Celibacy as a Gift to the Church
by Rev. Wayne Sattler

Therefore, I ask you: In the presence of God and the Church, are you resolved, as a sign of your interior dedication to Christ, to remain celibate for the sake of the kingdom and in lifelong service to God and mankind?" This was the question the rector of our major seminary encouraged us to reflect upon during the summer break of our second year of formation. It was the question we would eventually be asked upon our ordination as deacons, which was only a little over a year away. That is the official moment when a candidate for Holy Orders makes their resolution public to remain celibate for the rest of their life. Our rector wisely wanted us to determine our resolution on that matter prior to entering our final year of preparation for ordination. Following the theological understanding behind the practice of priestly celibacy, our rector knew that celibacy is not part of ordination, it is a promise made by those who are prepared to enter into Holy Orders in the Latin Church.

Remaining celibate for the rest of my life was not a decision I made on the day of my ordination as a deacon, nor is it a question I continue to deliberate as a priest. It is a matter I resolved in the summer break of my second year of major seminary. Now being resolved on this matter in no way means to suggest that I don't sometimes wonder what it might be like to be married or that I am not tempted to regard celibacy in a negative light. Not unlike a married man who makes a public resolution to remain faithful to one woman for the rest of his life on the day of his marriage can nonetheless continue to be tempted to think or act in a way contrary to that promise. The point at hand being, that regardless of the temptations which may lie ahead for either of us, the question of whether we will actually remain faithful to our promise should have been a matter already resolved prior to the actual day of our ordination or marriage.

It always causes me to worry when I hear a married man speak in an unfavorable way about the promises he made in marriage. To remain faithful to one person, "until death do we part," is a promise made for a good purpose. For that promise promotes the healthy living of a married couple and establishes a solid foundation from which to raise a family. In the same way I must admit that it causes me concern anytime a priest speaks in an unfavorable way about the commitment he made public on the day of his ordination as a deacon. To remain celibate, "for the sake of the kingdom and in lifelong service to God and mankind," is a promise made for a good purpose. For that promise promotes the healthy living of one who ministers in the priesthood ofJesus Christ and serves to maintain the solid foundation from which the family of God is sacramentally nurtured.

I have to tell you that I love being a celibate priest. I love the way it frees me up to be a true spiritual father to the family entrusted to my care, at their beck and call. I love the way it witnesses to the world of the ultimate hope we all have in store for us in heaven. I love the way it confronts the worldly in their overemphasis on sexuality. I love the way it conforms me ever closer to Jesus Christ by following His own model of celibacy. And most especially, I love being a celibate priest for the intimacy with which God invites me into by giving myself completely to His service; mentally, spiritually, physically and even sexually.

Now having said all of that, I must also tell you that I would have never chosen to remain celibate for the rest of my life had I not first become convinced that God was calling me to be a priest. I know that theologically these two are separate entities; celibacy and the priesthood. It doesn't take much looking around to realize that there are validly practicing priests who are not celibate. Historically we all know that celibacy was not "mandated" in the Latin Church until the twelfth century. And the Eastern Church testifies to the fact that one can be called to be a priest and not be given the gift of celibacy. But I have to be honest, had that option been given to me, I can't imagine how I might have remained open to the gift of celibacy. And that would have been unfortunate.

For we can argue that priestly celibacy is a practice, not a dogma. We could speculate on whether married clergy might ease our American shortage of priests. We just might continue to follow a very long history of begging this question of optional celibacy year after year after year. But in the process of such dialogue, I am afraid that we may be missing the incredible gift that has been entrusted to our care. Jesus seemed to foretell how this might happen when He remarked; "It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only to whom it is granted ... there are eunuchs who have made themselves so for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can." (Mt.19:11-12)

Could you imagine if Jesus Himself had not practiced what He preached in this regard? IfJesus would not have remained celibate I doubt that anyone of us would have ever seriously considered the possibility of remaining celibate ourselves. But Jesus did remain celibate, and He went on to teach how "everyone who has left houses, brothers, sister, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and also inherit eternal life." (Mt. 19:29) These words would have been an empty challenge to His disciples had not Jesus Himself put them into practice. It was His living example that inspired St. Paul to observe how "the unmarried man gives his mind to the Lord's affairs and to how he can please the Lord;but the man who is married gives his mind to the affairs of this world and to how he can please his wife, and he is divided in mind" (1 Cor. 7:32-34). Jesus was a man with an undivided heart, mind, and soul. He and the Father are one. The Son of God remained celibate for a good purpose. It was the lifestyle that most accommodated His earthly mission of remaining undividedly focused on doing the will of His Heavenly Father. The life of Jesus Christ is the most compelling reason for us to consider whether a man chosen to serve in this same priestly ministry should be one who has first been given the gift of celibacy.

I believe it could be validly argued that just as God could have saved the world in any way He desired, but chose the "way of the cross" for His Son because it was the best way. So too could have God chosen any possible lifestyle to carry out the priestly ministry of the New Covenant. But it was through the life of a celibate man that God chose for His High Priest to minister, and so it is evidently the best way. Why God chose the "way of the cross" and a celibate man will remain mysteries in our faith. But because God did in fact chose to act in this way, we are called to love both the "way of the cross" and the gift of celibacy.

My dear brother priests, if young men don't witness in us a genuine love for our own gift of celibacy, we will be doing them no favors in inspiring them to be open to the same gift Jesus Himself found necessary to practice in living out His priestly ministry. And let's be honest, if the laity saw in us a genuine appreciation for our gift of celibacy, they wouldn't feel sorry for us in thinking that "poor father so and so should just be allowed to get married." Rather, let us strive to be men who inspire others by our example. To remain lovingly faithful in our decision to remain celibate, amidst all of the natural and spiritual struggles which will certainly accompany such a decision made for the sake of kingdom of Heaven. We can only pray that they see in us a man who is already resolved in his answer to this ongoing questioning of the practice of priestly celibacy.

Rev. Wayne Sattler, a priest of the Diocese of Bismarck is pastor of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Parish in Stanley, North Dakota. He is chairman of the Bismarck Presbyteral Council.

Reprinted with permission of the National Federation of Priests' Councils (NFPC). This article appeared in the Winter, 2003 issue of Touchstone.