medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Bill East writes:
"May I point out that this is a myth. A priest does
not take a vow of celibacy."
Isn't there a distinction between religious priests
and secular priests? My understanding is that the
religous do take a vow of chastity while secular
priests face the "impediment" you describe?
Is this wrong?
Cheers,
RK McCaslin
--- Bill East <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval
> religion and culture
>
>
> It would certainly explain why an unmarried parish
> priest was accused of
> adultery - he was breaking his vow of celibacy.
>
> Respondeo:
>
> May I point out that this is a myth. A priest does
> not take a vow of celibacy. Let me repeat it: a
> priest does not, repeat not, take a vow of celibacy.
> The priestly life is necessarily celibate, as the
> clerical state constitutes a diriment impediment to
> marriage. As canon 1087 puts it, 'Those who are in
> sacred orders invalidly attempt marriage.' (Invalide
> matrimonium attentant, qui in sacris ordinibus sunt
> constituti.) It is this canon, and not any vow,
> which prevents priests (and indeed deacons and
> bishops) from getting married.
>
> An unmarried priest would be accused of adultery
> if he had sexual relations with a married woman. If
> she were unmarried, he would be accused of
> fornication. There is no canon which says that if an
> unmarried priest has relations with an unmarried
> woman, either is committing adultery.
>
> Note that although the canon utterly prohibits a
> cleric from getting married, there is no canon which
> forbids a bishop from ordaining a married man - a
> quite different thing. Permission is in fact
> sometimes given to a bishop to ordain a married man.
> Such permission is readily given in the case of
> deacons: hence the developing 'permanent diaconate';
> more rarely in the case of priests. One of my
> treasured possessions is a copy of a letter from the
> then Cardinal Ratzinger to my bishop, telling him
> that Pope John Paul II had authorised him (my
> bishop) to ordain me. The rest is history.
>
> Bill.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
Rod McCaslin
Teacher,World and European History, Centennial High School
Ellicott City, Maryland
Graduate Student UMBC
Historian, St. Andrews Society of Baltimore
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