Should Catholic clergy be allowed to marry?

[Zarn]

Don't know if this ever came up before on CFC...

Possible Pros:

-Some people may turn away from priesthood, because they want to get married. So they may become priests, if they had the option.

-It reduces inappropriate conduct

Possible Cons:

Clergy are suppose to devout themselves to God and giving time to a spouse or family would take time of devoution away from God.

Edit: I'm undecided. I am actually hoping you guys could shed some light.

An outsider's perspective is what I'm want.

 

[Ramius75]

Its natural for a man to be with a woman and breed children, so im all for it. Go bishop go !!

 

[Atlas14]

Im not Catholic, but I do not see why they should not be able to marry.

 

[Stegyre]

(a) I think marriage is an inherently good thing and should not be forbidden; but
(b) It is not my place to tell Catholicism what rules the faith should or should not dictate. (I always find it annoyingly condescending when others try to tell me what my faith should or should not do.)

 

[Shadylookin]

They already can be. a priest and a woman over 18 that's not realated to him or mentally handicaped can go to a court house get a marriage license and then get married. As for catholic dogma that's up for the catholics to decide, though I see no reason to be against it

 

[bigmeat]

i think they should, orthodox clergymen do it and so do protestants, and they seem fine with it

 

[amadeus]

Yes, religious rules are a bunch of nonsense.

 

[Perfection]

Well, as I see it, one of the big roles of Church organisation is advise on how to handle life situations, how can a priest help if he's missing out as big of a thing as these relationships that people find so important?

 

[WillJ]

Yes, they should.

I'd especially like to see a gay priest marriage.

 

[GenMarshall]

As a 1/3rd Catholic (I did not recived the rest of the childhood sacrements). I beleve that the clergy should be alowed to marry. It should reduce the amount of child molestations that I have heard in the media in the past years.

 

[Ohwell]

How would it reduce child molestation?

If some schmuck is a pedophile, he's going to **** little boys whether he's married or not.

 

[Perfection]

How would it reduce child molestation?

If some schmuck is a pedophile, he's going to **** little boys whether he's married or not.

That's correct, but you miss the fact that clergy may come that have stable manogamous relations (which tend not to be child molesters) instead of folks prone to child molestation, of course, the child molesters will go somewhere else, but maybe it won't be a place as prone to abuse as the church.

 

[Knowze Gungk]

They should never be allowed to marry, that's just sinful & sick. They'll have to make do with hookers, nuns & chiorboys.

 

[Stapel]

In the Netherlands, catholic priest can simply go to the cityhall with their boyfriend or girlfriend and get married.
Whether their local division of the Roman Catholic Church would aprove this and/or cooperate with the religious ceremenial thingies around it, couldn't bother me less.

 

[Longasc]

The thing is, for 1.000 of years by now, clerics failed to live without sex. They had their secretaries, nuns...

The 2nd thing to notice is that St. Peter was strongly biased against Mary, and it is often supposed that she and Jesus were a couple. This might have lead to discrimination of women - on a sidenote.


I think clerics should not marry. This would probably reduce the number of clerics to 5%, but a cleric should live a life of devotion to god and others. Also denial gives strength, if you give in to every desire, you are weak.

If you do not want this - simply do not become a priest.

The same applies to contraception: Simply stop *******, then you will not get children or contraception at all. Leave it with a kiss.

I must admit, I always use condoms and give in to my desires. But a little bit more discipline is really needed in a society that uses everything to fulfill its desires.

So I say: No married priests, no contraception and hands stay over the desk!

 

[classical_hero]

It is in fact unbiblical to force people to unmarried. In fact whenever you passages in the Bible out pastor, then they will always mention the fact that they should be a man of one wife. This also rules out women being pastors. Talking a killing two issues with one stone.
For you reference, here are the passages that I am refering to.

Titus1: 4-9 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. 5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
1 Timothy 3:1-7 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 2 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
1 Timothy 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

 

[The Last Conformist]

I don't see the point in a celibate priesthood - it's not like priests, these days, are going to leave their churches to their sons instead of letting the church appoint their susccessors, or anything like that - but it's an issue for Catholics to decide.

 

[E-Raser]

Yes, religious rules are a bunch of nonsense.

For you and me and Curt may be...

But to say this in the meaning of this thread is the same as to claim that it is nonsense to obey the traffic rules for a busdriver, isn't it?

The very early church didn't know about zoelibat and so I'd say back to the roots.
Although in fact I couldn't care less.
But I'd prefer to forbid them childmolester instead
!

 

[E-Raser]

... but it's an issue for Catholics to decide.

Unfortunately the church isn't democratic- to decide is not up to the catholics and never was - just an overaged, dry pope with silly hats says what's right and wrong.

..an issue for catholics is to knee down and worship his 'holyness'...

 

[The Last Conformist]

If rank'n'file Catholics chose to belong to a non-democratic organization is their own problem. Whether Catholic priests should be allowed to marry is nonetheless up to the Catholics, or more specifically their decision-making bodies.