Folia Canonica 4. (2001)

STUDIES - Pablo Gefaell: Clerical Celibacy

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PABLO GEFAELL

II. Levelling Matrimony and Celibacy?

The Commission for the revision of the oriental Code wanted to point out that the two states (celibacy and marriage) for clergy belong to the universal tradition of the Church, but that the Latin Church subsequently required celibacy for all the major clergymen, since IVth century.9 Therefore, CCEO can. 373 indicates that “Clerical celibacy chosen for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and so suited to the priesthood is to be greatly esteemed everywhere, as supported by the tradition of the whole Church; likewise the status of clerics united in marriage, sanctioned through the centuries by the practice of the primitive Church and the oriental Churches is to be held in honor.”10 11

There is no need to repeat here all the declarations in the tradition of the Eastern and Western Churches on the greatness and beauty of celibacy for the Kingdom of God and precisely the celibacy of clerics. The expression in the second part of this canon is a novelty in the documents of the Church : the novelty is not in the recognition of the discipline on married clerics, but in the assertion that it must be held in honor. If I am not wrong, this is the first time it appears in an canonical official text." And it is a good thing. Even if this expression were not included in the text, the Church could have not denied that the life-status of married clergy is to be honored (otherwise it would be dishonored! ! !). The point is that the magisterium had repeated many times that celibacy in general (not only that of clerics) must be considered greater than matrimony in general (not only that of clerics). After Vatican II and its doctrine on the universal call to sanctity (LG 42), no one sees in this assertion a depreciation of matrimony: married life is and must be a way to heaven for husband and wife, so... married life too is to be held in honor, and consequently so is the status of married clergy. The best state for a person is that willed for him by God. And the aim of clerical celibacy is not that priest be “more perfect” than the lay faithful. Besides, married clergy did and still do an invaluable work in the pastoral care of the people of God. Paul the VIth himself wrote: “We Ourselves take this opportunity to express Our esteem and Our respect for all the clergy of the Eastern Churches, and to recognize in them examples of fidelity and zeal which make them worthy of sincere veneration”.12

9 Cf. Nuntia 28 (1989) 62-63.

10 CCEO can. 373 — Caelibatus clericorum propter regnum coelorum delectus et sacerdotio tam congruus ubique permagni faciendus est, prout fert universae Ecclesiae traditio; item status clericorum matrimonio iunctorum praxi Ecclesiae primaevae et Ecclesiarum orientalium per saecula sancitus in honore habendus est.

11 For the discussion on this matter, see Nuntia 24-25 (1987) 71. Cf. D. Salachas, Istituzioni di diritto canonico delle Chiese cattoliche orientali. Strutture ecclesiali nel CCEO, Roma-Bologna 1993, 281-285.

12 Paulus VI, litt. enc. Sacerdotalis caelibatus in AAS 59 (1967) 675, n. 38.