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.”
