For years now, I have been lamenting the overdose of sex and sexual themes in modern society (advertising, education, movies, music, etc.). It seems the more we talk about sex, the less we understand it. Now (because this is all part of the devil's evil plan of attack on the Church) we have a sex scandal that is even bigger than the one back in 2002. Sex, sex, sex, and a bit more sex.
I have felt at the end of almost every day for the past few months that I need to clean my brain after hearing more and more about this and that sexual scandal. What I fear at this time is that there will be some calling for a re-examination of priestly celibacy. Now, given that I am one of the few priests in North America who has been given special permission to be ordained (in spite of my impediment of marriage) it may seem to many of my readers that I will be in support of a change in the custom of celibacy as the norm for priests. That is, most emphatically, not the case.
There are many who have already spoken about the idea that celibacy encourages immoral inclinations and thus leads priests and bishops to fall more easily into sexual sin. I have seen this false claim pop up in a few places already, and it worries me. I can confidently say that I am happy to understand the graces of marriage as well as the graces of holy orders, and that they are hard to keep in balance. I truly respect and appreciate my brother priests who are celibate.
Opening the doors for more married priests will not help with the sexual abuse problem in the slightest manner. This is so because celibacy is not the problem; the combination of a poorly formed conscience and a lack of sexual self-control are the problem. If a man does not have his sexual appetite under control he will not do well in the priesthood. The Church forbids men with homosexual desires to enter holy orders, and this is because both homosexual desires and the practice of sodomy are gravely disordered. Therefore, a man whose sexuality is gravely disordered cannot properly lead the people of God in holiness.
Celibacy for priests is a perfectly godly practice if the man's sexuality is under control. No I am not saying the man must be a living saint, but he must be properly ordered toward heterosexuality and be able to control himself as the norm (and be completely penitent if he ever fails in this). The need for him to "like women" is because that is the natural order that God has created for men (both married and celibate), and if he cannot abide by this, he cannot rightly understand human relations at all. Anything less is asking for disaster (both for the priest and for the people under his care).
Likewise, marriage is a perfectly godly practice if the couple's sexuality is under control. If either of them are not in control of their sexual appetite, then the marriage will not do well (I have counseled many couples in problematic marriages who can prove this point). Lack of self control is not only a problem for single people or for priests. We all must be chaste in accord with whatever state in life God has put us in. Scripture is very clear that sexual sin impacts everything that we do and think.
Recognizing that both of these two practices are holy, we must also look at the other side of things. Sodomy is a completely sinful practice under any circumstances and can never be seen as merely "how God made someone" (He does not -- it is a sinful choice) or allowable "given the circumstances". It is always wrong, whether between consenting adults (who can never be validly married regardless of what the Supreme Court of the US claims) or especially with minors. Therefore, any (yes, any) sexuality outside of marriage is sinful.
In the same way child molestation is a completely sinful practice under any circumstances and is an even more grave form of evil than most other sexual sins. The slightest signs of a problem in this area should immediately eliminate a seminarian from further pursuing holy orders, and it should mean immediate removal from active assignment for a priest (and possibly laicization). If a person's understanding of sexuality is not fully in accord with dogmatic Church teaching, then that person should not be leading God's people.
It will be no help to our current situation if celibacy is lessened as a practice for the priesthood; there will be no good done if we try to loosen the rules for holy orders. At times like this, we must become more strict, not less so. Even allowing the practice of greater allowance for married men to become priests will not help, since marriage does not help to overcome sexual problems (as I have said before, I counsel just as many married people with sexual issues as single people--lack of self control, is lack of self control, regardless of your state in life).
I want the Church to retain her custom of celibacy, but she needs to do so in connection with a heavily enforced practice of forming the self-control of a seminarian's sexuality. We need to teach and practice exactly what the Church says (and has always said) and not give in to any "sodomite mafia". Does that mean that we may be persecuted? Probably. Does it mean that the world will hate us? Definitely. But is that not what Jesus said when He told us what it means to be His disciples?
