June 10, 2012 – Catechism 1572 – 1580

In these few paragraphs we cover two very controversial topics.  Latin rite priest are not to be married and only men can be priest, deacons, and bishops.  For all the controversy and hub-bub regarding these two, the explanations are really simple and only a couple a paragraphs are spent on them.  Christ chose only male apostles and the apostles only chose men as their successors.  The Catholic Church does not feel it has the authority to change what God instilled, so it does not give females the opportunity to be ordained. 

As far as priest being married, the explanation deals with a choice and commitment to a vocation, a way of life, and to be 100% committed to a life of serving God.  The Latin rite feels that this commitment cannot be made by a married man because their vocation is to their wife and family.  I know that many, if not all, non-Catholic Christian pastors and (as it says in the Catechism) the Eastern Church have married priest. It is something that every ordained priest understands going into the priesthood that they will be celibate.  I don’t really feel that the celibacy of priest has anything to do with the sexual abuse crisis.  There are pedophiles throughout all walks of life.  The sexual abuse crisis stems for bad formation and the covering up when information was known.  I don’t think for a second that the priest shortage will be fixed by allowing married priest no more than the attendance would increased if we said you don’t have to believe in the real presence.  We won’t increase our numbers by changing our beliefs and teachings.  If the last 40 years shows us anything, the more we water down our teaching the more we will lose people to non-denominational churches because our teachings become interchangeable and we become non-denominational.