Thursday, September 12, 2019

Some Important Vatican Notes on Celibacy


Some quotes on celibacy from “The Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests” (59-60)

"The example is Christ, who in going against what could be considered the dominant culture of His time, freely chose to live celibacy.  In following him the disciples left “everything” to fulfill the mission entrusted to them."

"For this reason the Church, from apostolic times, has wished to conserve the gift of perpetual continence [no sex] of the clergy and choose the candidates for Holy Orders from among the celibate faithful."

"In today’s cultural climate, often conditioned by a vision of man lacking in values and incapable of giving a complete, positive and liberating sense to human sexuality, the question of the value and meaning of priestly celibacy is often presented, or at least the question of its strict rapport with ministerial priesthood."

"Difficulties and objections have always accompanied, throughout history, the decision by the Latin Church to confer ministerial priesthood only on those men who have received from God the gift of chastity in celibacy." 

"The difficulties which some present even today are often founded on pretentious arguments."

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