Introduction
So much has been written about clerical celibacy and so much is still being written by men and women of unquestionable authority, that one hardly sees anything new to add. Nevertheless, as a son of the Church in Africa, I feel that I have the right, freedom and duty to say what I think about it.
From what has been written there appear to be three attitudes towards clerical celibacy as it exists in the Church today.
So much has been written about clerical celibacy and so much is still being written by men and women of unquestionable authority, that one hardly sees anything new to add. Nevertheless, as a son of the Church in Africa, I feel that I have the right, freedom and duty to say what I think about it.
From what has been written there appear to be three attitudes towards clerical celibacy as it exists in the Church today.
First, there are those who would like the law of celibacy to be left as it is; secondly, there are those who would like to see it completely abolished, because they do not see how the Church can reconcile with St. Paul making celibacy obligatory for the clergy (1Cor. 7:35); and thirdly, there are those who steer a middle course and would like to see clerical celibacy left optional.
I am not going to propose anything new or different from what the others have said. My purpose is simply to state my views about the place of clerical celibacy for I am convinced that celibacy still has meaning for the Church. I will do this by borrowing a lot from the Sacred Scripture which is the source of all our Christian belief and practices.
If we want to examine the meaning of celibacy in the modern world which is an “uniquely Christian Institution in the Church,” 1we should first of all, take the Holy Scripture in our hands and read it with the following questions in mind: Are there some examples of, or allusions to the celibate life among Jesus’ disciples? Is it true that celibacy as a condition of Catholic ministry is merely an ecclesiastical law? Does the observation of celibacy in the Catholic Church especially bearing in mind that although in antiquity virginity was given a moral value it was never considered to be a perpetual way of life2.
Secondly, the main stream of Judaism looked on celibacy as an abnormal state. Furthermore, to be unmarried and childless were not only understood as a sign of a lack of God’s blessing (Gen. 27:17) but also were considered as an object of shame (Gen. 30:23; Is. 4:1; 54:4; Jdg. 11:37-40). It was not allowed to have any castrated animal offered as a sacrifice (Lev. 22:14) or for eunuchs to act as priests. Eunuchs were excluded from the community of the people of God (Deut. 23: 1-9) and they needed a special consolation (Is. 56:3-5).
Finally, we should now ask ourselves why celibacy has risen up in the Christian community to represent the highest value in social life? The questions which have been raised and demand an answer can be summed up in this basic question: Why should Christians keep celibacy in their life in spite of receiving the commandment; “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it” (Gen. 1:28)? To give a convincing answer to such a question, we must on the one hand, take in our hands the OT to see whether there is any biblical reference to celibacy? If there are, in what circumstances was it observed? On the other hand, we must examine the fulfillment of the promises and prophecies in the NT in order to see the place celibacy took in Jesus’ own life, his teaching on celibacy, and the teaching of the apostles and the understanding of celibacy by the first Christians in the early Church.
The understanding of celibacy in the Old Testament
Every attentive reader of the Bible can discover references of celibacy in the Holy Scripture. It is true that marriage was unconditional obligation for every Israelite to have children. Consequently, celibacy was considered as an act against a divine commandment (Gen. 1:28). Fortunately, there are some texts even in the Pentateuch, which shed light on our question. Moses himself was accused by his sister Miriam and Aaron of not having any intercourse with his wife Zipporah and that he had thus violated his marital obligation (Num. 12:8). But God himself justified the conduct of Moses who had received the divine words in a unique way and held a special status as mediator between Yahweh and His people3. The event itself and its explanation suggest the necessity and priority for every man to follow the will of God even above marriage duties in order to realize his mission. God’s teaching was observed by Moses who had received the divine word4 and held a unique relationship with God5 .
The idea of the value of celibacy seems to have developed through centuries but was especially developed in the Isaiah prophecy (56: 3-6) where the old regulations given in Deut. 23:2 were new conditions to fulfill if one wanted to be counted among God’s people, to seek God’s will and communicate his spiritual vitality to others6. The idea of celibacy seemed to have developed through the understanding of the community, which was no longer an individual nation, but the community of God. So, God Himself gave the promise to the eunuch: “ I give him in my house a monument and a name” (Is. 56:4). His name and monument would be connected not with sons and daughters but with the Temple and with the community in which he was living. God gives to him a name, which was honored by the Temple’s community. More than this, it would be an enduring name, which would not be blotted out. The new community developed into anew form of association, which was no longer identical with the old concept of the chosen people (Is. 40-66). It was a community which was referred to the New Covenant where God said: “ I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you: I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead” (Ezek. 36: 26). It is not surprising therefore that ancient and modern interpreters recognized here the Old Testament teachings on consecrated virginity.
Virginity was considered in a special religious sense: as a means of contact with the deity who was the giver of fruitfulness or as a symbol of woman being set among the constalation of the stars (Babylonian); also it represented young and flowering life and strict innocence in which the power of the deity was manifested and had a particular effect on the gods7. Virginity constituted a special relationship between God and people according to both pagan and Jewish cultures showing that virginity was believed to have a special role with religious power and value. It is not so surprising that Mathew 1:23 used the text of Isaiah 7:14 as the fulfillment of the prophetic expectations of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ8. We may conclude that the messianic interpretations of Isaiah 7:14 is delivered not only from the original text and the existence of virginal tradition of the text, but is also interwoven with themes from religion history9 and from the conviction that the messianic hope had been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The fulfillment of revelation in the person of Jesus of Nazareth has proved that in fact the word ‘ha’alma’ (young girl) referred to a virgin in the strict sense (Mat. 1:18 -23). So the conception of virginity with messianic expectation and fulfillment in Christ stresses the special role of virginity in the new community.
If these arguments are correct, then the idea of virginity linked to the messianic expectations is clear to us. Although the idea of virginity as the state of life is not common in the OT it plays an important role in the understanding of God; as revelation on earth (Num. 12:8), which is found in a special way in the new form of the covenant. We may of course, be convinced that the idea of virginity and its role in the life of Jesus is referred to by Jesus Himself (Mat. 19:11-12) and the early Church as the way of life for Christ’s priests.
THE MEANING OF CELIBACY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
It is not a secret but common knowledge that the purpose of the New Testament is to show who Jesus of Nazareth is. St. Mark as well as St. Mathew stress that in Jesus of Nazareth God finally brings to completion all that he has done in Israel and fulfils all the promises of the Old Testament10. Thus, first of all, Jesus observed virginity, which has already been observed in the OT as the way of the Messiah. Secondly, the virginity conception in the Lukan gospel as well as in the Mathew announcement to Joseph is clearly formulated11. Thirdly, Jesus Himself never married. This tradition is not only founded in the Gospel but also in the Apocryphal Literature12. Finally, Jesus’ teaching does not merely deal with praising those who left their families for the sake of the Gospel (Mat. 19:29; Mk. 10:29-30) and stressing the principle that the kingdom of God takes precedence over all these loyalties (Mat. 8:21-23; 13:44-46), but also deal with celibacy (Mat. 19:11-12) in his teaching on marriage. These teachings suggest without any exaggeration, the idea of celibacy for Jesus’ disciples too.
JESUS OWN LIFE IN ISRAEL
Every Christian tradition states that Jesus never married. He is not, of course, opposed to marriage. He does not warn against marriage but on the contrary he attends a wedding in order to start his work. He did not only change water into wine but through this sign shows that He is, the one sent by the Father. The act of Cana symbolized the messianic day and both wedding and banquet are symbols of Messianic fulfillment. We find Jesus in Cana at the wedding working a miracle and using the symbol of a new wine. He compares the old time with the messianic times and his new teaching13. So, the unmarried Jesus went to the family or the wedding not to emphasize the commandment of God (Gen. 1:28) where marriage was not merely permitted but a duty. He comes to realize the plan of salvation and so implement the mission he had been given by His Father.
Furthermore in blessing the children (Mk. 10:13-16; Mt. 19:13-16) Jesus shows that the life of celibacy brings God’s blessing and stresses that people become the people of God not only through the Sinai Covenant but also through the incarnation of the word into the world, they become God’s children (Jn. 1:12). Jesus was unmarried emphasizes the sayings: “Truly I tell you whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child shall not enter into it” (Mat. 19:15) and if you do not turn or become like children you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus an unmarried man speaks with the woman who was ritually impure according to Jewish custom (Jn. 4:1-2). The disciples were shocked to see Jesus holding a conversation with a woman (Jn. 4:27). But Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman led her to believe that Jesus is really the Savior of the world. We see her, as well as Nicodemus to whom Jesus also unfolds his revelation, and she seems to understand Jesus’ claims against the background of Samaritan expectations. So, Jesus the unmarried, is going to people of different levels of the social scale and even to people with different mentality as to preach to them salvation. Thus, in his mission of bringing about the realization of the kingdom of God, there was no room for marriage and conjugal love for any woman. Furthermore, not only does Jesus fulfill the Messianic promises about celibacy but also he develops it in his mission. So, his celibate life is not only the continuation and the connection of Messianic idea about Jesus of Nazareth but also, it is demanded by Jesus’ mission to preach the kingdom of God in order to bring salvation to the people who become the children of God through adoption.
JESUS TEACHING ON CELIBACY
If we look carefully at Jesus of Nazareth we see that he is a teacher of the law meaning that he was essentially a divine teacher who gives a new interpretation of the law. His teaching is the fulfillment of OT’s hope that God’s Kingdom is approaching.
But above all he is the teacher because the listener can, without any difficulty see for himself the truth of his words and is aware of Jesus’ authority. Finally, Jesus is a giver of freedom, which leads to a new liberty in which an individual believer in Jesus exposes himself to the power of God’s love. So, celibacy is not only observed in Jesus’ life itself but also in the public ministry i.e. in his teaching which has been described by Mathew 19:11-12.
As we know the idea of celibacy throws light on the question of marriage in the OT and Jesus’ teaching on marriage throws light on the question of celibacy in the NT. Jesus himself did not accept the negative view in understanding celibacy according to the Jewish tradition as we read in Mathew 19:11-12 which has no problem elsewhere in the Gospels. Here we should stress Mathew’s intention considering the whole question of celibacy as a condition of discipleship in certain special cases. Mathew in explaining celibacy in the Christian Church refers back to the time when Jesus was on earth and distinguished between three groups of celibacy: “There are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can” (Mat. 19:12). These last mortify the flesh by self-discipline. It is really striking to hear the contemptuous term ‘eunuch’ if we keep in mind the whole negative tradition which understood the unmarried state as lacking the blessing of God and the duty to fulfill the commandment of God which people had received when they were created by God (Gen. 1:28). We may also say that Jesus’ teaching is deliberately shocking to the disciples and even to the Christian community of today speaking as it does of self-mutilation. But fortunately Jesus intended to stress that his radical teaching is not to be accepted by everyone but by those to whom it is given (Mt. 19:11). Thus there is at least the implication of voluntary celibacy, which is, of course, limited only to one who would devote himself to the kingdom of heaven. “Let anyone accept this who can” (Mt. 19:12) shows awareness of the challenge and also Jesus specifies the purpose for which this choice could be taken by his disciples. We can understand as Mathew did that the sayings of Jesus intended not to evade the obligation of matrimony but to leave one free for unhampered service to work for the kingdom of God.
It is, of course, that the primary meaning of words “ made themselves eunuchs” would be a contemptuous reference to those who acted contrary to the Moses’ Law (Deut. 23: 1-9) but according to Yahweh’s explanation of the Moses’ story (Num. 12:1-12) it is God’s will to call as his ‘servant-persons’ even those unfit for marriage so that there are those who deliberately choose celibacy for the sake of God’s will. Thus, we may agree that celibacy can be preferable to marriage but not by many. The state of celibacy is not always one’s own choice but it is possible for one to renounce marriage, because of the kingdom of God.
Jesus invites to perpetual continence those who are prepared to make this sacrifice to give them greater assurance of entrance into the kingdom of heaven and to serve it better. So, Jesus himself stresses two ways of life for his disciples: the way of indissoluble marriage and way of celibacy for those who accept it and can.
The state of virginity is not only a way of life but also a great gift, which is closely connected with the freedom of disciples who learn detachment in accepting the great challenge, and it also requires purity of intention. So, the gift of celibacy is offered and left to the generosity of man and woman in Christianity. Jesus does not demand a physical operation but the deliberate decision to refrain from marriage so as to be free to devote one’s entire life to the bringing about of kingdom.
This explanation does not deny the normal place of marriage in God’s plan of salvation but only stresses that the work of kingdom is so urgent that a few must forego normal family ties.
It is possible to say that celibacy is a state of virginity for a small group of Christians who have accepted voluntarily celibacy for the sake of greater freedom in the service of the Gospel. Celibacy is not a renunciation of marriage or a way of evading the obligations of matrimony and one’s obligation to the community which was expressed by God (Gen. 1:28) but it is a fulfilling of the will of God which was stressed in the beginning (Gen. 3: 1-24). Celibate people are aware that to forgo marriage loosens one not only from bonds to the Law and evil but also from the purpose of creation: it corresponds to the consummation of the new corporality. Jesus disciples did not get married because they were so entirely engaged in the present coming of the kingdom. In this way, we can better understand Jesus’ saying, “if anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Mat. 10:37). The strange word “hate” should be interpreted as “love” above all else the kingdom of God. Thus, “anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will loose it: anyone who looses his life for my sake will find it” (Mat. 10:38-39). We may say that celibacy is not only the result of following the will of God but also the act of love by which Jesus’ disciples give themselves to God as his servants in order to bring about the kingdom of God on earth.
TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES AND UNDERSTANDING OF CELIBACY BY FIRST CHRISTIANS
The problem of celibacy not only in theory but also in practice was taken up by St. Paul, who places a high value on celibacy unlike the position taken by official Judaism. This Apostle of the nations did not only suggest celibacy but he highly recommended it: “It is good thing for a man not to touch a woman” (1 Cor. 7:1). It does not mean that the apostle has denounced marriage or sexual relations between man and woman; St. Paul states only that it is good thing not to engage in it. Thus, St. Paul has approved through that expression that both Jesus’ teaching of celibacy (Mt. 19:11-12) and the practice of celibacy itself in the Church is not only a question for 21st century but has existed since the beginning of Christianity. The best example of St. Paul’s teaching which immediately springs to mind is, and the right to take a Christian woman around with us, like all other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas.” (1 Cor. 9:5) St. Paul declares that to take a wife is the right of everyone and he even adds “like the other apostles but he himself clearly feels that his own choice of celibacy is wiser, seeing that the married man is anxious about many affairs, how to please his wife and so his interests are divided (1Cor. 7:32).
St. Paul already expressed the wish that “all were as I myself am” (1Cor. 7:7). It is true, we see here an element of idealism that struck a chord in Paul the Apostle of the nations. It seems to be a life of sexual asceticism (1 Cor. 7-8) and he personally believed that someone like him could give undivided attention to the Lord (1 Cor, 7:32-35) and live a more ordered, less worried, less troubled and happier life (1 Cor. 7: 28; 32; 35; 40). We should note that this kind of asceticism does not arise from idealism at all, but from an understanding of the role of Christianity in the world and of St. Paul’s position in the Corinthian community. There is no hint of any double moral standard. Neither is there any reference to an idea of poverty or to the virtue of asceticism but as St. Paul said: “each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another” (1 Cor.7:7). This is of course the spirit of Jesus’ saying that not all men can accept this state of life but only those to whom it is given.
Celibacy is a charism, a special gift given to certain individuals. The practice of celibacy, therefore should be reserved only for those who show signs of having been gifted by God for this way of life (1 Cor. 7:6). Celibacy should be kept only by those who are called to it by God. Consequently, celibacy was only to be practiced in the way which Jesus had instructed (Mathew 19:11-12, that is, as a charism given for the sake of service and was not to be understood as a prerequisite for service or legally required. In St. Paul’s thinking, the idea of celibacy as also of permanent abstainance from sex necessarily required the free choice of those disciples called to it. To understand St. Paul’s teaching of the value of virginity one must study it in the eschatological framework in which St. Paul places it. Since in the Risen Lord humanity is already glorified and redeemed, so after the resurrection there will be neither marrying nor giving in marriage (Mat. 22:23). Therefore, virginity is a better state of life for a Christian than marriage since virginity already anticipates the life of the resurrection and so places the baptized existentially in the future. Celibacy and virginity being free from the cares of family, gives already in this life a participation in the perfect consecration to God in body and spirit that will characterize the life of the glory (1Cor. 7:32-34). Celibacy as also virginity lived in order to carry on the Lord’s work in the world is seen in the perspective of our life in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
St. Paul’s statement on celibacy is also supported by the understanding of marriage as the indissoluble marriage by Christians from the beginning of Christianity until today. As Jesus of Nazareth taught about marriage and again about celibacy as a state and the separate way of life even if it was in opposition to the tradition of the OT and to the Jewish point of view as unqualified duty for a man. Thus, although St. Paul exalts celibacy above the married state, yet he openly and decidedly rejects the view that marriage is a sin (1Cor. 7:9;28;36).
If we want, therefore, to understand better and more deeply the question of celibacy we must consider not only the direct references to it in the NT but also the indirect ones. Jesus’ own life and his teaching speak of celibacy for the kingdom of God. Furthermore, his teaching about indissolubility of marriage implies the possibility of temporarily celibacy by both partners of a marriage, since any intercourse with another man or woman is adultery (Mk. 10:1-10; Mat. 5:31-32; 19:1-10; Lk. 16:18).
PUBLIC OPINION ON CELIBACY IN AFRICA
It is appropriate here for the reader to wish to know what Africans today thinks about celibacy. The actual general attitude of Africans over the whole continent is very difficult to know. One must be acquainted with the mentality of all the different peoples of Africa in order to make an exact assessment of their attitude towards celibacy. Such knowledge would entail a more profound investigation than I am capable of doing with this short reflection. The little I can say about the African attitude towards celibacy is taken from books, reviews and conversations with my fellow African priests.
One would have to distinguish between Catholics and non-Catholics. Some of non-Catholics while admiring the life of celibacy among Catholic priests find it difficult to believe that they really live up to the law of celibacy. They remain skeptical about the fidelity of priests to this law, because they cannot understand how a normal man can live without a wife. For this reason they sometimes tend to be cynical and to deride the priest and to consider him as a kind of half-man.
Among Catholic Christians on the whole, celibacy is admired and held in high esteem. The Christians will do anything to help a priest to live up to the law of celibacy and they are greatly disturbed when a priest fails in this.
Among the African clergy, there are some who think that the law of celibacy should be left optional and that if anyone living celibate life who thinks that he has made a mistake in choosing this life, the door should be left open for him to live an ordinary life. But by and large, the majority of the African clergy would like in spite of the difficulties involved, which they know and appreciate very well, to see the law of celibacy remain as it is. They understand and appreciate its value and meaning for the Church in Africa and indeed live up to it.
As a whole then we can say that the Catholics in Africa do not look at the law of celibacy as a thing alien and imposed to them; but they look at it as a religious value which they have accepted and to which they have gradually accommodated it.
Celibacy then is a value and still has meaning for the Church in Africa. But since since it is not essentially bound up with the priestly office, the Church can change her law and allow her priests to marry. If she does so, however, it will not be because the Church in Africa has rejected the value of celibacy or because it has proved impossible for her children.
CONCLUSION
Thus we can say that the idea of celibacy, first of all, is found in the revelation of Messiah as his special function in the kingdom of God. Secondly, celibacy is willed by God in order to develop the relationship between God and the community. Thirdly, not only did Jesus of Nazareth himself live a celibate life but also taught his disciples to choose it voluntarily in order to serve better the kingdom of God. Fourthly, celibacy, as a state of life, is a special gift given to some disciples. Fifthly, the New Testament teaches that marriage and celibacy are two different ways of life for Jesus’ disciples: the way of indissoluble marriage and the way of celibacy. Sixthly, St. Paul was one of the first Christians who lived the celibate life for the sake of the kingdom of God. And finally, even if Jesus’ followers have got married they should temporarily keep celibacy because any sexual intercourse with another man or woman is adultery. So, celibacy is not a creation of Christians but it has its roots in the source of divine revelation, Jesus’ life and teaching, and the belief of the Early Church. Thus celibacy should be observed by Jesus’ disciples as a gift for the sake of the kingdom of God.
1 P. Delhaye, History of celibacy, New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. III, Washington, Jack Heraty & Associates, 1981, p. 369.
2 Virgins were consecrated to a female deity for a time, no longer than 30 years as in the case of the six Roman Vestals. Unmarried people were punished by loosing their civil rights and being given menial tasks in Sparta or they had to pay taxes and were even deprived of parental inheritance in the Roman Empire. See Delhaye, op. cit., p. 369.
3 J. Marsh, The Book of Numbers, The Interpreter’s Bible, vol., II, G.A. Buttrick, Nashville, Abingdon Press, 1953, p. 201.
4 M. North, Numbers, Philadelphia, Westminster Press, 1982, p. 92.
5 M. North, op. cit., p.96.
6 J. Schineider, Eunuchs, Theological Dictionary of New Testament, vol. II, G. Kittel, Michigan, Eedmans Publishing Company, 1980, p. 766.
7 G. Delling, parthenos, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. V, op. cit. pp. 827-831.
8 R.E. Brown, S.S., The Birth of the Messiah, New York, Doubleday & Company, 1977, pp. 143-153.
9 O. Kaiser, Isaiah 1-12, Philaphedia, Westminister Press, 1972, p. 100.
10 E. Schweizer, Jesus, London, SCM Press, 1971, pp. 127-132.
11 J.A. Fitzmayer, The Gospel according to Luke I-XI, New York, Doubleday & Company, 1981, p. 338.
12 O. Collmann, The Book of James-Infancy Gospel, New Testament Apocrypha, vol. 1, E. Hennecke, Philadelphia, Westminster Press, 1963, pp. 304-417.
13 R.E. Brown, S.S., The Gospel according to John, London, Geoffrey Chapman, 1978, pp. 104ff.
