Dear Jerry:

1) One man, one woman has always been the plan of God for marriage. The multiple wife cases in the Old Testament were a result of local custom and/or politics (political alliances). This was not God's design for marriage. Moses allowed divorce because the the hard heartedness of the people. He allowed it to maintain order and to protect the women and children by having legal requirements for divorce. But, divorce was never God's design for marriage as Jesus pointed out.

2) Peter and most of the other disciples were already married when Jesus called them to be disciples. Tradition affirms, however, that they remained celibates (that is, chaste with their wives and lived as brother and sister) after they followed Christ. It is hard to believe in our current overly sex-charged society that married couples may agree to live as "brother and sister," but such agreements for the sake of religion was common in the early centuries of the Church. There are even some cases of saints who were married but by mutual agreement the husband went to a monastery and the wife went to a convent.

In any event, Jesus called whom he called according to His sovereign will and purpose. He was not concerned about them being married as marriage, in itself, is not a impediment to ministry and priesthood.

Nevertheless, we know that in the Bible Jesus mentions that some would be "eunuchs" for the Kingdom (Mt 19:12) and that St. Paul wisely observed that a married minister would have difficulties of neglecting either his wife or the Church. (1 Cor. 7:7, 17, 32-35). We can see from the Bible and from history that although celibacy was not an impediment to the priesthood, it was recommended even from the beginning.

While it was common to have married priests in the first 300 years or so (several Popes were married during those year), the practice of celibacy was also present in the first century and grew in popularity as the centuries progressed.

Among the early Church statements on the topic of sexual continence and celibacy are "Decreta" and "Cum in unum" of Pope Siricius (c. 385), which claimed that clerical sexual abstinence was an apostolic practice that must be followed by ministers of the church. Two Canons on the subject, applying to the Latin Rite, include:

• Council of Elvira (300-306)

(Canon 33): It is decided that marriage be altogether prohibited to bishops, priests, and deacons, or to all clerics placed in the ministry, and that they keep away from their wives and not beget children; whoever does this, shall be deprived of the honor of the clerical office.

• Council of Carthage (390)

(Canon 3): It is fitting that the holy bishops and priests of God as well as the Levites, i.e. those who are in the service of the divine sacraments, observe perfect continence, so that they may obtain in all simplicity what they are asking from God; what the Apostles taught and what antiquity itself observed, let us also endeavour to keep... It pleases us all that bishop, priest and deacon, guardians of purity, abstain from conjugal intercourse with their wives, so that those who serve at the altar may keep a perfect chastity.

Today, the Eastern Rite Catholics and the Orthodox continue as they have always done and allow married priests, but bishops must be celibate. It should be noted, however, that it have never been the case that a priest "can get married." In order for a priest to be married he must be married BEFORE he is ordained. Should his wife die, he cannot remarry and must remain celibate from then on.

The Latin Rite continues the discipline of celibate priests, but does allow some exceptions to that with some converts.

Permanent deacons, who received Holy Orders, may be married, but again they must be married BEFORE being ordained and must promise not to be remarried if their wife dies. There is an exception that allows a deacon to remarry for the sake of young children in his household.

This issue is purely disciplinary. The Church can maintain the rule of celibacy or remove that rule as she discerns is appropriate.

But, to those who claim that the Church does not have married clergy, they are wrong. Eastern Rite priests may be married, and there are some exceptions for married priests in the Latin Rite. Plus, Permanent deacons, who are clergy, may be married.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary