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Debate: Should Catholic priests be allowed to marry?
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*'''[[Argument: Other priests can marry, Roman Catholics should be able to| Other priests can marry, Roman Catholics should be able to]]''' [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31091-2004Nov6.html Joseph Snyder. "Should Roman Catholic Priests Be Allowed to Marry?". Washington Post, Letter to the Editor. November 7, 2004]: "Eastern Orthodox Catholic priests are allowed to marry. Also, certain married Protestant priests may convert as priests to the Roman Catholic faith. Obviously, the precedent for married Catholic priests is already established. So the question is not 'if' Roman Catholic priests should be married but 'when.'" | *'''[[Argument: Other priests can marry, Roman Catholics should be able to| Other priests can marry, Roman Catholics should be able to]]''' [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31091-2004Nov6.html Joseph Snyder. "Should Roman Catholic Priests Be Allowed to Marry?". Washington Post, Letter to the Editor. November 7, 2004]: "Eastern Orthodox Catholic priests are allowed to marry. Also, certain married Protestant priests may convert as priests to the Roman Catholic faith. Obviously, the precedent for married Catholic priests is already established. So the question is not 'if' Roman Catholic priests should be married but 'when.'" | ||
- | *'''Married men don't have to divorce upon entering priesthood.''' [http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2009/05/12/catholic-church-should-end-celibacy-rule-let-rev-cutie-and-other-priests-marry.html John Aloysius Farrell. "Catholic Church Should End Celibacy Rule, Let Rev. Cutie and Other Priests Marry". US News and World Report. May 12, 2009]: "if you come to the priesthood already married, the church doesn't make you divorce. There are practicing Catholic married priests, and the world has not come to a flaming end." | + | *'''[[Argument: Married men don't have to divorce upon entering priesthood| Married men don't have to divorce upon entering priesthood]]''' [http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2009/05/12/catholic-church-should-end-celibacy-rule-let-rev-cutie-and-other-priests-marry.html John Aloysius Farrell. "Catholic Church Should End Celibacy Rule, Let Rev. Cutie and Other Priests Marry". US News and World Report. May 12, 2009]: "if you come to the priesthood already married, the church doesn't make you divorce. There are practicing Catholic married priests, and the world has not come to a flaming end." |
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*'''[[Argument: Church should maintain tradition of celibacy| Church should maintain tradition of celibacy]]''' [http://www.helium.com/debates/69718-priests-should-be-permitted-to-marry/side_by_side R.N. Lentejas Jr. "Debate: Priests should be permitted to marry". Helium]: "I believe that priests in the Latin Church should live a celibate life to maintain the rich tradition of the Church. It has been a universal notion from time immemorial until today and until the future that priests are celibates for the sake of the Kingdom of God. This is a universal understanding from across the globe unique to Catholic priests alone, because there are priests in other Christian churches who are actually married. There exists among them (Catholic priests) a universal concept of brotherhood, surpassing the many barriers of race, culture, ethnic origin, economic standing, and many others." | *'''[[Argument: Church should maintain tradition of celibacy| Church should maintain tradition of celibacy]]''' [http://www.helium.com/debates/69718-priests-should-be-permitted-to-marry/side_by_side R.N. Lentejas Jr. "Debate: Priests should be permitted to marry". Helium]: "I believe that priests in the Latin Church should live a celibate life to maintain the rich tradition of the Church. It has been a universal notion from time immemorial until today and until the future that priests are celibates for the sake of the Kingdom of God. This is a universal understanding from across the globe unique to Catholic priests alone, because there are priests in other Christian churches who are actually married. There exists among them (Catholic priests) a universal concept of brotherhood, surpassing the many barriers of race, culture, ethnic origin, economic standing, and many others." | ||
- | *'''Allowing priests to marry insults those who kept celibate.''' Archbishop John Foley, a Vatican spokesman, said in 2005: "I think it would be an insult to the priests who have remained faithful to readmit these individuals who have left the priesthood in order to marry."[http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2654486] | + | *'''[[Argument: Allowing priests to marry insults celibate| Allowing priests to marry insults celibate]]''' Archbishop John Foley, a Vatican spokesman, said in 2005: "I think it would be an insult to the priests who have remained faithful to readmit these individuals who have left the priesthood in order to marry."[http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2654486] |
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====Pro==== | ====Pro==== | ||
- | *'''Allowing priests to marry would reduce sexual abuse in Church.''' Louise Linehan, a non-practicing Catholic from Dingmans Ferry: "I think priests should be allowed to marry because it might lessen the sexual abuse cases there are in the church."[http://media.www.tchnews.com/media/storage/paper840/news/2007/03/26/Opinion/Should.Priests.Be.Permitted.To.Marry-2790011.shtml] | + | *'''[[Argument: Allowing priests to marry would reduce sexual abuse| Allowing priests to marry would reduce sexual abuse]]''' Louise Linehan, a non-practicing Catholic from Dingmans Ferry: "I think priests should be allowed to marry because it might lessen the sexual abuse cases there are in the church."[http://media.www.tchnews.com/media/storage/paper840/news/2007/03/26/Opinion/Should.Priests.Be.Permitted.To.Marry-2790011.shtml] |
:[http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2009/05/12/catholic-church-should-end-celibacy-rule-let-rev-cutie-and-other-priests-marry.html John Aloysius Farrell. "Catholic Church Should End Celibacy Rule, Let Rev. Cutie and Other Priests Marry". US News and World Report. May 12, 2009]: "You would think that after all the molestation scandals of recent years, the Catholic Church would give its priests a break and let them choose to be celibate, or to enjoy loving relationships with women." | :[http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2009/05/12/catholic-church-should-end-celibacy-rule-let-rev-cutie-and-other-priests-marry.html John Aloysius Farrell. "Catholic Church Should End Celibacy Rule, Let Rev. Cutie and Other Priests Marry". US News and World Report. May 12, 2009]: "You would think that after all the molestation scandals of recent years, the Catholic Church would give its priests a break and let them choose to be celibate, or to enjoy loving relationships with women." | ||
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====Con==== | ====Con==== | ||
- | *'''Priestly celibacy does not encourage sexual predation.''' [http://www.pearlsofnonsense.com/2009/05/12/should-catholic-priests-be-allowed-to-marry-i-dont-think-so.html "Should Catholic priests be allowed to marry? I don’t think so." Pearls of Nonsense. May 12th, 2009]: "Remember several years ago when celibacy was blamed by the media for creating pedophiles? It’s shocking how many otherwise intelligent people still fervently believe that not having sex with women makes men have sex with young boys." | + | *'''[[Argument: Priestly celibacy does not encourage sexual predation| Priestly celibacy does not encourage sexual predation]]''' [http://www.pearlsofnonsense.com/2009/05/12/should-catholic-priests-be-allowed-to-marry-i-dont-think-so.html "Should Catholic priests be allowed to marry? I don’t think so." Pearls of Nonsense. May 12th, 2009]: "Remember several years ago when celibacy was blamed by the media for creating pedophiles? It’s shocking how many otherwise intelligent people still fervently believe that not having sex with women makes men have sex with young boys." |
*'''[[Argument: Lifting celibacy enables sexual exploitation by priests| Lifting celibacy enables sexual exploitation by priests]]''' It would allow priests to take advantage of their position of power to seek to date or court women. And, it would create an heir of suspicion among church-goers regarding whether a priest is abusing their position. | *'''[[Argument: Lifting celibacy enables sexual exploitation by priests| Lifting celibacy enables sexual exploitation by priests]]''' It would allow priests to take advantage of their position of power to seek to date or court women. And, it would create an heir of suspicion among church-goers regarding whether a priest is abusing their position. |
Current revision
[Edit] Background and contextCatholic Priests are not allowed to marry. The general premise put forward by the Catholic Church to justify this policy is that it forces priests to fully commit to God and their priesthood, without the distraction of a wife, kids, and family. Yet, many have begun to question this practice. Many simply argue that it is unnatural and harmful to suppress one's sexual urges and desire to find a life partner. There are many examples of Catholic priests falling in love, engaging in romantic affairs, and subsequently coming under scrutiny and derision for doing so. Many also argue that the sexual suppression resulting from celibacy creates the nefarious impulse to molest young boys in the Church. As such cases of sexual molestation have proven widespread in the Catholic Church, many believe that it is time for the Church to re-assess its celibacy policies. Other considerations surround whether celibacy is divine law and doctrine, or simply a Church discipline that can be un-done. As the number of Catholic priests dwindle, many also wonder whether celibacy is the cause, and if allowing priests to marry would increase vocations. |
[Edit] [ ![]() Church: Does celibacy hurt/help priests perform duties to the Church? | |
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[Edit] [ ![]() Religious doctrine: Would allowing priests to marry comply with religious doctrine? | |
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[Edit] [ ![]() Tradition: Is it wrong to maintain the tradition of Catholic priest celibacy? | |
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[Edit] [ ![]() Sexual abuse: Will allowing priests to marry lower sexual abuse in Church? | |
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[Edit] [ ![]() Vocations: Would allowing priests to marry increase vocations? | |
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[Edit] [ ![]() Finances: Would allowing priests to marry help/hurt Church finances? | |
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[Edit] [ ![]() Pro/con sources | |
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[Edit] See also[Edit] External links
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Categories: Priests | Christianity | Religion | Catholicism | Marriage | Sex | Morality