This is why priests don't get married!

Catholic celibacy seems strange to some people. Why can't priests get married? Why do nuns choose celibacy for their whole lives? To some, it seems that Catholicism is opposed to sexual intimacy because of how much it reveres celibacy. To others, who understand that the Church greatly reveres the marital embrace, find it incoherent. In this video, Christopher West explains why Catholic teaching on celibacy for the kingdom.
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[@heyman.712]

That was edifying. This puts understanding of Paul's message to the deepest context. Celibacy as a participation to the Marriage of the Lamb. God bless you, Dr. West!

[@mikaelnazir7768]

Well, I certainly am not a Catholic, farthest from, but I did appreciate that, surprisingly wise words and a surprising source. So, as I have now rededicated my life several years ago now to be a set apart disciple of Christ I also now see that I have been called to walk out a pure consecrated life, and celibacy being part of that call that I have heard. Thank you, well said.

[@yeetmaestro575]

Two years and we haven’t fixed the thumbnail misspelling lol

[@westerncentristrants525]

1 Timothy 3:4-5: He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?

[@kikifiat5021]

In my heart, I felt called to give myself fully to God. I've always long for love and the more I search for love in this world I find myself miserable. Maybe my vocation is to be celibate for God? 😅

[@luisrodriguez8138]

Great video.

[@ColonelSpankysLostBattalion]

Mark 1:30 "Now Simon’s [Peter’s] mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her." 1 Corinthians 9:5 "Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?" 1 Timothy 3:2-5 "A bishop, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife..." 1 Timothy 4:1-3 ""But the Holy Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage..."

[@nonbiz1520]

I was sat next to the Priest at a wedding, and he straight up told me that the celibacy thing has been tossed around a lot. Bottom line was the church didn’t want to pay for families, as they would have to provide health insurance, housing…all that shit.

[@Miguel9.28]

What is your interpretation of :1 Timothy 4:1-5 ?

[@sunnyjohnson992]

In the preamble to this 1967 encyclical, Pope Paul VI admitted that "the New TESTAMENT, which preserves the teaching of Christ and the Apostles DOES NOT demand celibacy of sacred ministers." Even The Catholic Encyclopedia admits that Rome has been accused of using celibacy as a device "to ensure the subjection of the clergy to the central authority of the Roman See."

[@jasonjoseph.phillips]

Thank you for eplaining this

[@jessegonsalves5412]

This might be your best video yet. I really feel called to celibacy but i think i have some not so good understandings of it.

[@lauderhill1]

The idea that your reward for suffering is heaven after death is very fundamental to behavior.

[@dorothyanbrose2318]

Beautiful!!!.thank u soooooo much. Dr.west.. I love u .GBU

[@scots2129]

Did this man use any scripture to make his point, or was it all quotes from him and popes? After watching this I literally feel like the guy in Billy Madison who listened to his answer about literature and the industrial revolution.

[@aceclipse]

how they control the URGE?

[@paulhudson4254]

Then so why so much sexual abuse in the church? 🙏🌺☦️🌺🙏

[@fernandoriano5318]

Unfortunately there are perverse people who try to cover up their wicked issues with a vocation, and these things happen (abuses), this people don’t have an authentic call to serve Christ in the priesthood, however for those who do have this call, the celibate life It should be the fullness of this service, however in my opinion, the celibacy should be handled as in the Eastern Catholic Churches or the Orthodox Church, that is, celibacy exclusively for monks, and not for priests in general.

[@enamrik]

These reasons came after the ban to give a spiritual reason for the ban. But priests were allowed to marry for hundreds of years. Why not just tell the whole story?

[@robertjosephkleist2004]

Because before the 11th century Roman Catholic priests could not only marry but they could own and pass on PROPERTY. And know that this was a time when the Catholic priest was the centre of the community. He was the most beloved and trusted person in the countryside. He would receive gifts of land, gold, and other favours and concessions from rich and often noble patrons. When the priest died, however, this property would be inherited by the priest's legitimate children. The church soon realized they might loose all these assets to an arising priestly class. So the solution was to require priests to be celibate so that the church would retain the properties and wealth. The consequence of this was that any natural wives and children of priests (And make no mistake, there were lots--take note the canonical definition of "celibacy" was to refrain from marriage. Extramarital sexual conduct was tolerated, even expected, so long as it was kept quiet) were made illegitimate and thereby disinherited and left to a life of poverty and ostracism. The theological explanation of CHASTITY, an aecetic discipline--while perhaps valid for monastic orders--was as @KLR said added on later to repackage the financial neccesity of clerical celibacy. Say what you will, history bears witness that clerical celibacy was more about REAL ESTATE than real faith.

[@enamrik]

@@robertjosephkleist2004 I couldn't have said it better in a million years. Well done sir.

[@robertjosephkleist2004]

@@enamrik Thank you!

[@chrisobrien6254]

The RCC does not want people to know the origin of celibacy requirement; they’d prefer just to trace it back to “well Jesus was celibate😑. They don’t want people to know the origin because the origin is sketchy and reflects badly on the RCC and they don’t want to lose their numbers or status or status as the “true church”😒👎🏻it’s dishonest

[@chrisobrien6254]

Yep. They had to spiritualize the ban, otherwise people would question its necessity and the church didn’t want to deal with that.

[@lizarosa156]

That’s so beautiful ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@TheologyoftheBodyInstitute]

Amen!

[@Tom-od3eb]

Only the Roman rite is celibate. The Eastern Catholic rites do have married priests.

[@chrisobrien6254]

Roman rite didn’t want to share property with the offspring of priests.

[@1001011011010]

Praise be to God.

[@wilhelminabaffoe5736]

The bible says that we should not call anyone father.

[@marriagebeforesex]

Ask Pope Francis of Roman Catholic why Catholic priests cannot get married!

[@BillyJoeBob-hd9fm]

I think they don't really want to get married. So they make it a rule to cover themselves.

[@terrie6738]

I don’t know, still doesn’t make much sense.

[@lauderhill1]

You could have just said devotion.

[@simplyregina5364]

Priests are married to Christs Bride. They choose the sacrifice of celibacy and give their life to Christ. They cannot be married twice. ( to Christ's bride and another woman). The key word here is Choose, they wish to be devoted to Christ. The flock they shepherd are their family.

[@bim5426]

How can priest be married to Christ’s bride if it’s Christ’s bride? 😂 Maybe you should say Priest serve Christ bride. Priest are the bridesmaids. 😂 joking only a little though.

[@chrisobrien6254]

We’re all supposed to give our lives to Christ. Byzantine Catholics have married valid priests and saints. So you’re accusing those men of bigamy?

[@simplyregina5364]

@@chrisobrien6254 We all serve God in our own way. We're all called to different tasks. Who said we are all one and the same? Some Nuns and Monks serve the community while others remain hidden in lives of solitude. Whats so wrong in choosing a life of celibacy for Christ?

[@chrisobrien6254]

@@simplyregina5364 I never said there was anything wrong with it.

[@simplyregina5364]

@@chrisobrien6254 What are you on about? I accused men of bigamy? Who did i accuse of anything? I was explaining where I'm coming from

[@formalities4983]

Well. This guy sounds like a grifter. Is that book he's reading from something he is selling?

[@canadianpatriot9566]

Because majority of priests are having homosexual sex , doesn't make them practitioners of celibacy. Until the church cracks down on homosexualality in the seminaries, my statement is true.

[@1978gisa]

Majority of priests are not having homosexual sex. That is a minority of them. They are very loud and has a lot of power at the moment. Please do not insult our good honest holy priests this way. This is just like saying majority of Drs are killing patients or majority of teachers are pedos etc when there is a small group of people who really are fallen and have issues. Unfortunately there is a movement to infiltrate the Catholic Church. But she is holy and will always be holy. And the majority of our priests are good holy , hard working men who has given up their lives for Christ and His church.

[@chrisobrien6254]

Priests don’t get married because they didn’t want nepotism in the church at the time that they made required celibacy a thing. You can put as many spiritual spins on it as you want but ultimately that’s why it became a requirement.

[@Bruno-ln9es]

You can put as many earthly spins on it as you want but ultimately the Catholic Church is guided by the Holy Spirit.

[@chrisobrien6254]

@@Bruno-ln9es it’s not an earthly spin; it’s history. They church itself cannot deny that. The church is the one that puts a spiritual spin on the things they’ve done and the disciplines they’ve put in place, and the decisions they’ve made.

[@formalities4983]

​@@Bruno-ln9es Where can I buy a dispensation? Asking for a friend.

[@adelinomorte7421]

***NEWFOBIA***

[@vinhqngouoc]

Thanks for the fairytale story

[@as7736]

It just doesn’t make sense. You sacrifice your life by believing what you have been fed with. When you die christ will come and say, i never said that, it was just written in the bible by others after I passed Don’t be a fool

[@taylorbarrett384]

Celibacy is great when you are called to it and do it voluntarily out of your heart for God. But it should not be required of priests. They should be allowed to get married (yes - after ordination). There's nothing even remotely intrinsically wrong with it. In fact, while celibacy is ideal for ministers, there are nevertheless benefits to married clergy as well. Leave mandatory celibacy to the monks and friars that live together in community. Secular diocesan priests/Bishops are different.

[@JP2GiannaT]

There's actually a fair amount of theology that goes into why ordained priests (and deacons, who are often married men in the Church in America) can't get married or re-married after being ordained (unless layicized). He didn't get into it here, but it's worth digging into.

[@taylorbarrett384]

@@JP2GiannaT There's no objective reason why it doesn't happen. It's a matter of discipline. If ordination was an objective impediment to matrimony, then laicized priests couldn't get married.

[@JP2GiannaT]

Except that they're no longer allowed to say mass, hear confessions, or otherwise act as a priest by their bishop. That's not an ontological change, but it's a pretty substantial one.

[@taylorbarrett384]

@@JP2GiannaT not allowed, but still fully capable. these are matters of discipline and not related to ontology, or even theology really. Which is why married priests exist and say mass, hear confessions, etc

[@JP2GiannaT]

Yep. And they don't let their ordained priests marry, do they? They just ordain married men.

[@randall287]

I enjoy listening to some of your videos but watching this was..... idk... its just ridiculous. You are trying so hard to justify or make sense of this catholic dogma. Including this, and that... trying to tie it all together to give support for this....Its just not there.

[@formalities4983]

He is selling coffee mugs, books, and online courses. A real man of God.

[@hillarymary]

This whole year I've been crying because I want to be with someone, and you're telling me this is Disneyland. .... Why can't priests have celibate marriages then? .... 'So we properly call him Father.' Meanwhile, the church moves around priests every 4/6 years on a contract creating an abandonment of spiritual children. ... When a priest told me that he thought maybe I was made for celibate love I stabbed my leg with a pen 15 times until it bled through my leggings. Must have been Disneyland.

[@joegigandet1415]

I understand your pain. I feel as you do. Did you mean chaste marriages or celibate marriage? I am attracted to priesthood, not celibacy. It seems like a torture chamber

[@hillarymary]

@@joegigandet1415 This Roman Catholic church is full of deception. It allows married priests in its Eastern catholic rite. .... I've been looking into the Orthodox church lately. They have married priests too.

[@chrisobrien6254]

@@joegigandet1415 Byzantine Catholics are allowed to marry.