Celibacy; a precious gift.

Celibacy in the Latin rite continues to be under attack. which is the reason why Pope John Paul II wrote in his Maundy Thursday letter to priests of 1995 that "the vocation to celibacy needs to be consciously protected." That's the purpose of the following article.

Pope John Paul II stated in his 1994 Letter on the Millennium that "the best preparation for the new millennium" is a renewed commitment to the teachings of Vatican II (#20). With this in mind, it is appropriate to explore how badly the Council has been served on the subject of celibacy by some of its purported defenders. A Canadian case in point is In the Eye of the Catholic Storm, a 1992 book co-authored by Bishop Remi De Roo of Victoria, BC, Douglas Roche, and Mary Jo Leddy.

Bishop De Roo on married priests

In Chapter One of the Catholic Storm Bishop De Roo refers to what, in his view, is one of the "major new doctrinal insights of Vatican II that today remain at risk"--the possibility of a married priesthood. In support he cites article 16 of the Vatican II document on the Priesthood (Presbyterorum ordinis). He states that "for the first time in history we linked priesthood and marriage by recognizing and commending the Eastern married clergy."

The Council, he says, thus opened up a "major question," asserting that the different practices of Eastern and Latin rites are seriously inconsistent, perhaps even unjust ("...not just a logical inconsistency; it's more serious than that," pp. 18-19). He goes on to complain that "serious reconsideration is resisted," even though the subject of mandatory celibacy "causes friction and conflict." That resistance, the other two authors assert, is a reflection of the present "crisis" (Roche, p. 19), caused by the "heavy hand of the Vatican," which is part of "the Church's reaction against Vatican II" (Leddy, p. 17).

In other words, according to these writers, the Vatican opposes the implementation of an important Vatican document, thereby thwarting the will of the 2000 Council Fathers who supported it. They express indignation that the road to the future laid out by the Second Vatican Council is being obstructed by "the Vatican."

The Council on Celibacy

The above opinions directly contradict what Pope John Paul II is teaching. His writings clearly show him to be a tireless defender of Vatican II. The reason for the discrepancy in The Catholic Storm is that Bishop De Roo distorts the Council's message by quoting selectively, omitting what he doesn't want to hear.

The very part of the document to which Bishop De Roo refers also explains that priestly celibacy is recommended by Christ and highly esteemed by the church; that it has been "freely accepted and laudably observed by many Christians down through the centuries as well as in our own time," even though it is "not demanded of the priesthood by its nature."

The Council does recognize the presence of "many excellent married priests" in the Eastern Churches; and the Fathers disavow any intention of changing the Eastern discipline, and, indeed, they exhort married Eastern priests "to persevere in their holy vocation." But at the same time the document acknowledges that Eastern Rite bishops are chosen only from among the celibate clergy, indicating, therefore, that these rites also highly esteem celibacy.

The Council Fathers then go on to explain how priestly celibacy is related to "the mystery of Christ and his mission" and why, having at first been recommended to priests, it "was afterwards in the Latin Church imposed by law on all who were to be promoted to Holy Orders." They then declare:

"This sacred Council approves and confirms this legislation so far as it concerns those destined for the priesthood, and feels confident in the Spirit that the gift of celibacy...is liberally granted by the Father...."

The passage concludes by asking the faithful to cherish and pray for "this precious gift of priestly celibacy." In short, far from somehow disowning celibacy, the Council Fathers praised it, making it clear that the tradition must be maintained. The same favourable view of celibacy may be found in other Council documents. For example, in Perfectae caritatis, the Council warns vowed religious against "false doctrines which allege that perfect continence is inimical to human development." The celibate state, they add, is "beneficial to their whole personality" (#12).

So beneficial is it, in fact, that the Council elsewhere repeats its description of priestly celibacy as a "precious gift of God," and, in comparing it to the dignity of marriage, recognizes "the greater excellence of virginity consecrated to Christ" (Optatam totius #10).

Finally, while admitting the propriety of ordaining mature married men as deacons if the Holy Father approved, the Council insists that "the law of celibacy must remain in force" for single men ordained to the diaconate (Lumen gentium, #29).

The attitude and teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the discipline of celibacy are thus almost exactly the opposite of what the authors of In the Eye of the Catholic Storm would have one believe.