On priestly celibacy

THE other day, the Cebu clergy held their monthly

afternoon of recollection with priestly celibacy as the theme for

consideration and reflection. This topic, of course, is part of the

line-up meant for this Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons.

  

            While the speaker gave a very thorough and also very

humorous treatment of the topic, what struck me first was that the

main approach sounded more like priestly celibacy as a burden rather

than a gift of God.

  

            I have always believed that priestly celibacy is first of

all a gift—in fact, a great gift and treasure—in the life of the

persons involved and of the Church in general. It should make priests

more happy and welcoming rather than worried and hesitant.

  

            And that’s simply because priestly celibacy conforms one

to Christ as head of the Church in a more intense way. With celibacy,

a priest like Christ can be more available to the people in their

spiritual and moral needs.

  

            Besides, priestly celibacy holds the so-called

eschatological meaning of reminding everyone here on earth that in our

definitive state of life in heaven, all of us will be celibate.

  

            And that’s because Christ clarified in that gospel episode

where he was asked whose wife a woman was who got married to seven

brothers, that in the resurrection on the last day and in heaven we

will be like angels. (cfr Lk 20,27-40)

  

            In other words, in heaven our resurrected body will be

completely spiritualized, like that of Christ after his resurrection.

There will be no need for any carnal or marital activity since the

population there will be fixed. There will be no more births nor

deaths. That is why priests and consecrated persons have to dress up

and behave in such a way as to give some kind of public witness to

this truth of our faith.

  

            How I wished this aspect of the reason for priestly

celibacy had been more highlighted!

  

            I believe the problem was because the main approach to the

theme was that of priestly celibacy as an ecclesiastical requirement

rather than a gift and treasure. It gave more focus on the frailties

of men rather than on the grace and mercy of God and the beauty of

celibacy itself.

  

            Of course, it cannot be denied that priestly celibacy

would require nothing less than heroic efforts from those who are

obliged to live it. Given our weaknesses, not to mention the growing

temptations around, we cannot exaggerate the need for this kind of

efforts that should correspond as faithfully as possible to God’s

abundant grace.

  

            Without detracting from the more fundamental truth that

priestly celibacy is a divine gift, we should be realistic enough

about the grave duties and responsibilities we priests and consecrated

persons have in living that gift.

  

            That is why the need for a life of genuine prayer and

sacrifice, of vigilance and spiritual struggle, of developing the

appropriate virtues and skills, cannot be overemphasized. There’s no

way one can live priestly celibacy if these means are not taken up

seriously.

  

            In a recent statement, Pope Francis confessed that he had

been talking to victims of clerical sex abuse and that he considered

this scandal of erring clerics as the “greatest desolation that the

Church is undergoing.” He also said that the scandal expresses both

the Church’s fragility as well as its level of hypocrisy.

  

            Those are truly strong words that should stir up in all

those concerned the need to get very serious in loving God and others

more and more, because only with that love can one truly live priestly

celibacy. Only with that love will one continually wage war against

his human frailty and the many temptations and sins around.