|
The celibacy rule was not instituted until a 1000 years into Catholicism. As SHELACIOUS was trying to say, priests were no longer allowed to marry because there were disputes over who inherited their property at death, the family or the Catholic church. Because priests were the richest and most powerful in their communities, nepotism became a problem. There is no real religious basis for celibacy and either in first or 2nd Timothy, Paul lays out instructions that the bishops and deacons of the congregations be married men because they are more stable and less prone to sexual indiscretion and offer a model for the parishoners.
Secondly, there would be less pedophile priests if the celibacy restrictions were removed. Qualified people would fill those positions that are currently occupied by the deviants. A pedophile is a pedophile regardless of marital status, but at least they would be fired instead of tranferred because there would no longer be a shortage of priests as there is now.
|