Pope Francis has made clear that the question of married priests is open for discussion. Priestly celibacy is a discipline rather than a doctrine. It only became compulsory in the Middle Ages, though there is debate as to how common it was before then. There is already a de facto married Catholic priesthood made up of former Anglican priests who have joined the mainstream Church or the Ordinariate. Particularly in Africa, many Catholic priests have “wives” and children, even if these are not publicly acknowledged by the Church.
People often assume that, as a feminist theologian and supporter of women’s ordination, I also support a married priesthood. However, I am more ambivalent about married priests, not because I am a man-hating feminist harpy (though I am amused to find myself described in those terms), but because I am orthodox when it comes to the doctrinal and sacramental mysteries of our faith.
Liberal Catholics tend to be uncritical in their embrace of progress. Women’s ordination becomes conflated with married priests as part of this progressive liberalism, but the concept of progress is itself deeply flawed. It is a myth rooted in modern Western superiority over other historical and cultural traditions. Rather, we must ask how our faith allows eternity to shimmer within the contingencies and complexities of history, and for that we must nurture the sacramental imagination.
When I converted to Catholicism in the 1980s, I was living in Zimbabwe and was attracted by the Catholic justice and peace movement, but justice and peace are not exclusive to the Catholic faith. What is unique is the liturgical and sacramental beauty of the Catholic tradition, rooted in a theology of grace that encourages us to see the shimmer of divine love in every aspect of the material world. The priesthood belongs within this sacramental mystery, and I do not want to see its mystical potency dissolved into bourgeois respectability. Women priests might be the catalyst the Church needs to reawaken our exhausted rituals to the mystery of the incarnation, communicated to us in the graced sacramentality of creation which is focused with particular intensity and presence in the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Married priests would in my view dissipate rather than intensify this mystery. Gone would be the total giving of self in service to Christ and neighbour to which the celibate priesthood at its best witnesses – a witness that, from the perspective of our sex-obsessed culture, is absurd. Gone would be the challenge to see in our ordinary, fallible parish priest a glimmer of the extraordinary miracle of a particular kind of vocation that makes no sense at all from the perspective of secular scepticism.
The ordination of celibate women would be a more coherent and potent symbol of these sacramental mysteries than the ordination of married men, which will inevitably dissolve the last traces of otherness that the Catholic Church represents and absorb us into a secularised and demystified culture. Nor is it true that just because a priest is married he is likely to be more woman-friendly than one who isn’t, or that married men are less likely to abuse children. Sex abuse is common to all sectors of society – it is a problem of power and masculinity, not of celibacy – and some of the worst forms of misogyny flourish in marriage.
Only when women are fully incorporated into the sacramental mystery of the priesthood will we be in a position to ask how the sacramental mystery of marriage might belong within that vocation. To do it the other way round is to diminish these mysteries in the interests of expediency, driven by an unacknowledged imperative to do whatever it takes to avoid the question of women priests.
Tina Beattie is Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Roehampton
Photo: CNS/Reuters
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My husband and i have live together for 15yrs and married for 11yrs and he divorce me 3months ago. I was worried and so confuse because i love him so much and i need him back home, i was really going too depressed and it has affect me so much that i feel my life have come to an end. One day a friend of mine told me about this spell caster called Dr Kala who can help me get my husband back and she told me many people are talking about him all over the internet and she gave me his email (kalalovespell@gmail.com) i contact him and i made all my problems known to him and he told me not to worry that he was going to make my husband to come back to me and in just 48hours i receive a call from my husband and he was appealing that i should come back to the house. I have never in my life believe in spell but now he has just helped me out to be a fulfill woman and i am now so happy. All Thanks to DR KALA and if you also want to have your Husband back to yourself here !! his email again is KALALOVESPELL@GMAIL.COM or you whatsapp him on +2347051705853 i am so happy to testify of your work and kindness.
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"such a step would likely trigger a huge renewal and enlivening"
Just like Vatican II was supposed to, you mean?
The reality is that such a step would be hugely divisive and many, such as myself, would simply reject it outright. There would be schism.
There is perhaps an assumption that the ordination of celibate women priests would produce a mirror image of today's clerical castes. In reality, such a step would likely trigger a huge renewal and enlivening, going far beyond just the women ordained to priesthood, and enabling a new dignity for all.
On the other hand, the regularization of an existing patchwork scenario of married or partnered men in the priesthood would be unlikely to set the world alight. It is unclear that the many who have left the priesthood to marry would be included either.
As to ordination of women in the past, the 2010 call: "900 years of women's diaconate - why not now?" corresponds to the positive consensus of catholic theologians and historians, including those of the Vatican's International Theological Commission, that there was sacramental ordination of of women deacons in the church through many centuries.
We may be running out of time to get it right with women in the church. Karl Rahner SJ wrote of limits to patience (in his 1977 article "Priestertum der Frau?" in Stimmen der Zeit in 1977): "This patience should not be taken advantage of too much, for time is short. We certainly cannot wait around for 100 years without damage to the Church."
This discussion is taking place bracketed by the two Synods on the Family and against a backdrop of ageing priests (frequently looking after two parishes) many of whom feel the loneliness rather than the joy of celibacy.
So for me it has been interesting completing the questions in the Lineamenta (and others from CBCEW, & ACTA) for the forthcoming Synod, because I was surprised by the poverty of my answers about exactly what we are doing - or rather not doing - to promote family life in our parish communities. Not the classic 2+2 family, but the messy three generation step families, that are the norm for our time and culture. History relates that from 1300 the parish became the base unit, either intentionally or unintentionally, so overriding the importance of the family. The reality is that for many years the domestic church has not been a priority. Thankfully the two synods are realigning this bias.
For today what is needed are priests who are competent proven leaders, parents (god willing) and husbands - bus drivers of the family bus (shared with a woman) , not navigators or back seat drivers.
Is our hope for the future, especially families, to ordain celibate women to a group of lonely overworked celibate men? Is that really progress? Ordain married men to the priesthood now.
"it started after some centuries to reject the existing ordination of women"
Existing? The Church has never accepted female ordination (and don't cite the deaconess Phoebe, she wasn't a deacon in the ordained sense)
When will correspondents generally recognize that we have long had priests who are married in some of our Eastern Rites, and that this innovation did not begin with Anglican convert clergy?
There is no wish on my part personally nor of MMaC generally to show misogyny as Cathy suggests. But, one step first. It is within the discipline of the Church to agree on the ordination of married men in a short space of time. The title of the article One man, two vocations emphasises just that. It in no way suggests anything else.
The gifts that women bring to the Church are beyond question. We would be poorer without them. And if we were wise enough to extend opportunity beyond what we presently have, then we would be enriched by the experience.
The author may like to check...
//Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.//
HH John Paul II of blessed memory, ordinatio sacerdotalis.
Fwiw, I don't have any issues with the ordination of married men; the two vocations of the priesthood and consecrated celibacy are complementary but not indistinguishable. I count some lovely married priests - and priests' wives - as friends, Eastern and legit.
"Orthodox theology does not accord ontological significance to sexual difference and could therefore accommodate women priests with no doctrinal change."
Is this true? I find it very difficult to believe. It is certainly the case that the Orthodox place an extremely high value on tradition and there is no way they would accept a female priesthood.
I have with regret a feeling of ambivalence about the position of the
Movement for Married Clergy, and this is not allayed by Chris' reference to a man with two vocations or a wife. I hope there could be an acknowledgment of what Tina is saying, and a conscientious rejection of the culture of misogyny which the church sadly assumed when it started after some centuries to reject the existing ordination of women. In our time, the failure properly to accept women's gifts in the church is a scandal which has consequences beyond religion.
Acceptance of a married priesthood does not demand relinquishing the option for those whose vocation includes accepting celibacy. It does recognise however that one man might have two vocations (see my article in the Tablet July 19th 2014)
Loving and being loved by a wife does not preclude celebrating the Eucharist for the love of the Lord and the care of the people. Let us continue the discussion for the needs of the Church
Secretary Movement for Married Clergy
I find many of the responses thought-provoking and interesting, and I hope people note that I admit to some ambivalence rather than certainty around these issues. Pope Francis has repeatedly reminded us how important a role doubt must play in the life of faith, and I am expressing deep and difficult doubts rather than convictions here. I make the point at the end that the ordination of women would allow us then to ask how the sacrament of marriage might belong within the vocation to the priesthood. I am also of course aware that the Eastern Rite and Orthodox churches have married priests, but thank you to those who have pointed it out. However, I wonder if that doesn't reinforce my point. I deeply respect the mysticism and sacramentality of the Orthodox liturgy, but of all Christian churches, the Orthodox retains the most devastating view of the polluting effects of the female body. I understand that menstruating women are discouraged from receiving the Eucharist (please correct me if I'm wrong), and even chickens are not allowed on Mount Athos! Paradoxically, Orthodox theology does not accord ontological significance to sexual difference and could therefore accommodate women priests with no doctrinal change. Yet it is clear that a married priesthood has not nurtured a positive attitude towards the goodness of the female body created by God in all its functions and capacities.
Concerning married priests. Here in the Middle East, where Catholics in full union with Rome are mostly of the Eastern Churches, particularly Maronite and Greek Melkite Catholic, married priests are normal, with no diminution of vocations to the religious orders. In the past they were often less educated, but this is no longer the case. They include many zealous and apostolic men. This is better than ordaining men of inferior character when a bishop is desperate to find priests but can only ordain celibates. During military service I saw unhappy chaplains who should never have been ordained, though others were apostolic saints. When young in UK I saw priests depressed (danger of nervous depression) because of loneliness. Celibates have a fine ideal but must live in community. The Church has a duty to provide the sacraments, liturgy and doctrine and any competent bishop should be able to choose married after judging their character. The Eastern Catholic bishops and monks I know find the Latin discipline laughable.
Kenneth Mortimer, Lebanon
I am deeply dismayed at Professor Beattie's article. As a Professor of Religious Studies and a married Catholic priest I must correct Prof. Beattie on a number of counts. First she refers to the "de facto" married Catholic priesthood as former Anglican priests. However, there have been "de facto" married Catholic priests for centuries! Easter Catholic Churches have, in spite of Rome's displeasure and attempts to suppress, sustained the practice of the ancient Church without interruption. Secondly, Prof. Beattie rightly recognizes the question of celibacy as a discipline. Yet, she asserts that her "ambivalence" is due to her doctrinal and sacramental "orthodoxy". A discipline is not a matter of doctrinal or sacramental orthodoxy! Finally, it is insensitive at best and insulting at the worst to suggest that the thousands of married Catholic priests (and often their spouses) who gave their lives during the attempted Soviet destruction of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church did not reflect the "total giving of self in service to Christ and neighbour", which Prof. Beattie thinks is only reflected in the celibate priesthood!
It seems to me that Professor Beattie's argument is flawed from the start. As Stephen Pope says, she does nor address the basic issue - the alarmingly diminishing numbers of priests and the therefore priestless parishes for millions of Catholics. Another important question she does not ask is: what do serving Catholic priests think about the problem? To what extent is it in the present context still possible for them to lead a life of total devotion without the support of a loving wife and family? Why have so many dedicated priests renounced their vows -often after long and agonizing mind-searching ? I do not know if the ordination of women will be possible in the not so distant future, but the status of the male clergy is a matter of utmost urgency. The status of Orthodox priests and the exemplary dedication of non-clerical Christians are also given far too little attention.
So, in sum, she opposes something that would require only a change of discipline and supports something that is wholly and utterly doctrinally impossible. You have it the wrong way around entirely, Ms Beattie.
Click and consider:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?autoplay=1&v=7pdoS7XHQa4
I loved a priest, and he loved me.
Married priests would not remove the "total giving of self in service to Christ and neighbour" that the celibate priesthood has offered. One reason for this is that there would still be men who have a calling to a celibate way of life, as do women, after all the vocation to celibacy is a gift from God.
However this does not mean that men could not be married and offer service to Christ and their neighbour, the priesthood is a vocation of service in the RCC just as it is in other churches; and it can not be said that parishioners are complaining of an inadequate clergy.
What is, I suppose ironic, is that I have an opposite view to Professor Beattie in so far as I would see women priests as a far more controversial and secular decision than reintroducing a married clergy, after all it has only been since 1139 that celibacy has been a required discipline for receiving holy orders; in the history of Christianity that doesn't seem all that long.
In terms of allowing married priests being in the interests of expediency, surely the same could be said for the introduction of women priests?
It seems to me one can advocate for the ordained priesthood to be open to both women and men,married and celibate,not because one is a liberal progressive but because one believes that men and women,married and celibate have a genuine call or vocation. Surely it is a matter of spiritual discernment . Is there genuine vocations outside our present parameters? What is the Spirit doing in the church?
how does a priest living out the sacrament of marriage (not "bourgeois respectability")dissipate the mystery of the Incarnation and of the Eucharist?
All Christians, whether married or celibate are called to the total giving of self to God and neighbour: that is the universal call to holiness.
Professor Beattie doesn't address the main problem: the diminishing number of priests and therefore priest-less parishes for millions of Catholics. The counter-cultural witness she defends can be retained by those who remain celibate among the secular clergy and religious orders. The most powerful witness to the Christian mysteries comes from Christians whose lives offer a witness to the joy of the gospel. Many talented lay people who feel called to ordained ministry would be highly effective in manifesting the "mystical potency" of the sacraments.
No ordained priesthood IS the solution.
I am one of the few British born eastern rite catholic priests in the UK, because I was professed as a Benedictine Monk I am a celibate priest, but we have many holy and devoted married priests who are catholic, so perhaps Professor Beattie might like to make clear that she is speaking about thr Latin or Roman Rite and not the rest of the other Catholic Churches.
I do not make any distinction between myself and any of them in any way whatsoever and as the Eastern Church ( both Catholic and Orthodox) is very much a church of mystery and grace, we ( and I speak for those of us in these traditions) find in our sacraments and worship, especially in the Divine Liturgy, what Professor Beattie wishes for, namely a priesthood and people "rooted in a theology of grace that encourages us to see the shimmer of divine love in every aspect of the material world'. Priesthood and marriage are two different vocations, but they can exist together and have done from very early times in the historical Church of Christ, and are part of that living tradition of the Church. That this is so, is due to the grace and power of the life giving Spirit present in all places and all things!
Celibacy has its place, but it is not essential to priestly ministry! For us the 'domestic church' that is normal life in our homes is also where the work of God is taught, found and lived!
The number of Catholic priests declines sharply and steadily. Married priests is seen by some as a solution. That has been permitted in other churches to no effect and will not impact in any significant way on the Catholic decline.
Christ is Risen!
We HAVE married priests in the RCC. Many are priests from other denominations who with their family join the RCC. The Eastern Rite have had married priests for centuries. Only Bishops must be celebate. What is the problem?
Leaving all other arguments aside, I think it worth pointing out that the whole model of diocesan pristhood would have to rethought if priests were to marry. They would need a decent wage to support a family (where will the money come from?). They could not be expected to move around as easily as celibate clergy (children can't just be uprooted from school like that). They may need to move to other parts of country for family reasons (making permanent incardination into a given diocese difficult). Some parishes may be unsuitable for family reasons (inadequate accomodation; poor schools; too isolated). Let's not image that we can keep the same model if we allow priests to marry. These are not arguments for leaving everything as it is. But they serve to remind us that major practical considerations need to be taken into consideration.
I feel this is a poor use of time to respond to Ms. Beattie.
The issue of a married clergy since VII has gone on 'ad nauseam." As Jesus reminded us, the weightier issues are given short shrift.
TB boosts her orthodoxy and it is "her orthodoxy" .
There is no need for priesthood, married, female, etc.
If we are "orthodox" (and Nietzeche reminds us that interpretation is a function of power & not truth), recall Jesus never used the word priest. He was well aware of priests, given Jewish priesthood. Why reluctant? Possibly it was tied to Temple corruption.
Jesus called men & women to be disciples for the Kingdom of God.
TB ignores the unbroken tradition of a married priesthood in Eastern Catholics (and Orthodox). TB is very narrow in her understanding of Catholic- only the late Roman one.
She is dismissive in how wide spread married priests were prior to the boom being lowered. The fact there were and the apostles were married have no weight in "her tradition."
Rather she exudes shimmering & glimmering evasive language.
And excoriates our "sexually obsessed" time. When weren't people sexually obsessed? Define terms, please!
Her comment - "Gone would be the total giving of self in service ... celibate priesthood at its best witnesses" is so dismissive of incredible witnesses of self giving by non clerical persons in our world today, even married!
I am do pleased to see Prof Beattie's comments. I thought I was alone in wanting to see a celibate female priesthood before a married male one. This is because I view marriage as a hugely important vocation. A married person's first priority, after God, must ALWAYS be to their spouse - something that I think is incompatible with a priest's duty of serving their people. It is possible that we may revisit the Orthodox system but please let's consider celibate women, who have already decided to give themselves totally to God and His people, first.
Absolute agreement. Ordain celibate women! Please see my notes about this here:
Ordination of Women in the Sacramental Churches
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv11n03supp6.html#section9
Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and John Paul II's Theology of the Body, my understanding is that the ordination of women to the priesthood would be in perfect continuity with apostolic tradition. This is not about what women (or men) want. This is about discerning what Christ wants for the Church in the 21st century, for the glory of God and the good of souls. Would Jesus, in today's world, choose 12 males to represent the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel?
The ordination of celibate women is the way to go!
Critical feedback would be appreciated.
Prayers,
Luis
Leaving aside the issue of women priests - it would be a generation far removed from the one that declared the issue settled that next got to discuss it - I think (and I would say this as a married priest) that there IS a discussion to be had about married priests in the light of relations with the Orthodox. When I came over I could not continue as a bishop because, it was said, the shared tradition does not have married bishops. Yet the Orthodox have both a celibate (albeit monastic) priesthood and some married priests in parishes. This balance between religious in community and married clergy in the wider community seems to me to be admirable. Not as the norm but as a fuller expression of an existing tradition. The killer is isolated and miserable clergy.
It is sad that the Prof Beattie believes that marriage and sacramental mystery cannot co-exist in the RC priesthood. This another confirmation that the RCC holds immature & unhealthy attitudes toward sex /sexuality. Sex/sexuality are God-given gifts that are part of our nature. Rejecting these gifts is a rejection of our God-created humanity. There is nothing special or mysterious about being celibate. It does not make one better than other people or closer to God. It does not "dissipate" mystery. Rather a married priesthood would reflect Adonai, Sovereign of the Universe, who has created us as partners in creation. That is embracing mystery.