Communio . . .
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April 27, 2008
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To strengthen our shared life in Christ
through mutual participation and the free exchange of ideas.
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Community of St. Malachi, 2459 Washington Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-2380. www.stmalachi.org
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Communio Archive
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The Sin of Celibacy? – A
Synopsis
by Dr.
Joseph Torma
(Dr. Torma is a social
and pastoral theologian and professor at Walsh University
in North Canton. The following is reprinted with his
permission. He can be reached at jtorma@walsh.edu.
Thanks to Bill Schubmehl for passing this along.)
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Now that I’ve got your attention, I’ll clarify the meaning of the
title of this article. It doesn’t refer to celibacy in itself, but
rather to the possibility that the official church requirement of celibacy
for western-rite priests might constitute, at this time, a “social sin”
on the part of the institution.
The reasoning for this is simple and based on the moral category of “sin
by omission.”
Individually we tend to focus on “sins of commission,” even though,
since Vatican II, our Confiteor has included a reference to sinning “in
what I have failed to do.” And since we don’t tend to think of
ourselves as responsible for the actions of the organization to which we
belong, we neglect, also, to apply the category of omission to the Church.
We know that the Church, as an organization, has sinned in the past. The
Crusades and the Inquisition come immediately to mind. Pope John Paul
II apologized profusely for these and other sins of the Church.
Why could the mandatory celibacy requirement be considered a social (or
structural) sin on the part of the institution? We simply have to ask the
general question: “If someone, or some organization, could supply
something that is needed for a “truly human life” and refused to do
so, would we not call that a sin of omission?”
There are, therefore, two elements to be considered here – need and
possibility.
That there is a need at this time for more clergy in the western church
(at least in many sectors) seems to be a given. Because of the lack of
clergy, small communities that are appropriate for koinonia are
either being merged into larger groups or are going without a resident
pastor, one who can lead the community in both its life and its
sacramental worship.
That the western church could ordain married men to the priesthood is
clear from the fact that it already has thousands of married clergy,
although they are deacons, and because the eastern rites have always had
married priests. The lack of an adequate number of priests in the western
church is, then, a deliberate choice of the institution’s leadership.
The institution may say that the good of having a celibate priesthood
outweighs the disadvantages of not having enough priests. The sensus
fidelium is that this is not true – that what is not universally
required (celibacy) can not substitute for something that is universally
required (adequate leadership).
What we have is a difference of judgment between the leadership and the
faithful. What we do not have, generally, is a discussion of the issue
using the category of “sin.”
I believe that using this category in the discussion would bring to the
common consciousness the fact that this is not just an issue of
institutional personnel preference, but a basic moral one.
I also believe that the conclusion to be drawn in favor of a married
clergy is at least as clear and basic, in terms of ecclesiological
morality, as the conclusion against abortion is in terms of individual
morality.
At least let us discuss the issue of celibacy in these terms!
A Final Comment from Bill Schubmehl – “Regarding celibacy,
how does anyone who claims that celibacy is important to the practice
of the priesthood explain that the first Pope had a mother-in-law?
Matt. 8:14 Mark 1:30 Luke 4:38”
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I Am the Vine, You Are the Branches
by Edith Stein
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(The following was sent in by Jackie Bluett.
Jackie found this in The Daily Gospel. For those supporting their
cause, you can send a tax-deductible
donation directly at The Daily Gospel,
6375 New Hope RD, New Hope, KY 40052.)
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A message from Jackie:
The clustering process is difficult. It is also a good thing in many ways.
I cannot imagine we would have so much discussion about what Church is
without clustering. We seem to be paying more attention to how we
experience Church. Recently, I was grateful to find this experience from
Edith Stein in my email one morning. This is one of the ways I want to
experience Church.
The notion of the Church as community of the faithful is the most
accessible to human reason. Whoever believes in Christ and His gospel,
hopes for the fulfillment of His promises, clings to Him in love, and
keeps His commandments must unite with all who are like-minded in the
deepest communion of mind and heart. Those who adhered to the Lord during
His stay on earth were the early seeds of the great Christian community;
they spread that community and that faith which held them together, until
they have been inherited by us today through the process of time.
But, if even a natural human community is more than a loose union of
single individuals, if even here we can verify a movement developing into
a kind of organic unit, it must be still more true of the supernatural
community of the Church. The union of the soul with Christ differs from
the union among people in the world: it is a rooting and growing in Him
(so we are told by the parable of the vine and the branches) which begins
in baptism, and which is constantly strengthened and formed through the
sacraments in diverse ways. However this real union with Christ implies
the growth of a genuine community among all Christians. Thus the Church
forms the Mystical Body of Christ. The Body is a living Body, and the
spirit which gives the Body life is Christ's spirit, streaming from the
head to all parts (Eph 5,23.30). The spirit which Christ radiates is the
Holy Spirit; the Church is thus the temple of the Holy Spirit (Eph
2,21-22).
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May You Feel God’s Love Today
by Robert L. Rossman
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(Robert is a member of the Community of St. Malachi.)
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When you discover some upsetting news,
And you face tough decisions not knowing what to do,
Then is the time to hear the answer from God within you,
And feel God’s love today!
When some type of sickness enters your life,
And you experience many days of strife,
Then is the time to pray to God within you,
And feel God’s love today!
When a special relationship suffers a pain,
And you really struggle to make a gain,
Then is the time to hear encouragement from God within you,
And feel God’s love today!
When someone you know needs a lot of care,
And you are not sure how to share,
Then is the time to listen to the solution from God within you,
And tell them, “May you feel God’s love today!”
When life seems to turn real bad,
And you cannot overcome feeling very sad,
Then is the time to have faith in God within you,
And feel God’s love today!
When a loved one’s life comes to an end,
And you have no more tears to shed,
Then is the time to embrace God within you,
And feel God’s love today!
When things in life are going well,
And you have many good stories to tell,
Then is the time to thank God within you,
And feel God’s love today!
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Community of St. Malachi, 2459 Washington Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-2380
216-781-3110 www.stmalachi.org
Sunday Community Mass 11 a.m. Parish Masses Sat. 4:30 p.m., Sun. 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m.
Holy day: Vigil 5:30 p.m., 7 a.m., noon. Weekday: 7 a.m., noon. Legal Holiday: 9 a.m.
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For information on the Sacraments, please call the Community Office.
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