medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
For Benedictines, the vows are: http://www.theramp.net/stbede/vows.htm
Note the vow of chastity, which is not quite the same as celibacy, although
for an unmarried person it amounts to the same thing. But chastity (or
celibacy) per se is not one of the vows; rather it is encompassed within one
of the others.
MG
>From: Rod McCaslin <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious
> culture <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [M-R] Adultery v Fornication
>Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2005 07:30:09 -0800
>
>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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>
>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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