An effective means of conformity to Christ

To many, priestly celibacy seems outdated. While the Church would seem to be in the midst of a “vocations crisis” and fewer people seem to be putting themselves forward for the priesthood, shouldn’t priests be allowed to marry?

The short answer to questions such as these is a resounding “no”.

First, the theology. Priests do not marry because they are called to an exclusive love of Christ, the Bridegroom. In a series of profound reflections, the late Pope John Paul II saw in the priestly vocation to celibacy a means to witness to the eternal life “where there is no marriage”. Living a celibate life enables the priest to conform himself in a radical way to Christ. The fact that there is debate on this issue suggests even to the most passive observer that celibacy causes people to think. And that was part of Christ’s intention when he talked about “eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom” (Matthew 19,12). The celibate priest (as also the celibate sister, or consecrated layman or woman), by his very way of life, points to something that is not of this world, to heaven, to eternal communion with God and each other.

Secondly, the practice. Everyone knows that the Christian life is a challenge, in all its forms. After all, Christ came “to bring fire to the earth” (Luke 12,49), encouraging us to follow him no matter what it takes. Faithfully married couples, long-suffering single people, enclosed nuns, consecrated laypeople, are all presented with “the Cross”, day by day. Christ said that things would always be like that. And one way of “carrying the Cross” is to remain celibate.

But the Cross is the source of joy! That is at the heart of any renunciation done out of love. The vast majority of celibate Catholic priests are happy as they are. This implies that celibacy brings with it much spiritual fruitfulness, a knowledge that the total dedication of oneself to Christ “for the sake of the kingdom” is a source of life in the Church, and always will be. At the root of love is not sex, as much of the modern media would have it. If that were the case, then indeed sex, being essential for love, would not just be encouraged, but made mandatory for the Catholic priesthood. But love’s greatest asset is self-giving. The ability to look to the needs of others – which of course is the call to Christians everywhere – takes on a specific shape in the celibate way of life.