Bronze-level articleCelibacy

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[[Category:Religion]]
 
[[Category:Religion]]

Revision as of 14:28, 27 June 2012

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Celibacy is the ascetic practice of forswearing all forms of sexual contact, often as part of a religious tradition. (It should not be confused with asexuality, which is simply an absence of interest in sexual contact.) Celibacy of some sort is featured in many major religions, including Hinduism and the Roman Catholic Church. Celibacy is only a semi-permanent choice for Buddhist monks (see Celibacy in Buddhism). Unlike abstinence, which is largely a secular practice and a major component of conservative sexual education, celibacy is considered to be permanent, in general, and a vow of celibacy precludes an individual from marriage. In most monastic orders of the Roman Catholic Church, lifelong celibacy is a compulsory feature of priesthood. Protestants are generally relaxed about people, including priests, ministers, pastors whatever marrying and having sex afterwards, the Shakers were an exception and required even married couples who converted to stop doing errr with each other.

Contents

Religious requirements

The requirement of celibacy is what makes some Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox priests, monks, and nuns frustrated. If they keep their vow of celibacy they are not allowed to do anything with a partner, or even to themselves, ever.

The Bible speaks positively of singleness — Matthew 19:12 (assuming eunuch in this verse is meant figuratively rather than literally[1]), 1 Corinthians 7:7-8. The Catholic Church formalised this call into compulsory celibacy for the clergy, and celibate orders of monks and nuns. Protestants have not accepted the requirement of celibacy, but many still view singleness as something to which certain people are called by God. Liberals tend to view celibacy and extended singleness, as unhealthy, and missing out on an important part of life — although it may be the natural choice for some people with unusually low sexual appetites (asexuality). The Bible however sees singleness as a call, not just for those with little sexual drive, but also for some who have to fight against their sexual inclinations in order to fulfill this call — some think this is the "thorn in the flesh" Paul alludes to in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

The Roman Catholic Church normally requires celibacy from priests, although it makes an exception for converts from Anglicanism and for the priests of the Eastern Catholic Churches. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, married men are permitted to be ordained as priests, but a single priest is not permitted to marry. In both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, bishops must be unmarried — most commonly celibates who have never married, although the Eastern Orthodox church permits the consecration of widowers as bishops. The Catholic Church makes a distinction between laws which it believes are of divine origin (such as the prohibition of the ordination of women), and those which thus it does not believe it has the power to alter, and laws which it believes are of purely human origin (such as the requirement for priestly celibacy). From the Catholic viewpoint, although the Church presently prohibits the ordination of married men, it is free to begin doing so at any time, if the proper authorities (such as the Pope) believe that would be in the best interests of the Church. Heretonow, however, the church hierarchy has concluded that the maintenance of priestly celibacy in general continues to be in the best interests of the Church as a whole, even as they have permitted exemptions from it in particular circumstnaces. The shortage of Roman Catholic priests is so severe that priests are not available to give the last rites to the dying. [2] For believers these rites are important because they comfort dying people and their relatives, removing the requirement for celibacy would help ease the shortage. If the RC’s were a democratic institution they would listen to the large numbers wanting change. The RC church is undemocratic and change is unlikely. [3]

Critics of religious celibacy allege that it is a cause of sexual disorders, including paedophilia; they see it as contributing to the many child sexual abuse scandals which have afflicted the Catholic church in recent years.

Can't resist temptation

A celibate: Pope Innocent X. Velasquez 1650

Not all priests, monks and nuns have the will power to stay celibate. Some engage in what would be considered healthy relations with consenting adults. If caught, they are typically defrocked. Others, sadly, interfere with the healthy emotional development of children they have access to. Strangely enough, when caught, these perpetrators of a terrible crime tend to keep their jobs. And their bosses who played a part in the cover up get sinecures at the Vatican as a reward.[4]

Not just religious

A number of people in the public eye have declared themselves celibate without any apparent religious cause. Morrissey, former lead singer with The Smiths, declared himself celibate in 1983 [5] and Stephen Fry was celibate before coming out as gay.[6]

See also

External links

Neither are copyrighted.

Footnotes

  1. Where the King James translation reads "and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake", the New International Version says "and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven".
  2. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35100913/ns/health-behavior/t/priest-shortage-leaves-faithful-alone-sickbeds/
  3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14907326
  4. Cardinal Bernard Francis Law of the Boston Archdiocese, specifically.
  5. No Sex Please, I'm Morrissey, Observer, December, 1992
  6. Stephen Fry: A restless soul, The Independent, 20 September 2004
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