Folia Canonica 4. (2001)

STUDIES - Pablo Gefaell: Clerical Celibacy

Folia Canonica 4 (2001) 75-91.

PABLO GEFAELL

CLERICAL CELIBACY*

Introduction; I. Present Discipline on Clerical Celibacy for the Catholic Oriental Churches; II. Levelling Matrimony and Celibacy?; III. The Problem of the Origin of the Discipline on Celibacy; IV. Theological Basis of Priestly Celibacy.

Introduction

In this paper, I’m going to deal with a very controversial matter. Maybe I will not say anything absolutely innovative. Neither I want at all to force anybody to accept my point of view. I intend only to offer some interesting points of reflection on the matter because I am convinced of them, and I think they are worth of being carefully thought about when dealing with this thorny topic: priestly celibacy.

* * *

I. Present Discipline on Clerical Celibacy for the Catholic Oriental Churches

Between the Oriental and Latin traditions, the most characteristic difference with respect to the rights and duties of the clergymen is the discipline on ecclesiastical celibacy. As is known, in the East married men can enter the priesthood (CCEO can. 373-375), while in the Latin Church the existence of the gift of celibacy is required in all the candidates to the priesthood (CIC can. 277 §1; 1037).

The CCEO can. 758 §3, allows the possibility to establish restrictions on the admission to sacred Orders of married men through the particular Law of a given oriental sui iuris Church or also through special norms established by the Apostolic See. In fact, two oriental Churches (Malabarian and Malankarian) require celibacy for the candidates to the priesthood.1 And, besides, the Apos- * l

* This article is an up-to-date version of the paper presented during the “National Seminary for the 10th Anniversary of the Promulgation of CCEO”, hold at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Bangalore (India), 16—18 August 2000.

l Also the Ethiopian, Coptic and Syrian catholic Churches have had restrictive practices, in the sense that they permitted the access of married men to major Orders only as an exception, through dispensation given by the bishop or by the patriarch. But this restriction is no longer in vigor.