Is it Time that the Church Allow Priests to Marry?
The Western rite of the Church, for centuries, has traditionally selected candidates for the Priesthood only from among those men who have chosen to remain celibate for the sake of the Kingdom. As with most things, there are exceptions to this. Yet, it is certainly the norm. It's also worth noting that the celibate Priesthood is only a discipline, not a doctrine of the Church. It could change at any moment, though it isn't likely. Even in the Eastern Rite of the Church, where married men are allowed to be Priests, they may not marry if they were single when they became a Priest, nor can they remarry if widowed. Over the years there have been arguments from different directions regarding this Priestly celibacy. From “ priests can’t relate to family life ” to “ single men need a sexual outlet, and that’s why sex abuse happened in the Church ” , to “ it’s not fair/Christian to deny a man the right to Marriage " , the reasons for allowing Catholic Priests to marry con