Freeing Celibacy.Freeing Celibacy celibacy (sĕl`ĭbəsē), voluntary refusal to enter the married state, with abstinence from sexual activity. It is one of the typically Christian forms of asceticism. Donald Cozzens, Ph.D. The Liturgical Press St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500 0814631606 $15.95 www.litpress.org 1-800-858-5450 Priest, lecturer, and award-winning author Donald Cozzens presents Freeing Celibacy, a serious-minded look at the practice of mandatory celibacy for Latin rite Latin rite:
The Latin Rite is one of the 23 sui iuris Catholic priests This is an annotated list of men primarily known for their work as Catholic priests. Catholic priests who are mostly known for their non-priestly work should be placed on other lists. that has been the norm for 900 years. Though Freeing Celibacy extols the gifts of the spirit that voluntary celibacy can bring, Cozzens surveys the history of married priests in centuries past, clergy sexual abuse scandals and the rapidly declining number of priests today, and concludes that it is time to set celibacy free from canonical The standard or authoritative method. The term comes from "canon," which is the law or rules of the church. See canonical name and canonical synthesis. canonical - (Historically, "according to religious law") 1. tr.v. or·dained, or·dain·ing, or·dains 1. a. To invest with ministerial or priestly authority; confer holy orders on. b. To authorize as a rabbi. 2. ministers. A thoughtful and deeply spiritual treatise, expressing sincere concern for the future of Catholicism itself. "Just as it is possible for a slave to know more true inner freedom than his master, it is possible for a priest to thrive spiritually and personally in the condition of mandated celibacy. But this does not justify the institution of celibacy any more than a personally liberated slave justifies the institution of slavery." |
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