Thesis on Celibacy
Mendicant Friar Pio Alphonsus
Often times, the noble idea of clerical celibacy is called into question. Those who subscribe to deviant and erroneous ideas of sex and its purpose tend to congregate on the side that calls for the scandalizing of the clergy. Naturally, these hopes are with the poorest of intentions; driving only to smear the purity of holy men and holy women. And with great fervor the opposition to celibacy take it upon themselves to live lives of grave sin and scandal. However, Holy Mother Church, who is without scandal and without grave errors, protected with a certain level of infallibility, shan’t be smeared with impurity.
When discussing the idea and discipline of celibacy, it is critical to understand the practical, as well as the theological reason behind such a difficult sacrifice.
In the World but not Of the World
For good reason, the clergy are called to be always Heavenward bound and to be natural representatives of holiness and virtue. For this reason, they should refrain from acts that could lead one into temptation and lead one into error. While the world debauches itself, it is the priest, and the Bishop called ultimately to correct and admonish. The Church here below constitutes the seed and the beginning of this kingdom. And as she continues to grow slowly but surely, she longs for the perfect kingdom and ardently desires with all her energy to unite herself with her King in glory. The pilgrim People of God are on a journey through the vicissitudes of this life toward their heavenly homeland.
Called to show the Glory of the Kingdom
Indeed, if we are to share in the glory and pleasure of the love of God in Heaven, why would we have any need to be married or engage in obscenity? Why would we have any reason to love anyone save GOD? Why would we have any effort left to muster after we give GOD our all and everything? For this reason, we are called to show the glory and fortitude of the Kingdom by sacrificing our sexuality.
The Pastoral Efficacy
The consecration to Creator under an additional and lofty title like celibacy evidently gives to the priest, even in the practical field, the maximum efficiency and the best disposition of mind, mentally and emotionally, for the continuous exercise of a perfect charity. This charity will permit him to spend himself wholly for the welfare of all, in a fuller and more concrete way. It also obviously guarantees him a greater freedom and flexibility in the pastoral ministry, in his active and living presence in the world, to which the Creator has sent him so that he may pay fully to all the children of God the debt due to them.
A true knowledge of the real difficulties of celibacy is very useful, even necessary, for the priest, so that he may be fully aware of what his celibacy requires in order to be genuine and beneficial. But with equal fidelity to the truth, these difficulties must not be given greater value or weight than they actually have in the human or religious sphere, or be declared impossible of solution.
To be clear, celibacy as a virtue is a calling, a vocation that ought to be discerned. And while not the sole calling, and not the only calling for those to accept, it must be maintained so as to not compromise the integrity of Holy Mother Church. To extol the virtues of chastity, clergy ought to maintain their own celibacy.