Wednesday, January 15, 2014


Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

(I Samuel 3:1-10.19-20; Mark 1:29-39)

The reference in today’s gospel that Peter had a mother-in-law is the only indication that he was married.  Ironically, the Roman Catholic tradition, which looks to Peter as a key figure in its theology, has insisted on celibacy for a clerical norm whereas Protestant communities of faith find in Paul, the attested bachelor, its theological hero.  Of course, Jesus too was a committed celibate and defended that state of life as summoned by God on behalf of His kingdom.  One theologian thinks it necessary that celibacy be maintained as a discipline to preserve this insight of Jesus.

Still the argument for relaxing the discipline within the Catholic Church is cogent.  In both countries with a long Christian heritage and those where the Church is still getting started there is a shortage of priests.  Few doubt that ordaining married men would not result in a spike of vocations to the priesthood.  Counterarguments have weight also.  There are the traditional problems of patrimony to the offspring of the priest.  More forceful is celibacy’s concrete testimony of the priority of God in a world that is obsessed with issues of sexuality.

As Catholics we need be wary of simplistic ideas on either side of the argument for a married clergy.  Certainly many married men can perform the duties of a priest.  On the other hand, most married men will not want to live in extremely deprived areas where the gospel needs to be preached.  What is paramount is that we continue to “ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest field.”