Michael Brooks
The topic of clerical marriage has been a subject of debate within the Catholic Church, with varying practices in different parts of the world. In general, the Catholic Church, including the Latin Catholic Church, upholds clerical celibacy for the priesthood, requiring priests to remain unmarried or celibate. However, there are exceptions and variations within the Eastern Catholic Churches, where married men have been ordained as priests, particularly in Eastern Europe. The practice of clerical marriage was introduced in the West by followers of Martin Luther, but it has not been widely adopted in all regions. The question of married priests in the Catholic Church remains a complex and evolving issue, with some exceptions granted by the Pope and a declining number of priests in active ministry.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholic Church's stance on priests marrying | The Catholic Church does not allow clerical marriage. |
| Catholic priests who can marry | Some Catholic priests can marry, usually those who are widowed or from other faiths. |
| Catholic priests who can't marry | Catholic priests cannot marry after ordination. |
| Exceptions | The Latin Catholic Church occasionally relaxes the rule in special cases, such as the conversion of a married Anglican priest who wishes to be ordained as a Catholic priest. |
| Eastern Catholic Churches | Eastern Catholic Churches allow the ordination of married men as priests. |
| Latin Catholic Church | The Latin Catholic Church requires clerical celibacy for the priesthood. |
| Orthodox Churches | Orthodox Churches do not allow clerical marriage, but some allow married men to be ordained. |
| Number of married Catholic priests in the U.S. | There are perhaps 120 married Catholic priests in the U.S. |
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What You'll Learn
Catholic priests were allowed to marry until the 12th century
The Catholic Church has a long and complex history when it comes to the question of clerical marriage. While the current stance of the Catholic Church, particularly the Latin Rite, is that priests must remain celibate and unmarried, this has not always been the case.
In the early Christian era, it is believed that some married men became priests and were expected to live in complete continence, abstaining from sexual relations with their wives. However, as not all priests refrained from sexual relations, the Western Church eventually limited ordination to unmarried men, requiring them to commit to lifelong celibacy.
In the 4th century, the Synod of Elvira and the Council of Carthage decreed that marriage was prohibited for bishops, priests, and deacons, and that they should abstain from sexual relations with their wives. However, these decrees were not universally accepted or enforced, and there is evidence that some priests in Anglo-Saxon England were allowed to marry until the Norman invasion of 1066.
The Norman ban on clerical marriage was further reinforced in the 12th century, with the First Lateran Council in 1123 declaring priestly marriages "null and void" and imposing strict penalties on those who violated this rule. This was followed by the Gregorian Reform in the late 11th century, which solidified the requirement for clerical celibacy in the Latin Catholic Church.
Despite these prohibitions, there have been exceptions and variations within the Catholic Church. The Eastern Catholic Churches, including the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Maronite Church of Lebanon, have traditionally allowed the ordination of married men as priests, as long as the marriage takes place before ordination. Additionally, in rare cases, married Anglican priests who convert to Catholicism have been allowed to continue their ministry and become ordained as Catholic priests.
In modern times, there have been ongoing discussions and debates within the Catholic Church regarding the possibility of allowing married priests, especially in light of the acute shortage of priests worldwide. While some scholars and clergy have advocated for change, citing the lack of theological foundation for celibacy, others remain committed to the traditional practice.
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The Latin Catholic Church requires priest celibacy
The Latin Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, has required priest celibacy since the Gregorian Reform in the 11th century. However, this rule is not set in stone, and there have been exceptions over the years.
The requirement of celibacy is not a doctrine, but an ecclesiastical law, meaning that it can be changed at any time by the Pope. The Pope has, in fact, granted exceptions to this rule in certain cases, such as when a married Protestant clergyman converts to Catholicism and wishes to serve as a priest. For example, in 2002, a former Episcopal priest, Father Paul Sullins, was ordained in the Catholic Church after converting four years prior.
The Latin Catholic Church's discipline of clerical celibacy means that only unmarried or widowed men are accepted as candidates for ordination. This tradition has been in place since the early Middle Ages, and it is believed that the obligation to be celibate stems from the obligation to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Latin Catholic Church's stance on priest celibacy is different from that of the Eastern Catholic Churches, which generally allow the ordination of married men as priests. This difference is one of the major distinctions between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.
While the Latin Catholic Church upholds priest celibacy as a rule, there have been instances where clergy have violated their vows. In some cases, they have been allowed to retain their clerical status, even after secretly marrying and having children.
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Some Eastern Catholic Churches allow married priests
The Catholic Church does not allow clerical marriage. However, many of the Eastern Catholic Churches do allow the ordination of married men as priests. The Latin Catholic Church, on the other hand, requires clerical celibacy for the priesthood. This rule has been in place since the Gregorian Reform in the 11th century.
Eastern Catholic Churches have always allowed the ordination of married men as priests and deacons. For example, within the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the second-largest Eastern Catholic Church, priests' children often became priests and married within their social group. This established a tightly-knit hereditary caste.
The Eastern Catholic Churches require their married clergy to abstain from sexual relations only for a limited period before celebrating the Eucharist. This is in contrast to the Western Church, which requires unmarried men to commit to lifelong celibacy.
The Eastern Catholic Churches' allowance of married priests is due to a difference in how they understand the role of a priest. In the East, the priest is seen as a minister of the Holy Mysteries and is considered a part of the world alongside his parishioners. In the West, the priest's role is more fused with that of a monk, and they are seen as "outside of the world".
The Vatican has occasionally relaxed the discipline of clerical celibacy in special cases, such as the conversion of a married Anglican priest who wishes to be ordained as a Catholic priest.
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The Catholic Church does not allow clerical marriage
The Catholic Church has a long history of not allowing clerical marriage, with the Latin Catholic Church requiring clerical celibacy for the priesthood since the Gregorian Reform in the 11th century. While the Eastern Catholic Churches allow the ordination of married men as priests, they do not permit marriage after ordination. The Latin phrase "viri probati" refers to proven men of exemplary faith, who are usually married, but they are not allowed to become priests.
The Catholic Church's position on clerical marriage has been a subject of debate and controversy. Some Catholic scholars have argued that in early Christian practice, married men who became priests were expected to refrain permanently from sexual relations with their wives. However, others claim that there is no clear evidence of a general tradition or practice of priestly celibacy before the fourth century. The earliest textual evidence of the prohibition of marriage for clerics is found in the decrees of the Synod of Elvira in the fourth century and the later Council of Carthage in 390.
The requirement of celibacy for the priesthood is not considered dogma but rather an ecclesiastical law that can be changed at any time by the Pope. However, both Pope Benedict XVI and his predecessors have indicated that the traditional practice is unlikely to change. There have been exceptions granted by the Pope, especially in cases of married Protestant clergy converting to Catholicism. In recent times, there have been reports of Catholic clergy violating their vows of celibacy and even secretly marrying, yet retaining their clerical status.
The issue of clerical marriage has been a point of disagreement during the Protestant Reformation, with Reformers arguing that the requirement of celibacy was contrary to Biblical teaching and implied a degradation of marriage. The practice of clerical marriage was initiated in the West by followers of Martin Luther, who himself married Katharina von Bora, a former nun, in 1525. In the modern era, the Catholic Church continues to grapple with a shortage of priests, and there have been suggestions by Pope Francis and others to consider ordaining married men, especially in remote areas with a lack of priests.
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Ordaining married men could alleviate priest shortages
The Catholic Church has a long-standing tradition of priestly celibacy. In the Catholic Church, only unmarried men are ordained into the priesthood in the Latin Church, one of 24 autonomous rites of the Catholic Church. The requirement of celibacy is not considered dogma but an ecclesiastical law that was adopted in the Middle Ages. The Eastern Catholic Churches, however, have allowed the ordination of married men as priests for centuries. In 2014, Pope Francis lifted a 114-year-old ban on married Eastern Catholic priests serving outside their rite's home country, allowing them to serve in the United States.
While the Catholic Church has a general rule prohibiting the ordination of married men, there are some exceptions. The Pastoral Provision of Saint John Paul II, established in the early 1980s, allows married Anglican priests who convert to Catholicism to be ordained. Additionally, each diocese is allowed up to two active married priests. As of 2017, there were an estimated 120 married Catholic priests in the United States.
The issue of priestly celibacy has gained attention due to the declining number of Catholic priests worldwide. In 2021, the Vatican reported a decrease of 2,347 priests globally, resulting in an average of 3,373 Catholics for every priest. The priest shortage is particularly acute in Latin America, with Brazil, having the world's largest Catholic population, facing a ratio of over 10,000 Catholics per priest.
Some have suggested that ordaining married men could help alleviate the priest shortage. Pope Francis has expressed openness to this idea, particularly for remote areas facing a scarcity of priests. However, he has ruled out optional celibacy for ordained men, emphasizing that it is not a solution. Instead, he suggested that deacons, who can be married, could oversee parishes in the absence of priests.
While the ordination of married men may increase the number of candidates for the priesthood, it is not without potential challenges. Some argue that allowing priests to marry could create a conflict between their duties to the Church and their family responsibilities. Additionally, it may not be a cure-all for the priest shortage, as the number of men seriously considering the priesthood while also wishing to marry may not be significant. Nevertheless, the discussion around priestly celibacy and the potential ordination of married men continues, with several German Catholic bishops expressing support for exceptions to clerical celibacy.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Catholics are allowed to marry. Marriage in the Catholic Church is known as holy matrimony and is considered a sacrament.
Catholic priests are not allowed to marry after ordination. This rule was established in the 11th century, but there is evidence that some apostles were married.
Yes, there are some exceptions. The Latin Catholic Church occasionally relaxes the rule in special cases, such as the conversion of a married Anglican priest who wishes to be ordained as a Catholic priest.
Eastern Catholic Churches allow married men to become priests, but they cannot marry after ordination.
A 2015 survey found that 63% of Catholics in nine Central and Eastern European countries believed priests should be allowed to marry. Support was highest in Latvia (73%) and lowest in Bosnia (31%).
