Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in ordinary Time
(I Timothy 3:1-13; Luke 7:11-17)
Of all the qualities for a bishop named in the first reading
today, the most striking for Catholics today is that he be a man who is
“married only once.” Before one jumps to
the conclusion that Scripture prescribes a married clergy, it must be
remembered that the letter was written at a time when the offices of bishop, priest,
and deacon were still coalescing. There
were married clergy in the first Christian centuries, but they were expected,
at least in the writings of the time, not to have sexual relations with their
wives.
Allowing married men to become priests and bishops in masse might
resolve the shortage of clergy in many places today. However, it would no doubt open the door to
other problems like the scandal of clergy divorces. A stronger reason to keep the current
discipline of celibacy is the witness that it gives in a world supersaturated
with sex. People need models of happy
lives that don’t seek pleasure in viewing pornography or find sexual
satisfaction an essential for personal fulfillment.
Sexuality is a large and mysterious dimension of human
life. Many tread there naively causing serious
injury to themselves and society. We should
strive to have a Christian point of view regarding sex and then to pray for the
grace to live it.
