Much has been written in articles, books and doctoral theses on the curious requirement for celibacy for Roman Catholic priests. Ive seen several well-done documentaries seeking to show where the ban began, the impact its had and how some clergy have skirted the demanding rules that forces them to, in essence, set aside a part of their own being.
Yes, excellent priests have followed the rules and done what they can to suppress their sexual drives and have remained chaste. Most can articulately state the case why it must be that way, why chastity is a gift and how it better permits them to serve Christ and the church. And how chastity is far more than sexual forbearance. They say chastity is no burden and that it manifests a deeper expression of their sexuality. And we are not to pity them for not having someone to hold in their warm arms at night.
The catechism teaches that chastity is the spiritual power which frees love from selfishness and aggression. Thats pretty heavy. Ive yet to hear a convincingly case of why God gave humans powerful sexual drives and structures, and then determines certain folks are better off shutting down that part of their physiology. Especially a church that so celebrates life and multiplying. Theres every reason to believe the priest shortage of the early 21st century could be sharply reduced, or eliminated, if the ban were dropped and celibacy and singlehood were options.
A British professor, Conrad Leyser, asserts that, from his research into Catholic history, the godly calling of chastity stems from the hierarchy quest to protect church property from moving into the hands of wives or offspring and to reign in careerist clerics.
Celibacy was created as a mechanism to help carve up church wealth between lay people and priests during a period of upheaval, he said. Leyser believes the rule was a way of stopping priests from siphoning off church resources to their wives and children and really went, hand in hand, with a new view of what the clergy should be.
The rule imposed by the
Vatican in 1137, he said, can be traced to the complicated life and trial of Pope Formosus corpse in 837 during what was called the Cadaver Synod. The popes body was exhumed after his death the year before and put on trial. His body was brought to the court for the bizarre trial. The verdict: Formosus had been unworthy to be the pope and his papal vestments were torn from his decayed body. He had illegally left his post to seek promotion to the papacy, Leyser explained.
Leyser said the case of celibacy was underscored in the following decade when Pope John X was rumored to be having a love affair with Theodora, the most powerful noblewoman in the city of Rome.
These historical events give a strong case to those arguing for abandoning the vow of celibacy as a way to reverse declining numbers of priests, he said. If the church is to find a way of reversing this decline then arguing that celibacy is God-given holds no water By imposing celibacy, the church it could show communities they could trust this newly professional clergy and that priests were not in it for their own gain.
During his 18-month research, supported by a foundation and a research council, Leyser determined that the traditional view argues that celibacy gradually gained ground over the 1,000 years following the letters of St. Paul, which are often taken as the first major Christian statement on sexual abstinence. He points to scholars findings that Pauls main message was the end of the world was coming, dont try to change your sexual status because its not important and there isnt time.
Leyser believes the view that the celibacy of the clergy was an inevitable development doesnt stand up to scrutiny. There were calls for clerical celibacy from the 380s onward, but these never added up to a coherent campaign.
It was only after the controversies of the 10th century that attitudes fundamentally changed, the British professor argued.
