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The Church’s View of Sex and MarriageAwake!—1985 | November 8
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The Church’s View of Sex and Marriage
SEX and marriage are indeed topics of worldwide interest. Perhaps on no other matters do people more commonly seek advice and guidance. The Bible has much to say relative to sex, probably more than most people realize. And so does the major religion of the Western world, the Roman Catholic Church.
By what it has taught regarding sex, the Catholic Church has greatly influenced the lives of millions of its adherents. In particular, the lives of priests and nuns have been affected. Has the teaching of the church had a wholesome, beneficial effect or a bad one? How does the view of the Catholic Church on sex compare with what the Bible teaches? This series of articles will examine these matters.
The attitude of the Roman Catholic Church toward sex and marriage is indicated in A Catholic Dictionary, which states: “The principles which have induced the Church to impose celibacy on her clergy are . . . that, being called to the altar, they may embrace the life of continence [restraint from sexual intercourse], which is holier than that of marriage.”
If, according to Catholic doctrine, refraining from sexual intercourse is “holier,” where does this leave marriage? This is a question that has long concerned historians. Thus, A History of Christianity, by Paul Johnson, asks: “If, therefore, celibacy were superior, and marriage inferior, though licit, did this not imply that sex was intrinsically evil and even in the context of marriage a form of licensed sin?”
The insistence of Pope John Paul II on increased devotion to “the Virgin Mary” has done nothing to alleviate this impression that marriage is unclean, if not actually sinful. The dogma of the perpetual virginity of Mary perpetuates the idea that sexual relations are unclean. The dogma implies that the marriage act, even after the birth of Jesus, would have sullied Mary’s reputation as a holy woman.
Small wonder that “the mystery of original sin” and “the perpetual virginity of Mary” are listed among the big problems bothering sincere Catholics. “They could have added papal infallibility, which is widely questioned,” observes Catholic author Jacques Duquesne.
Doubtless, the papal decree that has done the most to undermine the faith of Catholics in papal infallibility is the encyclical Humanae Vitae. Issued by Paul VI in 1968, this document reaffirmed the official Catholic doctrine prohibiting the use of artificial means of birth control. The Encyclopædia Britannica states that “this encyclical provoked adverse reactions [among Catholics] that may be described as the most violent attacks on the authority of papal teaching in modern times. Similarly, his [Paul VI’s] firm stand on the retention of priestly celibacy . . . evoked much harsh criticism.”
It is evident that the views of the Roman Catholic Church on marriage and priestly celibacy have caused problems for Catholics. Why has the church created these problems for itself? What led it to impose celibacy on priests and nuns and to insist on the perpetual virginity of Mary?
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Celibacy—Why Imposed?Awake!—1985 | November 8
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Celibacy—Why Imposed?
CELIBACY, as a requirement for the priesthood, is less and less popular among Catholics. When Pope John Paul II recently visited Switzerland, a poll showed that only 38 percent of Catholics in that country were in favor of compulsory celibacy for priests. In the United States, a 1983 Gallup poll showed that 58 percent of Roman Catholics were in favor of allowing priests to marry.
Yet Pope John Paul II has reaffirmed the law of clerical celibacy, as Paul VI did in his famous encyclical Sacerdotalis Caelibatus (Priestly Celibacy), published in 1967. Why does the Vatican continue to impose this unpopular law, even though it appears to be against its own interests? Was priestly celibacy a requirement laid down by Christ and the apostles?
Where Did It Originate?
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.” Similarly, The Catholic Encyclopedia states: “These passages [1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6] seem fatal to any contention that celibacy was made obligatory upon the clergy from the beginning. . . . This freedom of choice seems to have lasted during the whole of what we may call . . . the first period of the Church’s legislation, [that is] down to about the time of Constantine and the Council of Nicæa.”
So if obligatory celibacy for priests originates neither with Christ nor with his apostles, where did it come from?
“In the old Pagan times celibacy had been held in honor,” notes M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia. Other reference works indicate that such “old Pagan times” go back to ancient Babylon and Egypt. The New Encyclopædia Britannica states: “With the rise of the great civilizations of antiquity, celibacy emerged in various contexts.” It was, for instance, connected with the worship of Isis, the Egyptian goddess of fertility, as the Britannica notes: “Sexual abstinence was an absolute requirement of those who celebrated her holy mysteries.”
In addition, Alexander Hislop observed in his book The Two Babylons: “Every scholar knows that when the worship of Cybele, the Babylonian goddess, was introduced into Pagan Rome, it was introduced in its primitive form, with its celibate clergy.”
Why, in imitation of ancient pagan religions, did the Catholic Church adopt the requirement of a celibate clergy?
Why It Was Adopted
For one thing, a celibate priesthood gives power to the church authorities. This is because, having no heirs to their priestly function, priests can be replaced only by hierarchical appointment. 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.”
But there is more to it than that. The chart on the following page, outlining the “History of Clerical Celibacy,” shows that compulsory celibacy became canon law only in the 12th century C.E. The pope who did much to prepare the way for its adoption was Gregory VII (1073-85). Interestingly, it is said of him that he “saw more clearly than any other the enormous increase of influence which would accrue to a strictly celibate body of clergy.”
Yet, in addition to bolstering up the hierarchical system of the Catholic Church, the law of priestly celibacy also conferred on the priesthood an ascendancy over the common people. Georges Duby, one of France’s leading historians, said recently of medieval monks and priests that, because of their celibacy, “they were hierarchically above others; they had the right to dominate the rest of society.”
Its Effects
Regarding the effects of denying the opportunity of marriage to its priests, The Catholic Encyclopedia observes: “We have no wish to deny or to palliate the very low level of morality to which at different periods of the world’s history, and in different countries calling themselves Christian, the Catholic priesthood has occasionally sunk.” Even today, priestly immorality in many countries has had the effect of downgrading the priesthood in the eyes of honest people.
The law of priestly celibacy, adapted from pagan cults, has also had the effect of downgrading marriage, which is an honorable arrangement instituted by God himself. (Matthew 19:4-6; Genesis 2:21-24; Hebrews 13:4) As The New Encyclopædia Britannica says: “This idea of cultic purity has increased the tendency to devaluate marriage and to demonize sex and has led to the demand that priests and monks observe celibacy, which has caused a centuries-long struggle within the church.”
Priestly celibacy was adopted with ulterior motives, which may explain why it is being maintained. Yet it actually has benefited neither the Catholic people nor the clergy. Even the church itself has suffered, since it is generally believed that the current dearth of priests is largely due to this unscriptural law.
Another aspect of the Catholic Church’s views of marriage and sex comes to light when examining the dogma of the perpetual virginity of Mary.
[Blurb on page 5]
“The New Testament . . . does not demand celibacy of sacred ministers.”—Pope Paul VI
[Box on page 6]
History of Clerical Celibacy
First Century: “We do not find in the New Testament any indication of celibacy being made compulsory either upon the Apostles or those whom they ordained.”—The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Fourth Century: “The oldest evidence of a law on priestly celibacy is Canon 33 of the Council of Elvira [Spain], circa 300 C.E.”—Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique.
“The Council of Nicaea [325 C.E.] refused to impose this law [Elvira Canon 33] on the whole Church.”—A Catholic Dictionary.
Up to Tenth Century: “For centuries this question of the celibacy of the clergy was a subject of constant struggle within the Church. Unnatural crimes abounded among the clergy; their office, in the ninth and tenth centuries, seemed to be held as a license for excess. . . . Many priests lived openly in wedlock, although the councils were always issuing new orders against them.”—M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia.
Eleventh Century: “The Synod of Paris (1074), without hesitation, declared that the law of celibacy was intolerable and unreasonable. . . . In some countries, again, the law remained unobserved, either wholly or in part for a long time. In England the Synod of Winchester in 1076 thought it right to allow, at least to priests already married, in the country and small towns, permission to retain their wives.”—A Manual of Church History (Catholic), by F. X. Funk.
Twelfth Century: “Finally, in 1123, at the First Lateran Council, an enactment was passed (confirmed more explicitly in the Second Lateran Council, can[on] vii) which, while not in itself very plainly worded, was held to pronounce the marriages contracted by subdeacons or ecclesiastics of any of the higher orders to be invalid. . . . This may be said to mark the victory of the cause of celibacy.” (Italics ours.)—The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Up to Sixteenth Century: “In the Latin Church, the publishing of the law [of celibacy] did not end the controversy. In the 13th and 14th centuries, many specialists in canon law and even bishops called for the adoption of Eastern [Church] legislation that allowed priests to marry. They found a ready argument in the degradation of priestly and even religious morals that were characteristic of the early Middle Ages. The great councils of Constance (1414-18), Basel (1431-39), and Trent (1545-63) witnessed bishops and theologians calling for the abrogation of the law of celibacy.”—Encyclopædia Universalis.
“At the Council of Trent (1545-63) several bishops, and the emperor Charles V, favored a relaxation of the [celibacy] rule. But the majority of voices decided that God would not withhold the gift of chastity from those that rightly prayed for it, and the rule of celibacy was thus finally and forever imposed on the ministers of the Roman Catholic Church.” (Italics ours.)—M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia.
Twentieth Century: “In connection with the second Vatican Council (1962-65) clerical celibacy has once again become a cause of ferment in the Roman Church. . . . Subsequent to the council, the number of priests seeking to leave the priesthood and marry has vastly increased. . . . Pope Paul VI, however, issued an encyclical, Sacerdotalis Caelibatus (June 23, 1967), reaffirming the traditional law on celibacy.”—Encyclopædia Britannica.
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“The Perpetual Virginity of Mary”—Its ImpactAwake!—1985 | November 8
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“The Perpetual Virginity of Mary”—Its Impact
SOME readers may be surprised, even shocked, to see the subject of “the perpetual virginity of Mary” considered under the general theme “The Catholic Church—Its View of Sex.” Our purpose is certainly not to offend Catholics nor to denigrate Mary. In fact, we have the greatest respect for her as one of Christ’s faithful disciples.
Moreover, we thoroughly agree that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-23) The question is, Did Mary remain a virgin throughout her earthly life?
Many Catholics Are in Doubt
Catholic reference works reveal that Catholic scholars have had doubts that Mary remained a virgin all her life. The Bible itself several times mentions Jesus’ “brothers” and “sisters.” (Matthew 12:46, 47; 13:55, 56; Mark 6:3; Luke 8:19, 20; John 2:12; 7:3, 5) Some Catholics, however, claim that these words designate “relatives,” such as cousins. Is this true?
The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “The Greek words . . . that are used to designate the relationship between Jesus and these relatives have the meaning of full blood brother and sister in the Greek-speaking world of the Evangelist’s time and would naturally be taken by his Greek reader in this sense.” Also, The New American Bible, a Catholic translation, admits in a footnote on Mark 6:1-6, where Jesus’ brothers and sisters are mentioned: “The question of meaning here would not have arisen but for the faith of the church in Mary’s perpetual virginity.”
The Bible clearly shows that Mary had other children besides Jesus; the Catholic Church’s teaching that she did not is what has created a controversy. Catholic author J. Gilles, who thoroughly examined all the Scriptural evidence on the subject, concluded: “Briefly and in measured language, out of faithfulness to the [Catholic] Church, I believe I can sum up my investigation as follows. . . . The FOUR CANONICAL GOSPELS provide concordant evidence . . . that Jesus had real brothers and sisters in his family. . . . In the face of this coherent block of proof the traditional position [of the Catholic Church] seems vulnerable and fragile.”
So if the Bible provides no proof of “the perpetual virginity of Mary,” where did this belief originate?
Origins of the Belief
“In several ancient religions,” observes Jesuit priest Ignace de la Potterie, “virginity had a sacral value. Certain goddesses (Anath, Artemis, Athena) were called virgins.” Yet, what does that have to do with Mary? Catholic priest Andrew Greeley explains: “The Mary symbol links Christianity directly to the ancient religions of mother goddesses.”
Professor of church history Ernst W. Benz comments on this link with ancient pagan religions. “Veneration of the mother of God,” he wrote in The New Encyclopædia Britannica, “received its impetus when the Christian Church became the imperial church under Constantine and the pagan masses streamed into the church. . . . [The peoples’] piety and religious consciousness had been formed for millennia through the cult of the ‘great mother’ goddess and the ‘divine virgin,’ a development that led all the way from the old popular religions of Babylonia and Assyria . . . Despite the unfavourable presuppositions in the tradition of the Gospels, cultic veneration of the divine virgin and mother found within the Christian Church a new possibility of expression in the worship of Mary.”
But what moved the Roman Church to adapt and adopt the “great mother” goddess and “divine virgin” cult? For one thing, the “pagan masses” coming into the church wanted it; they felt at home in a church that venerated a ‘great virgin mother.’ “In Egypt,” Professor Benz notes, “Mary was, at an early point, already worshipped under the title of the bearer of God (Theotokos).” So the “divine virgin” cult was adopted to accommodate the “pagan masses” that were streaming into the church.
Impetus to the veneration of Mary was provided at the first ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 C.E. How so? Well, the Trinity doctrine was there made an official Catholic teaching, the Nicene Creed declaring Jesus to be God. This supposedly made Mary the “bearer of God,” or “mother of God.” And as Professor Benz said: “The Council of Ephesus (431) raised this designation to a dogmatic standard.” The next step was to make Mary a “perpetual virgin.” This occurred when the title “eternal Virgin” was given to Mary at the second Council of Constantinople in 553 C.E.
Consequences of Teachings
Yale Professor J. J. Pelikan writes: “The growth of the ascetic ideal in the church helped to give support to this view of Mary as the model of the lifelong virgin.” This “ascetic ideal” was also apparent in the development of monasticism and celibacy in the centuries following Nicaea. Hundreds of thousands of Catholic priests, monks, and nuns have striven—some successfully, many unsuccessfully—to lead continent lives because their church has taught that sex and holiness are incompatible.
Significantly, the leading church authority, “Saint” Augustine, “identified original sin with sexual concupiscence.” True, most modern-day Catholic theologians no longer subscribe to this interpretation. But does not the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary and the law on compulsory celibacy for priests create the impression that sex is unclean? And has not the Vatican’s reiterated policy on divorce and birth control compounded the problem for millions of Catholics?
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