Do you agree that Catholic priests should be free to marry?

HMMM....this is hard. it's always been tradition for Priests to be "married" per se to God. They are to practice and live by the words of God and by the following of Jesus. However, it says no where in the bible that a priest must stay celibate and unwed! So who made up that rule? And what gives him/her the right to say whether a person will make a good priest or not just because they are or are not married? However, again, this is a case of Tradition vs. New age and whether Catholics feel it's time to get with the ages or if they like it the old, traditional way. I'm not one to say if they should or not as my religion has ministers and they are aloud to marry and have children - something that God wanted from Mankind - Procreation.

i think its about time. i mean, priests are people too. they can feel, they also want to be loved and they also have urges. i dont see anything wrong with priests being married. they can still be faithful and serve the Lord. :)

I don't think it's a dogma and I used to think that it is in the bible somewhere but then I realize that this verse doesn't mean that selibacy is a must. It's good so that those who selibate can devote themselves to God only, but doesn't say that those who don't will not be able to serve God also. If it's not a dogma and has no source in the bible, then I don't see why it can't be changed. After all Christian pastors are allowed to marry, have a family while still preaching. But anyway this is really up to the Church whether they would do it or not. I personally think it's a shame for good priests to leave the Church just because they want to marry, I have nothing against molesters or corrupt priests to be ex-communicated since they ARE a shame and they deserve it.

Hi ronalinu, I have always believed that Catholic Priests should be free to marry. St.Peter,the man who the catholic church considers to have been the first pope was married. I see no reason for the church to continue as they have been. Blessings

the creation of humans is to create more people by mating with other people so that there will be development in the number of people so each and every person born in this world should be free to get married and give birth to a child so that there will be an off spring to take care of these old parents at their older age and all

Sorry I am a devout practicing Catholic and i do not agree that priests should be able to get married Sorry i may be naive,old fashioned and what have you but that is my position on this question Good Luck Have a Great day

i think if christian or born again christian priests, adventists marry.. it should be okay for catholic priests to marry.. i mean they can serve God and serve their family as well.. after all a small unit of community is our family.

How can i stand against the law of the LORD? If GOD was the one who has assigned so then i cant give my opinion on this as He only knows which is right and which is wrong , But God created Eve for Adam , so the every man is married to a women , in Old testament i dint find all the priest to be unmarried , say Abraham or David all are married .If that be the case i dont know why these people have assigned such rules to themselves..

I am not Catholic, far from it.I think there should be a convention of all the world's Catholics and they should dicuss it. It shouldn't be the sole decision of just one person or one group within Catholicism.Me, personally I believe it should be up to the person if they marry or not.

Yes. Religious people are the ones who imposed the rule of no-marriage for priests. I believe that anyone has the right to love. If you love the Lord, how come there's a rule of not marrying a woman? Women are God's creation right!?! Priests can still serve the Lord while maintaining a happy married life. In short, I agree they should be free to marry.

I disagree, but I am not a theologian. Jesus never said his apostles should not marry. (He also never explicitly said they should be all men, either.) In the early church, there was no such prohibition. While there could be arguments made for and against the practice, I tend to be persuaded that Priests not only should be allowed to marry but that they should be married. They should be married so that they can live in the Word and prove that their idea of theology and dogma is functional. Having to live a sort of 'normal life' should be an effective check and balance against 'drift.' That is to say, there is no one who stands and tells the Church when they have drifted from the 'true path.' They are the ones that set the course and they are the only ones who can make a course correction. They are untethered from normal life because of this 'vow.' I believe it causes problems. The Roman Catholic Church seems to be afraid of women. They cannot be priests. The Priests cannot even have them for wives. As such the priesthood will be dominated by people who are removed from the issues that are central to the lives of normal people. It is easy, from a distance, to see issues as clear and simple when they are a bit more muddled and confusing up close.

i think they should be..they used to be able to at one time.. and now i know as far as them having relationships now they dont care as long as they dont marry.. they are doing the dont ask dont tell thing..

I'm not Catholic, so maybe I have no business responding, but I see nothing wrong with them marrying. Isn't the church running out of priest just for that reason?

I don't see why not, but I'm not Catholic and don't know the reasons behind the celibacy rule.

I really have no interest in the subject as I am an Orthodox Christian. I am curious, however, how does the Catholic Church argues on this rule. Why do they claim the priests should remain in celibacy? Is it because they should dedicate their life to serving God, or is it because they say Jesus was single for all his life (because I think that's just the Church's opinion, and they have no evidence for that)?

I don't want to upset any Catholics as I am not one. However, I do think Catholic priests should be free to marry. I know it is a long held belief for priests and nuns to remain celibate, but yeah, I kind of think they should be able to do that. But once again I'm not Catholic, so perhaps I don't understand everything behind it. I don't feel marriage would keep them from their duties to God.

Orthodox priest marry and you don't hear about many pedifiles amoung them. I feel that the Roman Catholic ruling to not have married priests is wrong, it was started as a money grab from them to begin with.

I believe celibacy is just a man-made concept like Trinity.It is totally unnatural for a man or a woman to live without marriage.If Prophets can marry and produce kids,why cannot these priests marry and save themselves from sins??.......In Islam,marriage is an obligation for all and this is the most realistic concept.

I don't think so. Pries are destined to be like that and that is their call of life and so they should not be allowed to marry. It is very unethical to have a priest that is like that.

yes i agree they marry because no where in the bible it is written the people of the god should live single