Priestly Celibacy
What makes a Catholic? Do most Catholics really know what they believe and why? I find the doctrine of papal infallibility disturbing. Does that make me not a Catholic?
Maybe I'm lacking in faith. After all, if I truly believe in God, why have I got such a problem believing that he would keep the Pope, his earthly representative, free from preaching error and heresy to his faithful? Perhaps my issue with papal infallibility is a weakness in my own faith. Don't I believe that God has the power and the will to keep his Church from corruption and from false teachings? Maybe I just don't have enough faith.
On the other hand, is it truly a lack on my part if I don't have faith in an institution which has abused the faith of its congregation over and over again? I'm not just talking about the terribly frequent occurences of molestation of young boys at the hands of their parish priests, but of the even bigger travesty performed by the bishops who ignored the parents' concerns, ignored the children's complaints, and just shifted abusive priests from one parish to another. What a terrible tragedy, to ignore the problem, refuse to discipline or treat the priest for his pathology, and to send him to another unsuspecting parish, where he would be free to molest another set of innocent victims. It is truly disgusting, and it could not have been more fallibly mishandled.
Priestly celibacy was one of the issues to be addressed at Vatican II. Unfortunately, when John XXIII died and Paul VI took over, the issue was shelved. In 1967, he released Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, and that was the end of the discussion. "Priestly celibacy has been guarded by the Church for centuries as a brilliant jewel, and retains its value undiminished even in our time when the outlook of men and the state of the world have undergone such profound changes." Some jewel. The problem of priestly ephebophiles is older than the jewel of celibacy.
And celibate priesthood, which so many Catholics seem to think is a necessary part of their faith, is not as old as they think. The apostles, after all, were married. Priestly celibacy has long been a tradition of the Church, but it wasn't until the year 1078 that Gregory VII made it mandatory in church law. And, according to Fr. Thomas Doyle, who has studied this topic in church literature throughout history, it seems that there have always been sexually abusive priests. In the year 177 (Should I use C.E. to be inclusive, or A.D. since I'm talking about the Church??) abusive priests were excommunicated and called "foes of Christianity." In 1179, offenders were sent to monasteries. In 1568, Pope Pius V sentenced offending priests to secular courts for punishment. The Code of Canon Law condemned priests who exploit minors, who abuse power, and who solicit sexual favours while hearing confession. This is obviously not a new phenomenon.
In 1971, the Vatican commissioned a psychiatrist, Conrad Baars, to study the crisis in the priesthood. He recommended a re-examination of priestly celibacy. Their elevated status distanced them from society; their oath of celibacy distanced them from their own desires. They were psychosexually immature, lonely, depressed, neurotic, and prone to alcoholism.
The Church's current solution seems to be to condemn homosexuality, including condemning gay priests. (This is a documentary from 360 Vision) But statistics show that homosexual men are not any more likely to be pedophiles than heterosexual men. It is true that abusive priests seem to prefer to abuse boys rather than girls, but that is more likely to be linked with their own repressed and thwarted sexuality, and not with a healthy homosexual orientation.
Anyway, in the face of all this, how can any rational person seriously believe that the Pope is infallible? Priestly celibacy is a jewel? How fallible has that statement turned out to be? There is a problem in the church. We need to reexamine this oath of celibacy. Perhaps we also need to reexamine the hierarchical structure of the Church, which led to such a terrible coverup of something so blatantly wrong. Perhaps we need to pay more than lip service to Vatican II's dictum that the laity need to take more involvement in the Church. Something is wrong with the Church, and I believe that much good could be accomplished by removing the old patriarchal system, the laws of enforced celibacy, and by allowing women to act in all ministries. We need a renovation.
Or does that make me not a Catholic?
Maybe I'm lacking in faith. After all, if I truly believe in God, why have I got such a problem believing that he would keep the Pope, his earthly representative, free from preaching error and heresy to his faithful? Perhaps my issue with papal infallibility is a weakness in my own faith. Don't I believe that God has the power and the will to keep his Church from corruption and from false teachings? Maybe I just don't have enough faith.
On the other hand, is it truly a lack on my part if I don't have faith in an institution which has abused the faith of its congregation over and over again? I'm not just talking about the terribly frequent occurences of molestation of young boys at the hands of their parish priests, but of the even bigger travesty performed by the bishops who ignored the parents' concerns, ignored the children's complaints, and just shifted abusive priests from one parish to another. What a terrible tragedy, to ignore the problem, refuse to discipline or treat the priest for his pathology, and to send him to another unsuspecting parish, where he would be free to molest another set of innocent victims. It is truly disgusting, and it could not have been more fallibly mishandled.
Priestly celibacy was one of the issues to be addressed at Vatican II. Unfortunately, when John XXIII died and Paul VI took over, the issue was shelved. In 1967, he released Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, and that was the end of the discussion. "Priestly celibacy has been guarded by the Church for centuries as a brilliant jewel, and retains its value undiminished even in our time when the outlook of men and the state of the world have undergone such profound changes." Some jewel. The problem of priestly ephebophiles is older than the jewel of celibacy.
And celibate priesthood, which so many Catholics seem to think is a necessary part of their faith, is not as old as they think. The apostles, after all, were married. Priestly celibacy has long been a tradition of the Church, but it wasn't until the year 1078 that Gregory VII made it mandatory in church law. And, according to Fr. Thomas Doyle, who has studied this topic in church literature throughout history, it seems that there have always been sexually abusive priests. In the year 177 (Should I use C.E. to be inclusive, or A.D. since I'm talking about the Church??) abusive priests were excommunicated and called "foes of Christianity." In 1179, offenders were sent to monasteries. In 1568, Pope Pius V sentenced offending priests to secular courts for punishment. The Code of Canon Law condemned priests who exploit minors, who abuse power, and who solicit sexual favours while hearing confession. This is obviously not a new phenomenon.
In 1971, the Vatican commissioned a psychiatrist, Conrad Baars, to study the crisis in the priesthood. He recommended a re-examination of priestly celibacy. Their elevated status distanced them from society; their oath of celibacy distanced them from their own desires. They were psychosexually immature, lonely, depressed, neurotic, and prone to alcoholism.
The Church's current solution seems to be to condemn homosexuality, including condemning gay priests. (This is a documentary from 360 Vision) But statistics show that homosexual men are not any more likely to be pedophiles than heterosexual men. It is true that abusive priests seem to prefer to abuse boys rather than girls, but that is more likely to be linked with their own repressed and thwarted sexuality, and not with a healthy homosexual orientation.
Anyway, in the face of all this, how can any rational person seriously believe that the Pope is infallible? Priestly celibacy is a jewel? How fallible has that statement turned out to be? There is a problem in the church. We need to reexamine this oath of celibacy. Perhaps we also need to reexamine the hierarchical structure of the Church, which led to such a terrible coverup of something so blatantly wrong. Perhaps we need to pay more than lip service to Vatican II's dictum that the laity need to take more involvement in the Church. Something is wrong with the Church, and I believe that much good could be accomplished by removing the old patriarchal system, the laws of enforced celibacy, and by allowing women to act in all ministries. We need a renovation.
Or does that make me not a Catholic?
posted by Catholic of Conscience at
3:11 p.m.
2 Comments:
Well if that makes you 'not a Catholic' then can I join your club? I have many of the same questions and reservations.
The church is not perfect, that is sure and it is acknowledged in the catechism. But, by not addressing its shortcomings, the pope and bishops are guilty of mismanagement of this great gift that God gave the world.
And at the same time, even given its imperfections and the bishops' mismanagement, the church is a holy, sacred and resilient entity that brings joy and hope to bazillions of people.
So I keep going, with hope in the church, faith in God, and my VOTF membership card.... things will get better if we keep working at it. That's the faith and hope that keeps the church going.
By
Steve Bogner, at 8:04 a.m., May 07, 2005
Ever since I heard about VOTF, I have felt that I am not alone in the way I feel about the Church. Unfortunately, the only Canadian chapter isn't in my province. But it is cheering to know that they exist. And I am much better able to participate in my church, now that I know it doesn't mean blindly accepting everything the hierarchy tells me. It is extremely encouraging to find other thinking, examining, questioning Catholics online.
By
Catholic of Conscience, at 11:10 a.m., May 09, 2005
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