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Show CELIBACY OF THE PRIESTHOOD. Mgr. Sebastian Martinelli Writes on This Subject in Harper's Bazar. Celibacy has been an immemorial custom of the priests and bishops of the Catholic Church dating back to the time of the Apostles. Taking the words of our Divine Lord: "There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunucha for the kingdom of heaven"s sake. He that can receive it let him receive it,; the Church has enforced celibacy on her ministers. Theresas never been a time when she did not command in unmistakable terms that those who desired to become shepherds of the flock should deny the flesh and give themselves up to the higher life of self-abnegation and sacrifice. There have been times when, owing to the hardness of heart and the perversity of human nature, she has been obliged to tolerate the marriage of portions of her priesthood in certain countries and under certain conditions; but she has always done this unwillingly, and for the sole reason that it would prevent greater evils. The life of chastity led by the great Teacher of Mankind was the life which the Church ordained from the beginning as a suitable one for her pastors. The earliest successors of St. Peter recommended the example of John the Beloved Disciple, who so closely close-ly resembled his Master. Of the twelve whom Christ called, only Peter was a married man. Tradition tells us that, notwithstanding, St. Peter followed 'the higher life. There have been few Pontiffs Pon-tiffs who have not legislated upon this subject. The most recent and important import-ant utterance was made by Pius IX at the time of the Vatican Council, when he stated in unmistakable term3 that the celibate rule had always been com manded oy tne tioiy Koman (jatnoiic Church from the beginning. The early Church fathers record many instances of supreme law on the subject, and testify that it was universally commanded com-manded and taught, if not always universally uni-versally obeyed. Since the rumor concerning the permission per-mission extended to the South American Ameri-can Priests to break -the law of celibacy, celi-bacy, it has frequently been said that the Pope had no power to rescind this established order that it would require a council of the Church. This is another an-other error growing out of a misconception misconcep-tion of the discipline which prevails. Leo XIII has the same power to withdraw with-draw this order that Gregory VII had to issue it. Nothing, however, is more unlikely. The South American Priests do not desire and have never petitioned for such a dispensation. Through the prelates which direct them they sent their wishes to Rome last spring. A council was held in the Vatican, and there it was decided to take measures to re-enforce all the disciplinary regulations regu-lations which have made the Roman Catholic priesthood such a power for good. It is safe to predict that should Leo XIII issue such a radical order, not one in 10,000 of the Catholic priesthood would take advantage of this permission. |