Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/541

 CELIBACY

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CELIBACY

pirated existence. But such a comparison applied to an intellectual being like man is hardly more than puerile, and if the argument is pressed we might an- swer that, as horticulturists are well aware, some of the most beautiful and highly-developed of the natu- ral products of our flower-gardens are only to be obtained at the sacrifice of their fertility. The argu- ment if anything tells the other way. The one serious objection against the law of clerical celibacy is the difficulty which its observance presents for all but men of exceptionally strong character and high prin- ciple.

Such writers as Dr. H. C. Lea and M. Chavard have set themselves to gather up all the scandalous excesses which have been charged against a celibate priesthood since the beginning of the Middle Ages. It has been their aim to show that the observance of continence in a much-exposed life is beyond the strength of the average man. and that consequently to bind the rank and file of the clergy by such a law is only to open the door to irregularities and abuses far more derogatory to the priestly character than the toleration of honourable marriage could possibly be. They urge that, in point of fact, the law during long periods of time has become a dead letter through- out the greater part of Christendom, and that its only result has been to force the priest into courses of licence and hypocrisy which have nibbed him of all power to influence men for good. As to the historical evidence upon which such charges are based, there will probably always be much difference of opinion. The anti-clerical animus which prompts a certain type of mind to rake these scandals together, and to revel in and exaggerate their prurient details, is ai least as marked as the tendency on the part of the Church's apologists to ignore these uncomfortable pages of his- tory altogether. In any case, it may be said in reply, that the observance of continence with substantial fidelity by a numerous clergy, even for centuries to- gether, is assuredly not beyond the strength of human nature when elevated by prayer and strengthened by Divine grace. Not to speak of such countries as Ire- land ami Germany, where, it might be contended, the admixture with other creeds tends to put the Catholic clergy unduly upon their mettle, we might turn to the example of France or Belgium during the last century. Xo candid student of history who reviews this period will hesitate to admit that the immense majority of many thousands of secular priests in these two coun- tries have led lives which are clean and upright, in accordance with their professions. We prove it not only by the good report which they have enjoyed with all moderate men. by the tone of respectable novelists who have portrayed them in fiction, by the testimony of foreign residents, and by the compara- tively ran' occurrence of scandals, but, what is most striking of all. we argue from the tributes paid to (heir integrity by former associates who have themselves severed their connexion with the Catholic Church, men, for example, like M. LoVBOn (I'ere II yacinthe i or M. Ernest Kenan. Speaking of the wholesale charges of incontinence often levelled against a celi- bate priesthood, \I. Kenan remarks: "The fact is that what is commonly said about the morality of the clergy is. so far as my experience goes, absolutely devoid of foundation. I spent thirteen years of my life under the charge of priests, and I never saw the shadow of a scandal \jr n'ai pus VIA i 'ombre it' tin sron- dalc]: I have known no priests but good priests. The ional may possibly be productive of evil in some countries, but I saw no trace of it in my life as an ecclesiastic (Renan, Souvenirs d'Enfance et de

Jeunesse. p. ] | 0,

Similarly M. Loyson. when seeking to justify his own marriage, does not attempt to suggest that the obligation of celibacy was beyond the strength of the average man, or that the Catholic clergy lived other-

wise than chastely. On the contrary, he writes: "I am well aware of the true state of our clergy. I know of the self-sacrifice and virtues within its ranks." His line of argument is that the priest needs to be reconciled with the interests, the affections, and the duties of human nature ; which seems to mean that he ought to be made less spiritual and more earthly. " It is only", he says, "by tearing himself away from the traditions of a blind asceticism, and of a theocracy still more political than religious, that the priest will become once more a man and a citizen. He will find himself at the same time more truly a priest." We are not contending that the high moral standard con- spicuous in the clergy of France and Belgium is to be found in an equally-marked degree all over the world. Our argument is that the observance of celibacy is not only possible for the few called to be monks and enjoying the special safeguards of the monastic life, but that it is not beyond the strength of a great body of men numbered by tens of thousands, and recruited, as the French and Belgian clergy mostly are, from the ranks of the industrious peasantry. We have no wish to deny or to palliate the very low level of moral- ity to which at different periods of the world's history, and in different countries calling themselves Chris- tian, the Catholic priesthood has occasionally sunk, but such scandals are no more the effect of compul- sory celibacy than the prostitution, which is every- where rampant in our great cities, is the effect of our marriage laws. We do not abolish Christian mar- riage because so large a proportion of mankind are not faithful to the restraints which it imposes on human concupiscence. No one in his heart believes that civilized nations would be cleaner or purer if polygamy were substituted for monogamy. Neither is there any reason to suppose that scandals would lie fewer and the clergy more respected if Catholic priests were per- mitted to marry.

History of Clerical Celibacy. — First Period. — Turning now to the historical development of the present law of celibacy, we must necessarily begin with St. Paul's direction (I Tim., iii, 2, 12, and Titus. i, 6) that a bishop or a deacon should be " the hus- band of one wife ' '. These passages seem fatal to any contention that celibacy was made obligatory upon the clergy from the beginning, but on the other hand, the Apostle's desire that other men might be as him- self (I Cor., vii, 7-8, already quoted) precludes the in- ference that he wished all ministers of the Gospel to be married. The words beyond doubt mean that the fitting candidate was a man who, amongst other quali- ties which St. Paul enunciates as likely to make his authority respected, possessed also such stability of character as was shown, in those days of frequent divorce, by remaining faithful to one wife. The di- rection is therefore restrictive, not injunctive; it ex- eludes men who have married more than once, but it does not impose marriage as a necessary condition. This freedom of choie, seems to have lasted during tin' whole of what we may call, with Vacandard, the first period of the Church's legislation, i.e. down to about the time of Constantine and the Council of Nic;ea.

A strenuous attempt has indeed been made by some writers, of whom the late Professor Bickell was the most distinguished, to prove that even at this early date the Church exacted celibacy of all her min- isters of the higher grades. But the contrary view, represented by such scholars as Punk and Kraus, much better founded and has won general ac-

ceptance of recent years. It is not. of course, dis- puted that at all times virginity was held in honour, and that in particular larce numbers of the clergy practised it or separated from their wives if they were already married. Tcrtulhan comments with admira- tion upon the number of those in sacred orders who have embraced continence (De exhortatione castita-