Expert: Charlie B - 5/29/2009

Question
Is it immoral or sinful to be sacramentally married in the Roman Catholic Church? This question might sound stupid as a Catholic. This childlike question leads me to ask; if marriage is  good, why then does marriage become  an impediment for young men who honestly desire or in fact called to serve as priests in the Roman catholic and are also called to be married? Why marriage which is good is become a forbidden act for priest? Why marriage (a holy act) should disqualifies married Catholics from becoming priests? This doesn't make sense to me. I am sorry to say that despite the level of academic exposures, many Catholic leaders are still blind. I carefully red the bible and neither Christ nor his disciples forbade marriage even though catholic leaders are building theological walls around their support for celibacy. It is shocking that leaders of the Catholic Church who claim to be advocate of fundamental human right actually deny their priests their fundamental right to make free decisions to married or not to marry. Do you honestly think that celibacy should be enforced? How would you feel if you got terminated from your job because you got married?

Answer
Jude,
Thanks for your question.  "Do I honestly think celibacy should be enforced?"   Yes, without a shadow of doubt.

You said, "I am sorry to say that despite the level of academic exposures, many Catholic leaders are still blind."  I disagree.  Nearly 2,000 years of Church history and a billion Catholics later, the Church's eyes are wide-open.

Who compiled the Bible in its current form?  The early Catholic Church did -- read more about the early Church fathers at http://www.ccel.org/fathers.html -- it's clear to me that you don't understand how the Bible was formed.

Here's references for you to read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church relative to celibacy:  http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm#2349
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p4.htm#915
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c3a6.htm#1579

I challenge you to listen to some excellent audio programs about these topics available to you at http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.com/store/refer/1528 and for less than $3, you might download Stephen Ray's "Finding the Fullness of the Faith" to begin.  The fact that you're asking this question is a sign and indicator of hope, that you're searching for truth.  Keep it up!
God bless,
Charlie