Joshua Bennett
The Catholic Church has long required clerical celibacy, with the exception of the Eastern Catholic Churches, which permit married men to be ordained as priests. Bishops are chosen from the ranks of celibate clergy, though there have been some exceptions to this rule. Historically, the early Christian church had no rule against clergy marrying and having children, and the first written mandate requiring priests to be chaste came in AD 304. The Latin Church now admits married men of mature age to ordination as deacons, and some German and Austrian bishops have expressed support for allowing married priests in the Roman Catholic Church.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholic Bishops Marriage | All Catholic Bishops are required to be celibate. |
| St. Paul's View | St. Paul did not require Bishops to be married, but he also did not deny it. He emphasized the importance of being free from anxieties and having undivided devotion to God. |
| History of Clerical Marriage | In the 7th to 10th centuries, the Latin clergy often married and had families, despite official decrees against it. The 11th century saw a shift with the Gregorian Reform, enforcing clerical celibacy in the Latin Church. |
| Eastern Catholic Churches | Unlike the Latin Church, Eastern Catholic Churches do not require clerical celibacy and allow the ordination of married men. |
| Exceptions | There are exceptions to the rule, such as the conversion of married Anglican priests to Catholicism and ordination in the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches. |
| Shortage of Priests | The shortage of Roman Catholic priests has raised discussions about allowing priests to marry or ordaining married men. |
| Reform and Opinions | Some German and Austrian Catholic bishops have started reform groups and expressed support for allowing married priests in the Catholic Church. |
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What You'll Learn
Bishops are chosen from the ranks of celibate clergy
The Catholic Church does not allow clerical marriage, although some Eastern Catholic Churches do ordain married men as priests. Bishops are chosen from the ranks of celibate clergy. The Latin Catholic Church requires clerical celibacy for the priesthood, and this has been the case since the Gregorian Reform in the 11th century.
The early Christian church had no rule against clergy marrying and having children. Peter, a Galilee fisherman, whom the Catholic Church considers the first Pope, was married. Some Popes were the sons of Popes. The first written mandate requiring priests to be chaste came in AD 304, when Canon 33 of the Council of Elvira stated that "bishops, presbyters, and deacons and all other clerics" were to "abstain completely from their wives and not to have children."
In the 7th century and up to the end of the 10th century, the law of celibacy was not widely observed in the Western Church. Most rural priests were married, and many urban clergy and bishops had wives and children. However, the Second Lateran Council of 1139 declared priestly marriage invalid throughout the entire Catholic Church, and the Latin Church has generally followed this discipline of clerical celibacy since.
In recent times, some bishops have relaxed the rule and allowed exceptions, particularly in the case of married non-Catholic clergymen who convert to Catholicism and seek to serve as priests. The Holy See may grant dispensations from the usual rule of celibacy in these cases. Additionally, the Latin Church now admits married men of mature age to ordination as deacons, following recommendations made at the Second Vatican Council.
Some German and Austrian Catholic bishops have advocated for allowing married priests in the Roman Catholic Church, and the Amazonassynode in Rome voted in favor of married priests in Latin America in 2019. However, Pope Francis rejected the proposal.
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The early Christian church had no rule against clergy marrying
The Catholic Church has a long history of debate and discussion around the topic of clerical marriage and celibacy. While the current stance of the Catholic Church is that bishops must be celibate, this has not always been the case.
In the seventh century and until the end of the tenth century, the law of celibacy was not strictly observed in a large part of the Western Church. During this period, many priests and bishops in the Latin Church lived with their wives and raised families. The tenth century is considered the peak of clerical marriage in the Latin communion, with most rural priests being married and many urban clergy and bishops having wives and children.
The practice of clerical marriage began to change in the eleventh century with the Gregorian Reform, which influenced the Latin Catholic Church to adopt clerical celibacy as a rule. However, this discipline did not extend to the Eastern Catholic Churches, which continue to permit married men to be ordained as priests, with the exception of the Ethiopian Catholic Church.
Even within the Latin Catholic Church, there have been exceptions to the rule of celibacy. For example, Anglican ministers who were already married when they joined the Catholic Church are allowed to remain married if they choose to join the priesthood. Additionally, in recent times, some bishops have allowed widowed priests to remarry by laicizing them before their subsequent marriage and then allowing them to apply for re-ordination.
The issue of clerical marriage and celibacy remains a topic of discussion and debate within the Catholic Church, with some advocating for a return to allowing married priests, especially in light of the acute shortage of Roman Catholic priests worldwide.
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St. Paul's scripture on bishops and marriage
St. Paul's teachings on marriage represent a significant contribution to the standard works. In his instructions to Timothy, Paul wrote: "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach" (1 Timothy 3:2). Similar counsel was given to Titus (see Titus 1:6). This scripture passage is not about setting requirements for bishops. If that were the case, St. Paul himself could never have been a bishop. Instead, it is about limiting the number of marriages for candidates for bishop to be considered.
Paul's teachings on marriage indicate his conviction regarding the importance of marriage in God's eternal plan. "Marriage is honourable in all," (Hebrews 13:4) Paul wrote, and "neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 11:11). Paul also taught that being single for the Lord aids a bishop in his vocation, as he has more time to focus on his relationship with God and his service to the Church. He wrote, "I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided" (1 Corinthians 7:32-34).
Paul addressed "the widowers and widows," stating, "it is good for them to remain even as I am" (1 Corinthians 7:8). He also instructed those who were married to avoid divorce, stating that marriage was a commandment from the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 7:10). He even extended this counsel to marriages in which only one partner was a member, hoping that the member spouse might bring the gospel into their home and sanctify their spouse and children (see 1 Corinthians 7:14; see also 1 Peter 3:1–2).
Paul's teachings on marriage are rooted in his understanding of the relationship between Christ and the Church. He described marriage as a "great mystery" (Ephesians 5:31–32) and a sacred covenant connected with a temple ordinance. He summed up his teaching with the words: "let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband" (Ephesians 5:33).
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The Vatican's protection of clergy who broke vows of celibacy
In February 2019, the Vatican acknowledged that the Church's celibacy policy had not always been enforced and that, in the past, it had secretly protected Catholic clergy who broke their vows of celibacy. This included instances of Catholic clergy who had fathered children.
One example of the Vatican's protection of clergy who broke their vows of celibacy is the case of former Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala. Despite fathering two children, Zavala did not resign from his post until these revelations were made public. Another example is the case of Francis Mary Stone, a former EWTN priest who maintained his clerical status after violating his vow of celibacy and fathering a child with an employee. Stone was initially only suspended from public ministry and was later acquitted of sexually abusing his son. As of 2018, he was still only suspended from his religious order and had not been removed.
In the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, a priest maintained his clerical status after impregnating and "marrying" a 17-year-old girl by forging the signature of another priest on a marriage certificate. Similarly, in 2012, Kevin Lee, a priest in Australia, revealed that he had maintained his clerical status after secretly marrying for a year, with the knowledge of church leaders.
Historically, the Latin clergy often flouted the law of celibacy, with priests marrying and raising families. This was particularly prevalent in the tenth century, which is considered the high point of clerical marriage in the Latin communion. Most rural priests were married, and many urban clergy and bishops had wives and children. However, at the Second Lateran Council of 1139, the Roman Church declared that Holy Orders were a diriment canonical impediment to marriage.
While the Latin Catholic Church generally requires clerical celibacy, there have been exceptions. For example, in the case of married non-Catholic clergymen who convert to Catholicism and seek to serve as priests, the Holy See may grant dispensations from the rule of celibacy. Additionally, in recent times, some bishops have allowed widowed priests to remarry by first laicizing them and then allowing them to apply for re-ordination.
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![Sanctity of Conjugal Relations. Reasons for Signing the Clerical Petition against the Remarriage of Converts Bill / by K.M. Banerjea 1865 [Leather Bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617DLHXyzlL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The Latin Catholic Church's occasional relaxation of the discipline
The Latin Catholic Church has occasionally relaxed the discipline of celibacy in special cases, such as the conversion of a married non-Catholic clergyman who becomes Catholic and seeks to serve as a priest. The Holy See may grant dispensations from the usual rule of celibacy to allow such men to be ordained. This relaxation of discipline is not considered an unchangeable dogma but a disciplinary rule.
The Latin Catholic Church's discipline of clerical celibacy has been a topic of debate for several reasons. Firstly, many believe that celibacy was not required of the apostles. Peter, the first pope, was married, and 1 Corinthians 9:5 is commonly interpreted as saying that years later, Peter and other apostles were accompanied by their wives. In addition, the mother-in-law of Peter is mentioned in the Bible in Matthew 8:14, Mark 1:29-34, and Luke 4:38-41. This suggests that Peter had been married at some point.
Another reason for the debate is the interpretation of certain Bible passages. For example, 1 Timothy 3:2 says, "an overseer (Greek ἐπίσκοπος) must be... the husband of one wife." This has been interpreted in various ways, including that an overseer was not allowed to remarry even if his wife died. However, other interpretations argue that this passage means a bishop must not have unruly or undisciplined children and must not be married more than once, rather than requiring marriage.
Historically, there have been periods when the discipline of celibacy was relaxed or not strictly observed. For example, during the seventh to the tenth centuries, the law of celibacy was little observed in a large part of the Western Church. Most rural priests were married, and many urban clergy and bishops had wives and children. However, the Latin Catholic Church has generally followed the discipline of clerical celibacy, and exceptions are made only in specific cases.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Catholic bishops used to get married. In the 7th century, the law of celibacy was rarely observed in the Western Church. In the 10th century, most rural priests were married, and many urban clergy and bishops had wives and children.
The Catholic Church teaches that it has been entrusted with the authority to interpret and apply Scripture. The Church decided to interpret Scripture to mean that bishops should be celibate, although there is no dispute among theologians that some of the apostles were married or had been married.
There is a shortage of Catholic priests worldwide, so some argue that the Church should allow priests to marry. Some German and Austrian bishops have supported exceptions from clerical celibacy for priests.
Some argue that celibacy is an important part of the priesthood, showing a priest's commitment to God. Garry Wills suggested that the ban on marriage was adopted to lift the status of priests at a time when their authority was being challenged.
