IN his “intervention” at the recent Synod of Bishops in Rome, Cardinal George Pell cited “the practice of the Lord Himself” and its “sign value” as two reasons for maintaining the discipline of priestly celibacy within the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church.
While no one seriously doubts that Jesus himself lived celibately, it is equally beyond doubt that he called married people to be members of the 12.
These are the “originals” in the apostolic succession which we consider one of the hallmarks and treasures of the Church.
We Christians are all called to holiness. We all should have sign value to those with whom we have contact. This is a responsibility accepted at our baptism. Another responsibility we take on at baptism is to be part of a sacramental community, notably a eucharistic one.
A few centuries into the life of the Church the first recognisable communities of “religious” began to appear. They have been with us ever since.
It is they who are explicit signs to the world of the practice of the Lord himself.
They do this by following the Gospel counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience within religious congregations. Usually they live in religious communities.
This sign value, this explicitly putting Jesus and the quest for holiness first, is their major contribution to the life of the Church and the world. It is even more important than the marvellous work they have done in fields such as education and health care.
The radical sign value of the religious life is not essential to the life of diocesan priests.
After all, Eastern Rites of our Catholic Church do not require it and in our own Latin Rite married clergymen from other Christian Churches who become Catholics may be permitted to work as priests.
“Elders”, predecessors of the diocesan clergy, had been active in the Church even before religious communities began to appear.
Their task was and is to assist the “overseer”, the bishop, in his leadership of the people.
They do this by pastorally caring for part of the bishop’s people and by leading them in the celebration of the sacraments.
Most important here is leading the people in the Eucharist on each and every first day of the week.
Dispensing with mandatory celibacy for diocesan priests would be a major step. We would be giving up something which has had an important place in the Church’s story for at least close to half its history.
However, it would appear that giving up this valued part of our Latin Church’s practice may be necessary.
We can be Catholics in the fullest sense without mandatory celibacy for our priests.
We cannot live a fully Catholic life without the weekly celebration of the Eucharist.
GERARD HORE
Annandale, Qld
