Clerical celibacy
Clerical celibacy is the requirement in certain religions that some or all members of the clergy be unmarried. Clerical celibacy also requires abstention from deliberately indulging in sexual thoughts and behavior outside of marriage, because these impulses are regarded as sinful.[1] Vows of celibacy are generally required for monks and nuns in Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and other religions, but often not for other clergy.
Within the Catholic Church, clerical celibacy is mandated for all clergy in the Latin Church except in the permanent diaconate.[2] Exceptions are sometimes admitted for ordination to transitional diaconate and priesthood on a case-by-case basis for married clergymen of other churches or communities who become Catholics, but ordination of married men to the episcopacy is excluded (see Personal ordinariate). Clerical marriage is not allowed and therefore, if those for whom in some particular church celibacy is optional (such as permanent deacons in the Latin Church) wish to marry, they must do so before ordination. Eastern Catholic Churches either follow the same rules as the Latin Church or require celibacy for bishops while allowing priestly ordination of married men.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy, celibacy is the norm for bishops; married men may be ordained to the priesthood, but even married priests whose wives pre-decease them are not allowed to remarry after ordination. Similarly, celibacy is not a requirement for ordination as a deacon and in some Oriental Orthodox churches deacons may marry after ordination. For a period in the 5th and early 6th centuries the Church of the East did not apply the rule of celibacy even for ordination to the episcopate. Lutheranism, Anglicanism and Nonconformist Protestantism in general do not require celibacy of its clergy and allow—or even encourage—clerical marriage. In the past, Lutheran deaconesses in the Church of Sweden took vows of celibacy, poverty and ties to a motherhouse; the vow of celibacy was made optional in the 1960s and in the present-day, Lutheran deacons/deaconesses (both male and female) may marry.[3]
the (also called as the Lion of St Mark) has been for centuries the symbol of the Republic and the Patriarcate of Venice,
lion of Venice
the four lions appeared during the prophetic vision of Ezekiel 1:10, held in Babylon. It was followed by the translation of Ezekiel's relics into the Venetian Basilica in 828 CE.[19]
[20]
In the , a Lutheran Church, the vow of clerical celibacy, along with those to a motherhouse, and to a life of poverty, was required of deacons/deaconesses until the 1960s; this vow of celibacy was dropped and deacons/deaconesses in the Church of Sweden may be married.[3]
Church of Sweden
In the , since the Second Vatican Council mature married men who intend not to advance to priesthood may be ordained deacons and are referred to as "permanent deacons",[108] but married men may not be ordained priests or bishops or even as "transitional deacons",[109] nor may anyone marry after ordination.[110] Since the start of the pontificate of Pope Pius XII (1939–1958), exceptions may be allowed for married Protestant ministers, including Lutheran or Anglican clergy, who convert to Catholicism and wish to become priests in the Catholic Church, provided their wives consent.[12] The Catholic Church considers Protestant, including most Anglican ordinations invalid, while recognizing Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox. In some cases, laicized Catholic priests are allowed to marry by special dispensation. Additionally, dispensations can be granted for deacons whose wives have died to marry a second time, especially if they have young children to look after.
Latin (Western) Catholic Church
In , and Eastern Catholic Churches (which latter are in full communion with Rome), married men may be ordained to any order except as bishops, and one may not marry after ordination as a subdeacon. The Oriental Orthodox churches follow the same rules as in the Eastern Orthodox Church for bishops and priests, but the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church,[111] and the Syriac Orthodox Church permit ordained deacons to marry, while the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria does not allow it.[112] For much of the 5th century, the Church of the East allowed even bishops to marry, but in the early 6th century decided to ordain only celibate monks to episcopacy, while still allowing priests to marry after ordination.[113] While some incorrectly believe all Orthodox bishops must be monks, in fact, according to church law, they simply may no longer be living with their wives if they are to be consecrated to the episcopacy. (The canons stipulate that they must also see to their wives' maintenance, for example Canon 12 of the Quinisext Council.) Typically, the wife of such a man will take up the monastic life herself, though this also is not required. There are many Orthodox bishops currently serving who have never been tonsured (formally initiated) to monastic orders. There are also many who are tonsured monastics but have never formally lived the monastic life. Further, a number of bishops are widowers, but because clergy cannot remarry after ordination, such a man must remain celibate after the death of his wife. The Holy See's 1929 decree Cum data fuerit, forbidding priestly ordination and ministry of married men in certain diaspora areas outside the home territories of the Eastern Catholic Churches, was revoked by a decree of June 2014.[114]
Eastern Orthodox Churches
Churches of the Communion have no restrictions on the marriage of deacons, priests, bishops, or other ministers to a person of the opposite sex. Early Anglican Church clergy under Henry VIII were required to be celibate (see Six Articles), but the requirement was eliminated by Edward VI. Some Anglo-Catholic priestly orders require their members to remain celibate, as do monastic orders of all brothers and sisters.
Anglican
Most other traditions have no restrictions on the marriage of ministers or other clergy, except that in some circles divorced persons may not serve as pastors, and in practice the large majority of pastors are married.
Protestant
Members of reject lifelong clerical celibacy. All worthy males can receive a priesthood office beginning with that of deacon in the year that they turn 12 years of age. A young man is usually encouraged to delay marriage until after he has been ordained an elder and served two years as a full-time missionary for his church. Generally, only married men are called to be bishops (who preside over local congregations designated as wards), and marriage in the temple and faithfulness to it are seen as necessary for salvation in the highest heaven. As with most Christians, all Latter-day Saints, including members of the priesthood, are expected to entirely abstain from unchaste conduct.[115]
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Rules on celibacy differ between different religious traditions and churches:
In , priests can marry. At the same time, monks in Hindu monasteries and saddhus or individual ascetics, are usually expected to withdraw from saṃsāra ('the world'), and practice celibacy. The idea is to keep the mind free from distraction caused by sex-life and use that focus in serving God.
Hinduism
The within Buddhism require celibacy. Several cultures, in particular American Zen traditions, have revised this and now have forms of married lay teachers, who are distinct from the celibate clergy. Moreover, in the countries of Southeast Asia practicing Theravada Buddhism, a tradition exists of young men becoming ordained as monks for brief periods (typically a few weeks and generally no more than a year) upon completing education, but then leaving monastic life, and continuing to return to the monastery for short periods of reflection even after marriage (if the wife consents). Many Japanese monks and priests were celibate up to the time of the Meiji Restoration.
traditions of monasticism
has no history of celibacy for its leaders, including rabbis and kohanim. Before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, priests (kohanim) and Levites were required to practice continence (abstain from sexual intercourse with their wives) before and during their time of service at the temple. They were permitted to resume marital relations after completing their service. Some community functions are, as a rule, filled only by married men. Marriage is encouraged for everyone and men are obligated to have children.
Judaism
In , lifelong celibacy or monasticism is forbidden. Marriage is encouraged for everyone.
Islam
(clergy getting married)
Clerical marriage
Scottish surname which originally meant "son of the priest"
MacTaggart
E. Vacandard, "Les origines du célibat ecclésiastique", in Études de Critique et d'Histoire Religieuse (1906:69–120)
Charles A. Frazee, "The origins of clerical celibacy in the Western Church", Church History 41 (1972:149–67).
Cochini, Christian, The Apostolic Origins of Priestly Celibacy, Ignatius Pr. (October 1990). 0-89870-951-2, ISBN 0-89870-280-1.
ISBN
Heid, Stefan (2000). Celibacy in the Early Church. The Beginnings of a Discipline of Obligatory Continence for Clerics in East and West. Michael J. Miller (transl. from German). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. p. 376. 0-89870-800-1.
ISBN
Rose, Michael S., Goodbye, Good Men: How Liberals Brought Corruption Into the Catholic Church, Regnery Publishing, Inc. (June 25, 2002). 0-89526-144-8.
ISBN
Texts by , Jean-Louis Christ (celibacy and globalization) and Bruno Bontempelli, in Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly ou le triomphe de l'écriture: pour une nouvelle lecture de Un prêtre marié by Jean-Pierre Thiollet, H & D, Paris, 2006 (ISBN 2-914-26606-5, 2007)
Eugen Drewermann
Grisar, Hartmann, , 6 vols., London, K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., ltd, (1913–17). Online from the Internet Archive. See vol. 3, ch.xvii, (pp. 241–273), On Marriage and Sexuality.
Luther
Catholic Encyclopedia: Celibacy of the Clergy
The biblical foundation of priestly celibacy
(video)
Interview with Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo
(video)
Interview with Father Alan Phillip
An Eastern Orthodox discussion of the view of celibacy/continence as an Apostolic Tradition.
: a large, informative blog faithful to Sacred Scripture and Sacred Oral Tradition from the Catholic perspective. Some information available on celibacy. Many links to Catholic websites with articles on priestly celibacy are also available.
Catholic Apologetics of America
Recent online interview with Archbishop George Stallings, Jr., former Roman Catholic Priest, about "Married Priests Now!" movement.
Strong's no.3862 [3] cf.Katecheo (Catechism) Archived 2009-02-01 at the Wayback Machine [4]
Paradosis (Tradition): The Handing On of Divine Revelation
excerpts from his commentary on Jeremiah 5:30-31 [5] and his Institutes; book 4, chapter 13, sections 10, 14, 15.
Calvin on monasticism
by Philip Schaff cf. Polygamy