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Should Catholic Priests Marry?

Should Catholic Priests Marry?

Recently a Catholic priest in Trinidad told his congregation in Trinidad that he thought that the Priest in the Church should be married. Of course this made the local Archbishop uneasy and I believe there might have been some sort of 'discipline' involved for him uttering such 'doctrine' in the Parish. What do you think? Can a man serve God and maintain a family at the same time?

Marry Priests Catholic Should

O.k JB@Trinidad I took the bait ! hehe. I love my faith, what can I say?
Whether priests should marry has always been on my mind. I used to think that if Christian pastors can marry and serve God at the same time, then why not?
However I've listened and watched my priest and the way he has to manage the parish and extend himself to other parishes. He'd just about have a nervous breakdown if he had his own family to take care of. I'm sure you would agree with me that you have to give of your time to take care of the needs of your family and it takes a lot of heart and dedication.
In my opinion I think its difficult to decide which comes first. Your family or your parish. Should you give equally to both? How is that accomplished when there are all night vigils, pilgrimmages/conferences in other countries, marches, meetings, when weekends are spent mostly with your parishoners and not your family.
If God is a priest's first priority then where does that leave the priest's wife........maybe with a rolling pin hanging over  his head !

Should Catholic Priests Marry? Catholicism Studies

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However I've listened and watched my priest and the way he has to manage the parish and extend himself to other parishes. He'd just about have a nervous breakdown if he had his own family to take care of. I'm sure you would agree with me that you have to give of your time to take care of the needs of your family and it takes a lot of heart and dedication. In my opinion I think its difficult to decide which comes first. Your family or your parish.

I don't want to enter into a religious debate but...we know that God said to men to multiply and replenish the earth. He gave that commandment to ALL men and women, not only some. So the catholic  priests are not obeying that commandment in my opinion. What comes first the Church or the family? of the course the family!. You cannot serve properly tto God if your family doesn't have food on the table or they're not well with you. Whoever think that 'God will take care of that' is a dreamer. Is not for the families to be adapted to the way catholic priest handles meetings but it's up to them to change policies so if they ever decide that priest can get married then the family will be a great support for the priest rather than a burden.

Marry Priests Catholic Should

God did say to go and multiply and thats what many people are doing but its not everyone's vocation. I may be sinlge for the rest of my life, without any children. I may not have wanted to embrace the single life but this may be the hand that was dealt. Does it mean that I'm not obeying God's commandment?
Maybe I shouldn't put the word 'parish' as one of the choices. The choice exists between service of God and/or service of family. In the Catholic Church we do not believe that it can be done. We or at least I think that God comes first, not the family.
I understand what you are saying but its difficult to balance one's time and devote yourself equally to both.
And no, of course one's family is not a burden and is meant to provide support but if you look at it this way...we the people, are the priests' family.
The Catholic Church gives all the priests a small stipend every month. They use that to clothe and feed themselves. They don't earn a living in the traditional sense.
But I do acknowledge the loneliness that is felt among priests and nuns, to have a companion to share everything with.

Marry Priests Catholic Should

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God did say to go and multiply and thats what many people are doing but its not everyone's vocation. I may be sinlge for the rest of my life, without any children. I may not have wanted to embrace the single life but this may be the hand that was dealt. Does it mean that I'm not obeying God's commandment?

If a person want to get married in this life and they don't find a good companion to marry then is NOT their fault and God understands that. BUT if a person have that opportunity in life and they rejected it because of selfishness or because they didn't think it was that important then that's breaking the Law of God. Regards to the Priests, I do believe they're not fulfilling with God's commandment since there is no part in the Bible that God ask for people to stay single even for those who serve God 24 hs a day (examples: The apostles were married, example: Peter). God's commandments are for everyone, there are not exceptions to that rule.

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I understand what you are saying but its difficult to balance one's time and devote yourself equally to both.

Most religions do, why they cannot?. Some Church requires even more meetings and services than the Catholic Church and the Pastors still having wives and serving God at the same time.
My husband is a Priest in our Church, he has lots of meetings and activities but that doesn't stop him from having a family and working....I strongly feel God is please with those who serve Him and at the same time have their own family. Life in loneliness is not good, God himself says so.

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And no, of course one's family is not a burden and is meant to provide support but if you look at it this way...we the people, are the priests' family. The Catholic Church gives all the priests a small stipend every month. They use that to clothe and feed themselves. They don't earn a living in the traditional sense.   But I do acknowledge the loneliness that is felt among priests and nuns, to have a companion to share everything with.

It  sound sweet to think about the congregation as the Priest's family. but nothing can be compared with his own family, wife and children....a person is imcomplete until they found that special someone and have children. If a person cannot find it like I said in the begining is not their fault and God will never hold a blessing back from him/her but I do feel that Catholic Priests and Nuns could serve God so much better, with so much devotion and love if they just experience the kind of love that a husband or a wife can provide. They will do even a greater job!.

Should Catholic Priests Marry?

Jesus' chosen state of life is the role model for Roman Catholic clergy. As He was single so are the current priests. You can read 1 Cor 11:1.   1 Cor 7:32-35.
We don't believe that any of the apostles were ever married. I guess some of our disagreements really depend on our own individual faiths and beliefs. Its a bit sad though, that we can't all believe the same thing. But on the other hand that would make the world a boring place.

Should Catholic Priests Marry

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I guess some of our disagreements really depend on our own individual faiths and beliefs. Its a bit sad though, that we can't all believe the same thing. But on the other hand that would make the world a boring place.

True, and we try to keep contentions between beliefs and opinions out of here. I believe we can share our disagreements without having a fight, and I am glad you are handling the questions in this way.

[offtopic]We need more Alanas around here. Invite your friends.[/offtopic]

Should Catholic Priests Marry Studies Catholicism

Ok i wrote a message beforehand it was better then this one but i accidently reset it and have to write it all over again:(

God created Adam and Eve man and woman to love one another and procreat...

God gave instructions to how this was to be done.  

Some men choose to fornicate these ones are sinning!

Some men get married these are following the commands of God.

And some choose to not have any sexual relations this is being extream.

If Moses and Abraham were prophets and God let them marry then why shouldnt preists? i don't see how preists today are any purer and better then the people who God chose to be prophets...and how can not getting married make them any purer then anyone who is married?

Yes wives and children can be a distraction from the rememberance of God. but thats if we give them more time then we give God, but family can also be good reminders to remind each other about worshiping God and be good influences on one anohter.
If so many ritchious priest men chose to marry and have children then they could teach there children the good religon, preists do teach the religon to the church, but its good if they could have children and pass the knolege to generations to pass...

If man makes things too extream on himself he will eventually loose interest, like for example if a fat person trys to go on a diet but makes it more extream then another persons diet then they might loose interest, the harder the diet dosnt neccisarily mean the better the result.
The same with a persons faith, the harder the religon dosn't mean the better the faith..

Im not going to intending on saying anything bad about anyones religon but i will just point something out: why have some priests been pedophiles? if they had got married maybe this perverted tendancy wouldnt be in there minds, obviously when they chose to not get married there intentions were to stay pure from temptations and lust etc.. but by them giving up something that God has made lawful, satan has mannaged to play on there minds and since they werent married they became weak and did something they didnt intent to do, "being an extreamist defeats the perpose".

How ever there might be some benifits in one ristricting himself from having a wife for a day or too by this i mean "fasting" he can choose a day out of the week where he dedicates himself tottally to God and forgets about worldly temptations like food etc...
this will ovcorse help him to have more patiance and control over his temptaions...but we are all human and God dosnt expect us to give up that which is lawful that is why he made it lawful, we should try and live our lives like the holy prophets, if they were exepted then so will we be.

(The key is modiration).