs to their priestly function, priests can be replaced only by hierarchical appointment. Even The Catholic Encyclopedia admits that Rome has been accused of using celibacy as a device “to ensure the subjection of the clergy to the central authority of the Roman See.”

But there is more to it than that; “History of Clerical Celibacy,” shows that compulsory celibacy became canon law only in the 12th century C.E. The pope who did much to prepare the way for its adoption was Gregory VII (1073-85). Interestingly, it is said of him that he “saw more clearly than any other the enormous increase of influence which would accrue to a strictly celibate body of clergy.”

In addition to bolstering up the hierarchical system of the Catholic Church, the law of priestly celibacy also conferred on the priesthood an ascendancy over the common people. Georges Duby, one of France’s leading historians, said recently of medieval monks and priests that, because of their celibacy, “they were hierarchically above others; they had the right to dominate the rest of society.”

Priestly celibacy was adopted with ulterior motives, which may explain why it is being maintained. Yet it actually has benefited neither the Catholic people nor the clergy. Even the church itself has suffered, since it is generally believed that the current shortage of priests is largely due to this unscriptural law.

So now you know why the Catholic Church adopted the practice of Celibacy, it has nothing to do with the first century Christianity that Jesus established, it is rather, proof of the churches’ departure from TRUE Christianity as was taught by Jesus Christ.

True Christians today do not practice Celibacy because the scriptures do not demand it, here are a few scriptures that true Christians take into account—

1 Cor. 9:5, NAB: “Do we not have the right to marry a believing woman like the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” (“Cephas” is an Aramaic name given to Peter; see John 1:42. See also Mark 1:29-31, where reference is made to the mother-in-law of Simon, or Peter so the apostle Peter was married.

1 Tim. 3:2, Dy: “It behoveth, therefore, a bishop to be . . . the husband of one wife [“married only once,” NAB].”

1 Tim. 4:1-3, JB: “The Spirit has explicitly said that during the last times there will be some (Catholic church) who will desert the faith and choose to listen to deceitful spirits and doctrines that come from the devils; . . . they will say marriage is forbidden.”

Interestingly-- Before the Christian era, Buddhism required its priests and monks to be celibate. (History of Sacerdotal Celibacy in the Christian Church, London, 1932, fourth ed., revised, Henry C. Lea, p. 6) Even earlier, the higher orders of the Babylonian priesthood were required to practice celibacy, according to The Two Babylons by A. Hislop.—(New York, 1943), p. 219.

So the church has adopted a PAGAN practice, can you imagine the Creator being happy with that?

2: WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN MEANING OF SEXUALITY?

Not sure what you mean,but God institued marriage between a man & a woman, he gave them procreative powers to "fill the earth", marraige is a sacred thing in God's eyes, he hates divorce & only gives ONE ground for divorce, that of adultery.If you need more on this point let me know ok.

I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best
Brenda