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I.
REASONS FOR PRIESTLY CELIBACY
17. Virginity undoubtedly,
as the Second Vatican Council declared, "is not, of course, required by
the nature of the priesthood itself. This is clear from the practice of the
early Church and the traditions of the Eastern Churches.'' 11 But at
the same time the Council did not hesitate to confirm solemnly the ancient,
sacred and providential present law of priestly celibacy. In addition, it set
forth the motives which justify this law for those who, in a spirit of faith
and with generous fervor, know how to appreciate the gifts of God.
18. Consideration of how
celibacy is "particularly suited" 12 to God's ministers is
not something recent. Even if the explicit reasons have differed with different
mentalities and different situations, they were always inspired by specifically
Christian considerations; and from these considerations we can get an intuition
of the more fundamental motives underlying them. 13 These can be
brought into clearer light only under the influence of the Holy Spirit,
promised by Christ to His followers for the knowledge of things to come
14 and to enable the People of God to increase in the understanding of
the mystery of Christ and of the Church. In this process the experience gained
through the ages from a deeper penetration of spiritual things also has its
part.
Christological
Significance
19. The Christian
priesthood, being of a new order, can be understood only in the light of the
newness of Christ, the Supreme Pontiff and eternal Priest, who instituted the
priesthood of the ministry as a real participation in His own unique
priesthood. 15 The minister of Christ and dispenser of the mysteries of
God, 16 therefore, looks up to Him directly as his model and supreme
ideal. 17 The Lord Jesus, the only Son of God, was sent by the Father
into the world and He became man, in order that humanity which was subject to
sin and death might be reborn, and through this new birth 18 might
enter the kingdom of heaven. Being entirely consecrated to the will of the
Father, 19 Jesus brought forth this new creation by means of His
Paschal mystery; 20 thus, He introduced into time and into the world a
new form of life which is sublime and divine and which radically transforms the
human condition. 21
Matrimony
and Celibacy
20. Matrimony, according
to the will of God, continues the work of the first creation; 22 and
considered within the total plan of salvation, it even acquired a new meaning
and a new value. Jesus, in fact, has restored its original dignity, 23
has honored it 24 and has raised it to the dignity of a sacrament and
of a mysterious symbol of His own union with the Church. 25 Thus,
Christian couples walk together toward their heavenly fatherland in the exercise
of mutual love, in the fulfillment of their particular obligations, and in
striving for the sanctity proper to them. But Christ, "Mediator of a
superior covenant," 26 has also opened a new way, in which the
human creature adheres wholly and directly to the Lord, and is concerned only
with Him and with His affairs; 27 thus, he manifests in a clearer and
more complete way the profoundly transforming reality of the New Testament.
Christ's
Example
21. Christ, the only Son of
the Father, by the power of the Incarnation itself was made Mediator between
heaven and earth, between the Father and the human race. Wholly in accord with
this mission, Christ remained throughout His whole life in the state of
celibacy, which signified His total dedication to the service of God and men.
This deep concern between celibacy and the priesthood of Christ is reflected in
those whose fortune it is to share in the dignity and mission of the Mediator
and eternal Priest; this sharing will be more perfect the freer the sacred
minister is from the bonds of flesh and blood. 28
The
Motive for Celibacy
22. Jesus, who selected
the first ministers of salvation, wished them to be introduced to the
understanding of the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," 29
but He also wished them to be coworkers with God under a very special title,
and His ambassadors. 30 He called them friends and brethren, 31
for whom He consecrated Himself so that they might be consecrated in truth;
32 He promised a more than abundant recompense to anyone who should
leave home, family, wife and children for the sake of the kingdom of God.
33 More than this, in words filled with mystery and hope, He also
commended an even more perfect consecration 34 to the kingdom of heaven
by means of celibacy, as a special gift. 35 The motive of this response
to the divine call is the kingdom of heaven; 36 similarly, this very
kingdom, 37 the Gospel 38 and the name of Christ 39
motivate those called by Jesus to undertake the work of the apostolate, freely
accepting its burdens, that they may participate the more closely in His lot.
23. To them this is the
mystery of the newness of Christ, of all that He is and stands for; it is the
sum of the highest ideals of the Gospel and of the kingdom; it is a particular
manifestation of grace, which springs from the Paschal mystery of the Savior.
This is what makes the choice of celibacy desirable and worthwhile to those
called by our Lord Jesus. Thus they intend not only to participate in His
priestly office, but also to share with Him His very condition of living.
Fullness
of Love
24. The response to the
divine call is an answer of love to the love which Christ has shown us so
sublimely. 40 This response is included in the mystery of that special
love for souls who have accepted His most urgent appeals. 41 With a
divine force, grace increases the longings of love. And love, when it is
genuine, is all-embracing, stable and lasting, an irresistible spur to all
forms of heroism. And so the free choice of sacred celibacy has always been
considered by the Church "as a symbol of, and stimulus to, charity": 42
it signifies a love without reservations; it stimulates to a charity which is
open to all. In a life so completely dedicated and motivated, who can see the
sign of spiritual narrowness or selfseeking, and not see rather that celibacy
is and ought to be a rare and very meaningful example of a life motivated by
love, by which man expresses his own unique greatness? Who can doubt the moral
and spiritual richness of such a life, consecrated not to any human ideal, no
matter how noble, but to Christ and to His work to bring about a new form of
humanity in all places and for all generations?
Invitation
to Study
25. This biblical and
theological view associates our ministerial priesthood with the priesthood of
Christ; the total and exclusive dedication of Christ to His mission of
salvation provides reason and example for our assimilation to the form of
charity and sacrifice proper to Christ our Savior. This vision seems to Us so
profound and rich in truth, both speculative and practical, that We invite you,
venerable brothers, and you, eager students of Christian doctrine and masters
of the spiritual life, and all you priests who have gained a supernatural
insight into your vocation, to persevere in the study of this vision, and to go
deeply into the inner recesses and wealth of its reality. In this way, the bond
between the priesthood and celibacy will more and more be seen as closely
knit—as the mark of a heroic soul and the imperative call to unique and total
love for Christ and His Church.
Ecclesiological Significance
26.
"Laid hold of by Christ"
43 unto the complete abandonment of one's entire self to Him, the
priest takes on a closer likeness to Christ, even in the love with which the
eternal Priest has loved the Church His Body and offered Himself entirely for
her sake, in order to make her a glorious, holy and immaculate Spouse.
44
The consecrated celibacy of the sacred
ministers actually manifests the virginal love of Christ for the Church, and the
virginal and supernatural fecundity of this marriage, by which the children of
God are born, "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh." (45 46)
27. The priest dedicates
himself to the service of the Lord Jesus and of His Mystical Body with complete
liberty, which is made easier by his total offering, and thus he depicts more
fully the unity and harmony of the priestly life. 47 His ability for
listening to the word of God and for prayer increases. Indeed, the word of God,
as preserved by the Church, stirs up vibrant and profound echoes in the priest
who daily meditates on it, lives it and preaches it to the faithful.
The
Divine Office and Prayer
28. Like Christ Himself,
His minister is wholly and solely intent on the things of God and the Church,
48 and he imitates the great High priest who lives ever in the presence
of God in order to intercede in our favor. 49 So he receives joy and
encouragement unceasingly from the attentive and devout recitation of the
Divine Office, by which he dedicates his voice to the Church who prays together
with her Spouse, 50 and he recognizes the necessity of continuing his
diligence at prayer, which is the profoundly priestly occupation. 51
A
Full and Fruitful Life
29. The rest of a priest's
life also acquires a greater richness of meaning and sanctifying power. In
fact, his individual efforts at his own sanctification find new incentives in
the ministry of grace and in the ministry of the Eucharist, in which "the
whole spiritual good of the Church is contained": 52 acting in the
person of Christ, the priest unites himself most intimately with the offering,
and places on the altar his entire life, which bears the marks of the
holocaust.
30. What other
considerations can We offer to describe the increase of the priest's power, his
service, his love and sacrifice for the entire people of God? Christ spoke of
Himself when He said: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and
dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." 53
And the Apostle Paul did not hesitate to expose himself to a daily death in
order to obtain among his faithful glory in Christ Jesus. 54 In a similar
way, by a daily dying to himself and by giving up the legitimate love of a
family of his own for the love of Christ and of His kingdom, the priest will
find the glory of an exceedingly rich and fruitful life in Christ, because like
Him and in Him, he loves and dedicates himself to all the children of God.
31. In the community of
the faithful committed to his charge, the priest represents Christ. Thus, it is
most fitting that in all things he should reproduce the image of Christ and in
particular follow His example, both in his personal and in his apostolic life.
To his children in Christ, the priest is a sign and a pledge of that sublime
and new reality which is the kingdom of God; he dispenses it and he possesses
it to a more perfect degree. Thus he nourishes the faith and hope of all
Christians, who, as such, are bound to observe chastity according to their
proper state of life.
The
Pastoral Efficacy of Celibacy
32. The consecration to
Christ under an additional and lofty title like celibacy evidently gives to the
priest, even in the practical field, the maximum efficiency and the best
disposition of mind, mentally and emotionally, for the continuous exercise of a
perfect charity. 55 This charity will permit him to spend himself
wholly for the welfare of all, in a fuller and more concrete way. 56 It
also obviously guarantees him a greater freedom and flexibility in the pastoral
ministry, 57 in his active and living presence in the world, to which
Christ has sent him 58 so that he may pay fully to all the children of
God the debt due to them. 59
Eschatological Significance
33. The kingdom of God,
which "is not of this world," 60 is present here on earth in
mystery, and will reach its perfection only with the glorious coming of the
Lord Jesus. 61 The Church here below constitutes the seed and the
beginning of this kingdom. And as she continues to grow slowly but surely, she
longs for the perfect kingdom and ardently desires with all her energy to unite
herself with her King in glory. 62
The pilgrim People of God are on a journey
through the vicissitudes of this life toward their heavenly homeland,
63 where the divine sonship of the redeemed 64 will be fully
revealed and where the transformed loveliness of the Spouse of the Lamb of God
will shine completely. 65
A
Sign of Heavenly Treasures
34. Our Lord and Master
has said that "in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in
marriage, but are like angels in heaven." 66 In the world of man,
so deeply involved in earthly concerns and too often enslaved by the desires of
the flesh, 67 the precious and almost divine gift of perfect continence
for the kingdom of heaven stands out precisely as "a special token of the
rewards of heaven"; 68 it proclaims the presence on earth of the
final stages of salvation 69 with the arrival of a new world, and in a
way it anticipates the fulfillment of the kingdom as it sets forth its supreme
values which will one day shine forth in all the children of God. This
continence, therefore, stands as a testimony to the ever-continuing progress of
the People of God toward the final goal of their earthly pilgrimage, and as a
stimulus for all to raise their eyes to the things above, "where Christ is
seated at the right hand of God" and where "our life is hid with
Christ in God" until it appears "with him in glory." 70
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