May 5, 2002

Sex Scandals Threaten Mandatory Celibacy For Priests

Roman Catholicism is struggling with revolt in the ranks over pedophile priests. Serenity likely will not return until major changes are adopted.

Pope John Paul the Second summoned American cardinals to Rome to fix a system of leadership that has gone astray. The cardinals returned with determination to weed out deviant priests -- but with no clear guidelines.

The present scandal has been fomenting for 17 years. Catholic “progressives” have pushed for structural changes ever since the “National Catholic Reporter” railed against Boston’s Father Shanley for supporting the Man-Boy Love Association.

The practice of celibacy for priests and nuns now is receiving careful scrutiny.

Controversy has swirled two thousand years over celibacy (the state of being unmarried) versus “chastity” (the avoidance of sexual activity outside marriage).

Some theologians suppose Jesus was celibate and therefore a model for leaders of the church he founded. Others believe Jesus, as a rabbi, was married. The fact is, there is no evidence to support either view.

Peter, the “rock” on which Christianity was based, had a wife. Paul, the “messenger” who preached Christianity to non-Jews, declared his celibacy. Nevertheless, he encouraged marriage. See First Corinthians 7.

Celibacy of religious leaders goes back to various ancient Greek philosophies – Stoics, Gnostics, Manichaeists, virgin oracles of Delphi. It should not be a surprise that the practice was adopted over time by early Christians.

Nevertheless, mandatory celibacy as required by the Latin Church evolved through the centuries.

The Catholic Council of Carthage in 401 A.D. was the first to take a position on celibacy -- according to my college textbook “An Introduction to Medieval Europe” by James W. Thompson and Edgar N. Johnson.

This council “suggested” priests separate from their wives and live as celibates. Yet, Pope Honorius in 420 praised wives who supported their priest-husbands. Pope Adrian the Second in 867 had a wife. Several popes had mistresses.

Pope Innocent the Second – at the Second Lateran Council in 1139 – pronounced all clerical marriages invalid and the children of such marriages illegitimate. The dictate remains in force today. Pope John Paul the Second has declared the subject of priestly celibacy “not open to discussion.”

Tom Fox, publisher/editor for many years of the “National Catholic Reporter,” presses for a two-part “reform” of the Latin Church:

* Decentralizing Vatican authority and returning power to national conferences of bishops and local churches.

* Changing sexual teaching of the Church to conform to current practices.

“Progressives” want the Church to end celibacy, ordain women priests, accept premarital sex as natural, and permit divorce and remarriage.

Jesus in Matthew 19:12 recognizes several states of celibacy. Some people are born without sex drive. Some are forced to live alone. Some have adopted it for “heaven’s sake.”

Jesus concludes: “He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.”

In other words, celibacy is OK if done for the right reason. It follows that such a decision must be entirely voluntary.

Chastity is another possible state of religious service – no sex for a limited purpose for a limited time. Widowers and widows – having produced a family -- could devote the rest of their lives to the priesthood without regret or natural urges.

Protestants opened the door to lady preachers decades ago – to the great benefit of Christianity. Married ministers are expected – two shepherds of the flock for one salary. Woman-to-woman is just as important as man-to-man in guiding others harried by the vicissitudes of life.

As a Protestant, the despair of several ministers, I cannot properly judge doctrinal positions by Pope John Paul or Editor Fox. However, human nature being what it is, I doubt that much will change right away -- perhaps a little something with the next pope.

All religions need to be updated from time to time. Protestants got theirs with Martin Luther in 1517 and again in the Great Awakening of the early 1800s.

The world is moving toward U.S.-style representative democracy that can be changed when a great need becomes obvious. Infallible decisions from the top are dictatorial. Sooner or later, Catholic authority also will be shared down the line.

PARTING SHOTS

Thousands of French citizens marched to protest the presidential run-off with Jean-Marie LePen who makes anti-Semitic remarks. In France you don’t insult Jews. You send them to Israel.

The 20th anniversary of Take Your Daughter To Work Day was deemed a success. Mommy still makes coffee for the boss.

By Lindsey Wilger Williams, retired newspaper publisher and syndicated columnist