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SACERDOTALIS CAELIBATUS
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE CELIBACY OF THE PRIEST
JUNE 24, 1967
To the Bishops, Priests and Faithful of the Whole Catholic World.
Priestly celibacy has been guarded by the Church for centuries as a brilliant
jewel, and retains its value undiminished even in our time when the outlook of
men and the state of the world have undergone such profound changes.
Amid the modern stirrings of opinion, a tendency has also been manifested, and
even a desire expressed, to ask the Church to re-examine this characteristic
institution. It is said that in the world of our time the observance of celibacy
has come to be difficult or even impossible.
2. This state of affairs is troubling consciences, perplexing some priests and
young aspirants to the priesthood; it is a cause for alarm in many of the
faithful and constrains Us to fulfill the promise We made to the Council
Fathers. We told them that it was Our intention to give new luster and strength
to priestly celibacy in the world of today. (1) Since saying this We have, over
a considerable period of time earnestly implorred the enlightenment and
assistance of the Holy Spirit and have examined before God opinions and
petitions which have come to Us from all over the world, notably from many
pastors of God's Church.
Some Serious Questions
3. The great question concerning the sacred celibacy of the clergy in the Church
has long been before Our mind in its deep seriousness: must that grave,
ennobling obligation remain today for those who have the intention of receiving
major orders? Is it possible and appropriate nowadays to observe such an
obligation? Has the time not come to break the bond linking celibacy with the
priesthood in the Church? Could the difficult observance of it not be made
optional? Would this not be a way to help the priestly ministry and facilitate
ecumenical approaches? And if the golden law of sacred celibacy is to remain,
what reasons are there to show that it is holy and fitting? What means are to be
taken to observe it, and how can it be changed from a burden to a help for the
priestly life?
4. Our attention has rested particularly on the objections which have been and
are still made in various forms against the retention of sacred celibacy. in
virtue of Our apostolic office We are obliged by the importance, and indeed the
complexity, of the subject to give faithful consideration to the facts and the
problems they involve, at the same time bringing to them—as it is Our duty and
Our mission to do—the light of truth which is Christ. Our intention is to do in
all things the will of Him who has called Us to this office and to show what we
are in the Church: the servant of the servants of God.
OBJECTIONS AGAINST PRIESTLY CELIBACY
5. It may be said that today ecclesiastical celibacy has been examined more
penetratingly than ever before and in all its aspects. It has been examined from
the doctrinal, historical, sociological, psychological and pastoral point of
view. The intentions prompting this examination have frequently been basically
correct although reports may sometimes have distorted them.
Let us look openly at the principal objections against the law that links
ecclesiastical celibacy with the priesthood.
The first seems to come from the most authoritative source, the New Testament
which preserves the teaching of Christ and the Apostles. It does not openly
demand celibacy of sacred ministers but proposes it rather as a free act of
obedience to a special vocation or to a special spiritual gift. (2) Jesus
Himself did not make it a prerequisite in His choice of the Twelve, nor did the
Apostles for those who presided over the first Christian communities. (3)
The Fathers of the Church
6. The close relationship that the Fathers of the Church and ecclesiastical
writers established over the centuries between the ministering priesthood and
celibacy has its origin partly in a mentality and partly in historical
circumstances far different from ours. In patristic texts we more frequently
find exhortations to the clergy to abstain from marital relations rather than to
observe celibacy; and the reasons justifying the perfect chastity of the
Church's ministers seem often to be based on an overly pessimistic view of man's
earthly condition or on a certain notion of the purity necessary for contact
with sacred things. In addition, it is said that the old arguments no longer are
in harmony with the different social and cultural milieus in which the Church
today, through her priests, is called upon to work.
Vocation and Celibacy
7. Many see a difficulty in the fact that in the present discipline concerning
celibacy the gift of a vocation to the priesthood is identified with that of
perfect chastity as a state of life for God's ministers. And so people ask
whether it is right to exclude from the priesthood those who, it is claimed,
have been called to the ministry without having been called to lead a celibate
life.
The Shortage of Priests
8. It is asserted, moreover, that the maintaining of priestly celibacy in the
Church does great harm in those regions where the shortage of the clergy—a fact
recognized with sadness and deplored by the same Council (4)—gives rise to
critical situations: that it prevents the full realization of the divine plan of
salvation and at times jeopardizes the very possibility of the initial
proclamation of the Gospel. Thus the disquieting decline in the ranks of the
clergy is attributed by some to the heavy burden of the obligation of celibacy.
9. Then there are those who are convinced that a married priesthood would remove
the occasions for infidelity, waywardness and distressing defections which hurt
and sadden the whole Church. These also maintain that a married priesthood would
enable Christ's ministers to witness more fully to Christian living by including
the witness of married life, from which they are excluded by their state of
life.
Human Values
10. There are also some who strongly maintain that priests by reason of their
celibacy find themselves in a situation that is not only against nature but also
physically and psychologically detrimental to the development of a mature and
well-balanced human personality. And so it happens, they say, that priests often
become hard and lacking in human warmth; that, excluded from sharing fully the
life and destiny of the rest of their brothers, they are obliged to live a life
of solitude which leads to bitterness and discouragement.
So they ask: Don't all these things indicate that celibacy does unwarranted
violence to nature and unjustifiably disparages human values which have their
source in the divine work of creation and have been made whole through the work
of the Redemption accomplished by Christ?
Inadequate Formation
11. Again, in view of the way in which a candidate for the priesthood comes to
accept an obligation as momentous as this, the objection is raised that in
practice this acceptance results not from an authentically personal decision,
but rather from an attitude of passivity, the fruit of a formation that neither
is adequate nor makes sufficient allowance for human liberty. For the degree of
knowledge and power of decision of a young person and his psychological and
physical maturity fall far below—or at any rate are disproportionate to—the
seriousness of the obligation he is assuming, its real difficulties and its
permanence.
12. We well realize that there are other objections that can be made against
priestly celibacy. This is a very complex question, which touches intimately
upon the very meaning of being alive, yet is penetrated and resolved by the
light of divine revelation. A never-ending series of difficulties will present
themselves to those who cannot "receive this precept'' (5) and who do not know
or have forgotten it is a "gift of God," (6) and who moreover are unaware of the
loftier reasoning, wonderful efficacy and abundant riches of this new insight
into life.
Testimony of the Past and Present
13. The sum of these objections would appear to drown out the solemn and age-old
voice of the pastors of the Church and of the masters of the spiritual life, and
to nullify the living testimony of the countless ranks of saints and faithful
ministers of God, for whom celibacy has been the object of the total and
generous gift of themselves to the mystery of Christ, as well as its outward
sign. But no, this voice, still strong and untroubled, is the voice not just of
the past but of the present too. Ever intent on the realities of today, we
cannot close our eyes to this magnificent, wonderful reality: that there are
still today in God's holy Church, in every part of the world where she exercises
her beneficent influence, great numbers of her ministers—subdeacons, deacons,
priests and bishops—who are living their life of voluntary and consecrated
celibacy in the most exemplary way.
Nor can we overlook the immense ranks of men and women in religious life, of
laity and of young people too, united in the faithful observance of perfect
chastity. They live in chastity, not out of disdain for the gift of life, but
because of a greater love for that new life which springs from the Paschal
mystery. They live this life of courageous self-denial and spiritual joyfulness
with exemplary fidelity and also with relative facility. This magnificent
phenomenon bears testimony to an exceptional facet of the kingdom of God living
in the midst of modern society, to which it renders humble and beneficial
service as the "light of the world" and the "salt of the earth." (7) We cannot
withhold the expression of Our admiration; the spirit of Christ is certainly
breathing here.
The Law of Celibacy Confirmed
14. Hence We consider that the present law of celibacy should today continue to
be linked to the ecclesiastical ministry. This law should support the minister
in his exclusive, definitive and total choice of the unique and supreme love of
Christ; it should uphold him in the entire dedication of himself to the public
worship of God and to the service of the Church; it should distinguish his state
of life both among the faithful and in the world at large.
15. The gift of the priestly vocation dedicated to the divine worship and to the
religious and pastor al service of the People of God , is undoubtedly distinct
from that which leads a person to choose celibacy as a state of consecrated
life. (8) But the priestly vocation, although inspired by God, does not become
definitive or operative without having been tested and accepted by those in the
Church who hold power and bear responsibility for the ministry serving the
ecclesial community. It is, therefore, the task of those who hold authority in
the Church to determine, in accordance with the varying conditions of time and
place, who in actual practice are to be considered suitable candidates for the
religious and pastoral service of the Church, and what should be required of
them.
Purpose of the Encyclical
16. In a spirit of faith, therefore, We look on this occasion afforded Us by
Divine Providence as a favorable opportunity for setting forth anew, and in a
way more suited to the men of our time, the fundamental reasons for sacred
celibacy. If difficulties against faith "can stimulate our minds to a more
accurate and deeper understanding" of it, (9) the same is true of the
ecclesiastical discipline which guides and directs the life of the faithful.
We are deeply moved by the joy this occasion gives Us of contemplating the
richness in virtue and the beauty of the Church of Christ. These may not always
be immediately apparent to the human eye, because they derive from the love of
the divine Head of the Church and because they are revealed in the perfection of
holiness (10) which moves the human spirit to admiration, and which human
resources cannot adequately explain.
1. REASONS FOR PRIESTLY CELIBACY
17. Virginity undoubtedly, as the Second Vatican Council declared, "is not, of
course, required by the nature of the priesthood itself. This is clear from the
practice of the early Church and the traditions of the Eastern Churches.'' (11)
But at the same time the Council did not hesitate to confirm solemnly the
ancient, sacred and providential present law of priestly celibacy. In addition,
it set forth the motives which justify this law for those who, in a spirit of
faith and with generous fervor, know how to appreciate the gifts of God.
18. Consideration of how celibacy is "particularly suited" (12) to God's
ministers is not something recent. Even if the explicit reasons have differed
with different mentalities and different situations, they were always inspired
by specifically Christian considerations; and from these considerations we can
get an intuition of the more fundamental motives underlying them. (13) These can
be brought into clearer light only under the influence of the Holy Spirit,
promised by Christ to His followers for the knowledge of things to come (14) and
to enable the People of God to increase in the understanding of the mystery of
Christ and of the Church. In this process the experience gained through the ages
from a deeper penetration of spiritual things also has its part.
Christological Significance
19. The Christian priesthood, being of a new order, can be understood only in
the light of the newness of Christ, the Supreme Pontiff and eternal Priest, who
instituted the priesthood of the ministry as a real participation in His own
unique priesthood. (15) The minister of Christ and dispenser of the mysteries of
God, (16) therefore, looks up to Him directly as his model and supreme ideal.
(l7) The Lord Jesus, the only Son of God, was sent by the Father into the world
and He became man, in order that humanity which was subject to sin and death
might be reborn, and through this new birth (18) might enter the kingdom of
heaven. Being entirely consecrated to the will of the Father, (19) Jesus brought
forth this new creation by means of His Paschal mystery; (20) thus, He
introduced into time and into the world a new form of life which is sublime and
divine and which radically transforms the human condition. (21)
Matrimony and Celibacy
20. Matrimony, according to the will of God, continues the work of the first
creation; (22) and considered within the total plan of salvation, it even
acquired a new meaning and a new value. Jesus, in fact, has restored its
original dignity, (23) has honored it (24) and has raised it to the dignity of a
sacrament and of a mysterious symbol of His own union with the Church. (25)
Thus, Christian couples walk together toward their heavenly fatherland in the
exercise of mutual love, in the fulfillment of their particular obligations, and
in striving for the sanctity proper to them. But Christ, "Mediator of a superior
covenant," (26) has also opened a new way, in which the human creature adheres
wholly and directly to the Lord, and is concerned only with Him and with His
affairs; (27) thus, he manifests in a clearer and more complete way the
profoundly transforming reality of the New Testament.
Christ's Example
21. Christ, the only Son of the Father, by the power of the Incarnation itself
was made Mediator between heaven and earth, between the Father and the human
race. Wholly in accord with this mission, Christ remained throughout His whole
life in the state of celibacy, which signified His total dedication to the
service of God and men. This deep concern between celibacy and the priesthood of
Christ is reflected in those whose fortune it is to share in the dignity and
mission of the Mediator and eternal Priest; this sharing will be more perfect
the freer the sacred minister is from the bonds of flesh and blood. (28)
The Motive for Celibacy
22. Jesus, who selected the first ministers of salvation, wished them to be
introduced to the understanding of the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,"
(29) but He also wished them to be coworkers with God under a very special
title, and His ambassadors. (30) He called them friends and brethren, (31) for
whom He consecrated Himself so that they might be consecrated in truth; (32) He
promised a more than abundant recompense to anyone who should leave home,
family, wife and children for the sake of the kingdom of God. (33) More than
this, in words filled with mystery and hope, He also commended an even more
perfect consecration (34) to the kingdom of heaven by means of celibacy, as a
special gift. (35) The motive of this response to the divine call is the kingdom
of heaven; (36) similarly, this very kingdom, (37) the Gospel (38) and the name
of Christ (39) motivate those called by Jesus to undertake the work of the
apostolate, freely accepting its burdens, that they may participate the more
closely in His lot.
23. To them this is the mystery of the newness of Christ, of all that He is and
stands for; it is the sum of the highest ideals of the Gospel and of the
kingdom; it is a particular manifestation of grace, which springs from the
Paschal mystery of the Savior. This is what makes the choice of celibacy
desirable and worthwhile to those called by our Lord Jesus. Thus they intend not
only to participate in His priestly office, but also to share with Him His very
condition of living.
Fullness of Love
24. The response to the divine call is an answer of love to the love which
Christ has shown us so sublimely. (40) This response is included in the mystery
of that special love for souls who have accepted His most urgent appeals. (41)
With a divine force, grace increases the longings of love. And love, when it is
genuine, is all-embracing, stable and lasting, an irresistible spur to all forms
of heroism. And so the free choice of sacred celibacy has always been considered
by the Church "as a symbol of, and stimulus to, charity": (42) it signifies a
love without reservations; it stimulates to a charity which is open to all. In a
life so completely dedicated and motivated, who can see the sign of spiritual
narrowness or selfseeking, and not see rather that celibacy is and ought to be a
rare and very meaningful example of a life motivated by love, by which man
expresses his own unique greatness? Who can doubt the moral and spiritual
richness of such a life, consecrated not to any human ideal, no matter how
noble, but to Christ and to His work to bring about a new form of humanity in
all places and for all generations?
Invitation to Study
25. This biblical and theological view associates our ministerial priesthood
with the priesthood of Christ; the total and exclusive dedication of Christ to
His mission of salvation provides reason and example for our assimilation to the
form of charity and sacrifice proper to Christ our Savior. This vision seems to
Us so profound and rich in truth, both speculative and practical, that We invite
you, venerable brothers, and you, eager students of Christian doctrine and
masters of the spiritual life, and all you priests who have gained a
supernatural insight into your vocation, to persevere in the study of this
vision, and to go deeply into the inner recesses and wealth of its reality. In
this way, the bond between the priesthood and celibacy will more and more be
seen as closely knit—as the mark of a heroic soul and the imperative call to
unique and total love for Christ and His Church.
Ecclesiological Significance
26. "Laid hold of by Christ" (43) unto the complete abandonment of one's entire
self to Him, the priest takes on a closer likeness to Christ, even in the love
with which the eternal Priest has loved the Church His Body and offered Himself
entirely for her sake, in order to make her a glorious, holy and immaculate
Spouse. (44)
The consecrated celibacy of the sacred ministers actually manifests the virginal
love of Christ for the Church, and the virginal and supernatural fecundity of
this marriage, by which the children of God are born, "not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh." (45 46)
27. The priest dedicates himself to the service of the Lord Jesus and of His
Mystical Body with complete liberty, which is made easier by his total offering,
and thus he depicts more fully the unity and harmony of the priestly life. (47)
His ability for listening to the word of God and for prayer increases. Indeed,
the word of God, as preserved by the Church, stirs up vibrant and profound
echoes in the priest who daily meditates on it, lives it and preaches it to the
faithful.
The Divine Office and Prayer
28. Like Christ Himself, His minister is wholly and solely intent on the things
of God and the Church, (48) and he imitates the great High priest who lives ever
in the presence of God in order to intercede in our favor. (49) So he receives
joy and encouragement unceasingly from the attentive and devout recitation of
the Divine Office, by which he dedicates his voice to the Church who prays
together with her Spouse, (50) and he recognizes the necessity of continuing his
diligence at prayer, which is the profoundly priestly occupation. (51)
A Full and Fruitful Life
29. The rest of a priest's life also acquires a greater richness of meaning and
sanctifying power. In fact, his individual efforts at his own sanctification
find new incentives in the ministry of grace and in the ministry of the
Eucharist, in which "the whole spiritual good of the Church is contained": (52)
acting in the person of Christ, the priest unites himself most intimately with
the offering, and places on the altar his entire life, which bears the marks of
the holocaust.
30. What other considerations can We offer to describe the increase of the
priest's power, his service, his love and sacrifice for the entire people of
God? Christ spoke of Himself when He said: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into
the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (53)
And the Apostle Paul did not hesitate to expose himself to a daily death in
order to obtain among his faithful glory in Christ Jesus. (54) In a similar way,
by a daily dying to himself and by giving up the legitimate love of a family of
his own for the love of Christ and of His kingdom, the priest will find the
glory of an exceedingly rich and fruitful life in Christ, because like Him and
in Him, he loves and dedicates himself to all the children of God.
31. In the community of the faithful committed to his charge, the priest
represents Christ. Thus, it is most fitting that in all things he should
reproduce the image of Christ and in particular follow His example, both in his
personal and in his apostolic life. To his children in Christ, the priest is a
sign and a pledge of that sublime and new reality which is the kingdom of God;
he dispenses it and he possesses it to a more perfect degree. Thus he nourishes
the faith and hope of all Christians, who, as such, are bound to observe
chastity according to their proper state of life.
The Pastoral Efficacy of Celibacy
32. The consecration to Christ under an additional and lofty title like celibacy
evidently gives to the priest, even in the practical field, the maximum
efficiency and the best disposition of mind, mentally and emotionally, for the
continuous exercise of a perfect charity. (55) This charity will permit him to
spend himself wholly for the welfare of all, in a fuller and more concrete way.
(56) It also obviously guarantees him a greater freedom and flexibility in the
pastoral ministry, (57) in his active and living presence in the world, to which
Christ has sent him (58) so that he may pay fully to all the children of God the
debt due to them. (59)
Eschatological Significance
33. The kingdom of God, which "is not of this world," (60) is present here on
earth in mystery, and will reach its perfection only with the glorious coming of
the Lord Jesus. (61) The Church here below constitutes the seed and the
beginning of this kingdom. And as she continues to grow slowly but surely, she
longs for the perfect kingdom and ardently desires with all her energy to unite
herself with her King in glory. (62)
The pilgrim People of God are on a journey through the vicissitudes of this life
toward their heavenly homeland, (63) where the divine sonship of the redeemed
(64) will be fully revealed and where the transformed loveliness of the Spouse
of the Lamb of God will shine completely. (65)
A Sign of Heavenly Treasures
34. Our Lord and Master has said that "in the resurrection they neither marry
nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." (66) In the world of
man, so deeply involved in earthly concerns and too often enslaved by the
desires of the flesh, (67) the precious and almost divine gift of perfect
continence for the kingdom of heaven stands out precisely as "a special token of
the rewards of heaven"; (68) it proclaims the presence on earth of the final
stages of salvation (69) with the arrival of a new world, and in a way it
anticipates the fulfillment of the kingdom as it sets forth its supreme values
which will one day shine forth in all the children of God. This continence,
therefore, stands as a testimony to the ever-continuing progress of the People
of God toward the final goal of their earthly pilgrimage, and as a stimulus for
all to raise their eyes to the things above, "where Christ is seated at the
right hand of God" and where "our life is hid with Christ in God" until it
appears "with him in glory." (70)
CELIBACY IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH
35. Although it would be highly instructive to go through the writings of past
centuries on ecclesiastical celibacy, this would take so long that We will let a
brief account suffice. In Christian antiquity the Fathers and ecclesiastical
writers testify to the spread through the East and the West of the voluntary
practice of celibacy by sacred ministers (71) because of its profound
suitability for their total dedication to the service of Christ and His Church.
36. From the beginning of the 4th century, the Church of the West strengthened,
spread and confirmed this practice by means of various provincial councils and
through the supreme pontiffs. (72) More than anyone else, the supreme pastors
and teachers of the Church of God, the guardians and interpreters of the
patrimony of the faith and of holy Christian practices, promoted, defended, and
restored ecclesiastical celibacy in successive eras of history, even when they
met opposition from the clergy itself and when the practices of a decadent
society did not favor the heroic demands of virtue. The obligation of celibacy
was then solemnly sanctioned by the Sacred Ecumenical Council of Trent (73) and
finally included in the Code of Canon Law. (74)
37. The most recent sovereign pontiffs who preceded Us, making use of their
doctrinal knowledge and spurred on by ardent zeal, strove to enlighten the
clergy on this matter and to urge them to its observance. (75) We do not wish to
fail to pay homage to them, especially to Our well-loved immediate predecessor,
whose memory is still fresh in the hearts of men all over the world. During the
Roman Synod, with the sincere approval of all the clergy of the city, he spoke
as follows: "It deeply hurts Us that . . . anyone can dream that the Church will
deliberately or even suitably renounce what from time immemorial has been, and
still remains, one of the purest and noblest glories of her priesthood. The law
of ecclesiastical celibacy and the efforts necessary to preserve it always
recall to mind the struggles of the heroic times when the Church of Christ had
to fight for and succeeded in obtaining her threefold glory, always an emblem of
victory, that is, the Church of Christ, free, chaste and catholic." (76)
The Church of the East
38. If the legislation of the Eastern Church is different in the matter of
discipline with regard to clerical celibacy, as was finally established by the
Council of Trullo held in the year 692, (77) and which has been clearly
recognized by the Second Vatican Council, (78) this is due to the different
historical background of that most noble part of the Church, a situation which
the Holy Spirit has providentially and supernaturally influenced.
We Ourselves take this opportunity to express Our esteem and Our respect for all
the clergy of the Eastern Churches, and to recognize in them examples of
fidelity and zeal which make them worthy of sincere veneration.
39. We find further comforting reasons for continuing to adhere to the
observance of the discipline of clerical celibacy in the exaltation of virginity
by the Eastern Fathers. We hear within Us, for example, the voice of St. Gregory
of Nyssa, reminding us that "the life of virginity is the image of the
blessedness that awaits us in the life to come." (79) We are no less assured by
St. John Chrysostom's treatise on the priesthood, which is still a fruitful
subject for reflection. Intent on throwing light on the harmony which must exist
between the private life of him who ministers at the altar and the dignity of
the order to which his sacred duties belong, he affirmed: ". . . it is becoming
that he who accepts the priesthood be as pure as if he were in heaven." (80)
40. Further, it is by no means futile to observe that in the East only celibate
priests are ordained bishops, and priests themselves cannot contract marriage
after their ordination to the priesthood. This indicates that these venerable
Churches also possess to a certain extent the principle of a celibate priesthood
and even of the appropriateness of celibacy for the Christian priesthood, of
which the bishops possess the summit and fullness. (81)
The Tradition of the Western Church
41. In any case, the Church of the West cannot weaken her faithful observance of
her own tradition. Nor can she be regarded as having followed for centuries a
path which instead of favoring the spiritual richness of individual souls and of
the People of God, has in some way compromised it, or of having stifled, with
arbitrary juridical prescriptions, the free expansion of the most profound
realities of nature and of grace.
Particular Cases
42. In virtue of the fundamental norm of the government of the Catholic Church,
to which We alluded above, (82) while on the one hand, the law requiring a
freely chosen and perpetual celibacy of those who are admitted to Holy Orders
remains unchanged, on the other hand, a study may be allowed of the particular
circumstances of married sacred ministers of Churches or other Christian
communities separated from the Catholic communion, and of the possibility of
admitting to priestly functions those who desire to adhere to the fullness of
this communion and to continue to exercise the sacred ministry. The
circumstances must be such, however, as not to prejudice the existing discipline
regarding celibacy.
And that the authority of the Church does not hesitate to exercise her power in
this matter can be seen from the recent Ecumenical Council, which foresaw the
possibility of conferring the holy diaconate on men of mature age who are
already married. (83)
43. All this, however, does not signify a relaxation of the existing law, and
must not be interpreted as a prelude to its abolition. There are better things
to do than to promote this hypothesis, which tears down that vigor and love in
which celibacy finds security and happiness, and which obscures the true
doctrine that justifies its existence and exalts its splendor. It would be much
better to promote serious studies in defense of the spiritual meaning and moral
value of virginity and celibacy. (84)
The Mind of the Council
44. Holy virginity is a very special gift. Nevertheless, the whole present-day
Church, solemnly and universally represented by the pastors responsible for her
welfare (with due respect, as We have said, for the discipline of the Eastern
Churches), manifested her absolute faith "in the Holy Spirit that the grace of
leading a celibate life, so desirable in the priesthood of the New Testament,
will be readily granted by God the Father if those who by ordination share the
priesthood of Christ humbly and earnestly ask it together with the whole
Church." (85)
The Prayer of the People of God
45. We wholeheartedly call on the entire People of God to do their duty in
bringing about an increase in priestly vocations. (86) We ask them fervently to
beg the Father of all, the divine Spouse of the Church, and the Holy Spirit, her
principle of life, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother
of Christ and of His Church, to pour out, especially at present, this divine
gift, which the Father certainly does not wish to give stintingly. They should
also fervently pray, in like manner, that souls may dispose themselves to
receive this gift by a profound faith and a generous love. In this way, in our
world which needs God's glory, (81) priests, ever more perfectly conformed to
the one and supreme Priest, will be a real glory to Christ, (88) and, through
them, "the glory of the grace" of God will be magnified in the world of today.
(89)
46. Yes, venerable and well-beloved brothers in the priesthood, whom We cherish
"with the affection of Christ Jesus," (90) it is indeed this world in which we
live, tormented by the pains of growth and change, justly proud of its human
values and human conquests, which urgently needs the witness of lives
consecrated to the highest and most sacred spiritual values. This witness is
necessary in order that the rare and incomparable light radiating from the most
sublime virtues of the spirit may not be wanting to our times.
The Hidden Wisdom of God
47. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not hesitate to confide the formidable task of
evangelizing the then-known world to a handful of men to all appearances lacking
in number and quality. He bade this little flock not to lose heart, (91) for,
thanks to His constant assistance, (92) through Him and with Him, they would
overcome the world. (93) Jesus has also taught us that the kingdom of God has an
intrinsic and unobservable dynamism which enables it to grow "without [man's]
knowing it." (94) The harvest of God's kingdom is great, but the laborers, as in
the beginning, are few. Actually, they have never been as numerous as human
standards would have judged sufficient. But the heavenly King demands that we
pray "the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (95) The
counsels and prudence of man cannot supersede the hidden wisdom of Him who, in
the history of salvation, has challenged man's wisdom and power by His own
foolishness and weakness. (96)
The Courage of Faith
48. Supported by the power of faith, We express the Church's conviction on this
matter. Of this she is certain: if she is prompter and more persevering in her
response to grace, if she relies more openly and more fully on its secret but
invincible power, if, in short, she bears more exemplary witness to the mystery
of Christ, then she will never fall short in the performance of her salvific
mission to the world—no matter how much opposition she faces from human ways of
thinking or misrepresentations. We must all realize that we can do all things in
Him who alone gives strength to souls (97) and increase to His Church. (98)
49. We are not easily led to believe that the abolition of ecclesiastical
celibacy would considerably increase the number of priestly vocations: the
contemporary experience of those Churches and ecclesial communities which allow
their ministers to marry seems to prove the contrary. The causes of the decrease
in vocations to the priesthood are to be found elsewhere—for example, in the
fact that individuals and families have lost their sense of God and of all that
is holy, their esteem for the Church as the institution of salvation through
faith and the sacraments. The problem must be examined at its real source.
CELIBACY AND HUMAN VALUES
50. As We said above, (99) the Church is not unaware that the choice of
consecrated celibacy, since it involves a series of hard renunciations which
affect the very depths of a man, presents also grave difficulties and problems
to which the men of today are particularly sensitive. In fact, it might seem
that celibacy conflicts with the solemn recognition of human values by the
Church in the recent Council. And yet more careful consideration reveals that
this sacrifice of the human love experienced by most men in family life and
given up by the priest for the love of Christ, is really a singular tribute paid
to that great love. For it is universally recognized that man has always offered
to God that which is worthy of both the giver and the receiver.
Grace and Nature
51. Moreover, the Church cannot and should not fail to realize that the choice
of celibacy—provided that it is made with human and Christian prudence and
responsibility—is governed by grace which, far from destroying or doing
violences to nature, elevates it and imparts to it supernatural powers and
vigor. God, who has created and redeemed man, knows what He can ask of him and
gives him everything necessary to be able to do what his Creator and Redeemer
asks of him. St. Augustine, who had fully and painfully experienced in himself
the nature of man, exclaimed: "Grant what You command, and command what You
will.'' (100)
52. A true knowledge of the real difficulties of celibacy is very useful, even
necessary, for the priest, so that he may be fully aware of what his celibacy
requires in order to be genuine and beneficial. But with equal fidelity to the
truth, these difficulties must not be given greater value or weight than they
actually have in the human or religious sphere, or be declared impossible of
solution.
Celibacy Not Against Nature
53. Considering what contemporary scholarly investigation has ascertained, it is
not right to continue repeating (l01) that celibacy is against nature because it
runs counter to lawful physical, psychic and affective needs, or to claim that a
completely mature human personality demands fulfillment of these needs. Man,
created to God's image and likeness, (102) is not just flesh and blood; the
sexual instinct is not all that he has; man has also, and pre-eminently,
understanding, choice, freedom, and thanks to these powers he is, and must
remain, the chief work of creation; they give him mastery over his physical,
mental and emotional appetites.
54. The true, profound reason for dedicated celibacy is, as We have said, the
choice of a closer and more complete relationship with the mystery of Christ and
the Church for the good of all mankind: in this choice there is no doubt that
those highest human values are able to find their fullest expression.
An Exaltation of Man
55. The choice of celibacy does not connote ignorance of or contempt for the
sexual instinct and man's capacity for giving himself in love. That would
certainly do damage to his physical and psychological balance. On the contrary,
it demands clear understanding, careful self-control and a wise elevation of the
mind to higher realities. In this way celibacy sets the whole man on a higher
level and makes an effective contribution to his perfection.
The Development of Personality
56. We readily grant that the natural and lawful desire a man has to love a
woman and to raise a family is renounced by the celibate in sacred orders; but
it cannot be said that marriage and the family are the only way for fully
developing the human person. In the priest's heart love is by no means extinct.
His charity is drawn from the purest source, (103) practiced in the imitation of
God and Christ, and is no less demanding and real than any other genuine love.
(l04) It gives the priest a limitless horizon, deepens and gives breadth to his
sense of responsibility—a mark of mature personality—and inculcates in him, as a
sign of a higher and greater fatherhood, a generosity and refinement of heart
(105) which offer a superlative enrichment.
The Testimony of Total Dedication
57. All the People of God must give testimony to the mystery of Christ and His
kingdom, but this witnessing does not take the same form for all. The Church
leaves to her married children the function of giving the necessary testimony of
a genuinely and fully Christian married and family life. She entrusts to her
priests the testimony of a life wholly dedicated to pondering and seeking the
new and delightful realities of God's kingdom.
If this means that the priest is without a direct personal experience of married
life, he nevertheless will be able through his training, his ministry and the
grace of his office, to gain even deeper insights into every human yearning.
This will allow him to meet problems of this kind at their source and give solid
support by his advice and assistance to married persons and Christian
families.(106) For the Christian family, the example of the priest who is living
his life of celibacy to the full will underscore the spiritual dimension of
every love worthy of the name, and his personal sacrifice will merit for the
faithful united in the holy bond of matrimony the grace of a true union.
The Priest and Solitude
58. By reason of his celibacy the priest is a man alone: that is true, but his
solitude is not meaningless emptiness because it is filled with God and the
brimming riches of His kingdom. Moreover, he has prepared himself for this
solitude—which should be an internal and external plenitude of charity—if he has
chosen it with full understanding, and not through any proud desire to be
different from the rest of men, or to withdraw himself from common
responsibilities, or to alienate himself from his brothers, or to show contempt
for the world. Though set apart from the world, the priest is not separated from
the People of God, because he has been "appointed to act on behalf of men,"
(107) since he is "consecrated" completely to charity (108) and to the work for
which the Lord has chosen him. (109)
The Loneliness of Christ
59. At times loneliness will weigh heavily on the priest, but he will not for
that reason regret having generously chosen it. Christ, too, in the most tragic
hours of His life was alone—abandoned by the very ones whom He had chosen as
witnesses to, and companions of, His life, and whom He had loved "to the end"
(110)—but He stated, "I am not alone, for the Father is with me." (111) He who
has chosen to belong completely to Christ will find, above all, in intimacy with
Him and in His grace, the power of spirit necessary to banish sadness and regret
and to triumph over discouragement. He will not be lacking the protection of the
Virgin Mother of .Jesus nor the motherly solicitude of the Church, to whom he
has given himself in service. He will not be without the kindly care of his
father in Christ, his bishop; nor will the fraternal companionship of his fellow
priests and the love of the entire People of God, most fruitful of consolations,
be lacking to him. And if hostility, lack of confidence and the indifference of
his fellow men make his solitude quite painful, he will thus be able to share,
with dramatic clarity, the very experience of Christ, as an apostle who must not
be "greater than he who sent him," (112) as a friend admitted to the most
painful and most glorious secret of his divine Friend who has chosen him to
bring forth the mysterious fruit of life in his own life, which is only
apparently one of death. (ll3)
II. PRIESTLY FORMATION
60. Our reflection on the beauty, importance and intimate fittingness of holy
virginity for the ministers of Christ and His Church makes it incumbent on those
who hold the office of teacher and pastor of that Church to take steps to assure
and promote its positive observance, from the first moment of preparation to
receive such a precious gift.
In fact, the difficulties and problems which make the observance of chastity
very painful or quite impossible for some, spring, not infrequently, from a type
of priestly formation which, given the great changes of these last years, is no
longer completely adequate for the formation of a personality worthy of a "man
of God." (114)
Carrying Out the Council's Norms
61. The Second Vatican Council has already indicated wise criteria and
guidelines to this end. They are in conformity with the progress of psychology
and pedagogy, as well as with the changed conditions of mankind and of
contemporary society. (115) It is Our wish that appropriate instructions be
drawn up with the help of truly qualified men, treating with all necessary
detail the theme of chastity. They should be sent out as soon as possible to
provide competent and timely assistance to those who have the great
responsibility within the Church of preparing future priests.
Personal Response to the Divine Vocation
62. The priesthood is a ministry instituted by Christ for the service of His
Mystical Body which is the Church. To her belongs the authority to admit to that
priesthood those whom she judges qualified—that is, those to whom God has given,
along with other signs of an ecclesiastical vocation, the gift of a consecrated
celibacy. (116)
In virtue of such a gift, confirmed by canon law, the individual is called to
respond with free judgment and total dedication, adapting his own mind and
outlook to the will of God who calls him. Concretely, this divine calling
manifests itself in a given individual with his own definite personality
structure which is not at all overpowered by grace. In candidates for the
priesthood, therefore, the sense of receiving this divine gift should be
cultivated; so too, a sense of responsibility in their meeting with God, with
the highest importance given to supernatural means.
63. It is likewise necessary that exact account be taken of the physical and
psychological state of the candidate in order to guide and orient him toward the
priestly ideal; so a truly adequate formation should harmoniously coordinate
grace and nature in the man in whom one clearly sees the proper conditions and
qualifications. These conditions should be ascertained as soon as signs of his
holy vocation are first indicated—not hastily or superficially, but carefully,
with the assistance and aid of a doctor or a competent psychologist. A serious
investigation of hereditary factors should not be omitted.
Unsuitable Candidates
64. Those who are discovered to be unfit for physical, psychological or moral
reasons should be quickly removed from the path to the priesthood. Let educators
appreciate that this is one of their very grave duties. They must neither
indulge in false hopes and dangerous illusions nor permit the candidate to
nourish these hopes in any way, with resultant damage to himself or to the
Church. The life of the celibate priest, which engages the whole man so totally
and so delicately, excludes in fact those of insufficient physical, psychic and
moral qualifications. Nor should anyone pretend that grace supplies for the
defects of nature in such a man.
65. After the capability of a man has been ascertained and he has been admitted
to the course of studies leading to the goal of the priesthood, care should be
taken for the progressive development of a mature personality through physical,
intellectual and moral education directed toward the control and personal
dominion of his temperament, sentiments and passions.
The Necessity of Discipline
66. This will be proved by the firmness of the spirit with which he accepts the
personal and community type of discipline demanded by the priestly life. Such a
regime, the lack or deficiency of which is to be deplored because it exposes the
candidate to grave disorders, should not be borne only as an imposition from
without. It should be inculcated and implanted as an indispensable component
within the context of the spiritual life.
Personal Initiative
67. The educator should skillfully stimulate the young man to the evangelical
virtue of sincerity (117) and to spontaneity by approving every good personal
initiative, so that the young man will come to know and properly evaluate
himself, wisely assume his own responsibilities, and train himself to that
self-control which is of such importance in priestly education.
68. The exercise of authority, the principle of which should be maintained
firmly, will be animated by wise moderation and a pastoral attitude. It will be
used in a climate of dialogue and will be implemented in a gradual way which
will afford the educator an ever deepening understanding of the psychology of
the young man, and will appeal to personal conviction.
A Free Choice
69. The complete education of the candidate for the priesthood should be
directed to help him acquire a tranquil, convinced and free choice of the grave
responsibilities which he must assume in conscience before God and the Church.
Ardor and generosity are marvelous qualities of youth; illuminated and
supported, they merit, along with the blessing of the Lord, the admiration and
confidence of the whole Church as well as of all men. None of the real personal
and social difficulties which their choice will bring in its train should remain
hidden to the young men, so that their enthusiasm will not be superficial and
illusory. At the same time it will be right to highlight with at least equal
truth and clarity the sublimity of their choice, which, though it may lead on
the one hand to a certain physical and psychic void, nevertheless on the other
brings with it an interior richness capable of elevating the person most
profoundly.
A Demanding Asceticism
70. Young candidates for the priesthood should be convinced that they cannot
follow their difficult way without a special type of asceticism proper to
themselves and more demanding than that which is required of the other faithful.
It will be a demanding asceticism but not a suffocating one which consists in
the deliberate and assiduous practice of those virtues which make a man a
priest: self-denial in the highest degree—an essential condition if one would
follow Christ; (118) humility and obedience as expressions of internal truth and
of an ordered liberty; prudence, justice, courage and temperance—virtues without
which it is impossible for true and profound religious life to exist; a sense of
responsibility, fidelity and loyalty in the acceptance of one's obligations; a
balance between contemplation and action; detachment and a spirit of poverty,
which will give tone and vigor to evangelical freedom; chastity, the result of a
persevering struggle, harmonized with all the other natural and supernatural
virtues; a serene and secure contact with the world to whose service the young
man will dedicate himself for Christ and for His kingdom.
In such a way the aspirant to the priesthood will acquire, with the help of a
divine grace, a strong, mature and balanced personality, a combination of
inherited and acquired qualities, harmony of all his powers in the light of the
faith and in intimate union with Christ, whom he has chosen for himself and for
the ministry of salvation to the world.
Trial Periods
71. However, to judge with more certainty the young man's fitness for the
priesthood and to have successive proofs of his attained maturity on both the
human and supernatural levels—for "it is more difficult to conduct oneself
correctly in the service of souls because of dangers coming from outside"
(119)—it will be advisable to have a preliminary trial period before the
observance of holy celibacy becomes something definitive and permanent through
ordination to the priesthood. (120)
A Gift to the Lord and His Church
72. Once moral certainty has been obtained that the maturity of the candidate is
sufficiently guaranteed, he will be in a position to take on himself the heavy
and sweet burden of priestly chastity as a total gift of himself to the Lord and
to His Church.
In this way, the obligation of celibacy, which the Church makes a condition of
Holy Orders, is accepted by the candidate through the influence of divine grace
and with full reflection and liberty, and, as is evident, not without the wise
and prudent advice of competent spiritual directors who are concerned not to
impose the choice, but rather to dispose the candidate to make it more
consciously. Hence, in that solemn moment when the candidate will decide once
and for his whole life, he will not feel the weight of an imposition from
outside, but rather the interior joy that accompanies a choice made for the love
of Christ.
THE PRIESTLY LIFE
73. The priest must not think that ordination makes everything easy for him and
screens him once and for all from every temptation or danger. Chastity is not
acquired all at once but results from a laborious conquest and daily
affirmation. Our world today stresses the positive values of love between the
sexes but has also multiplied the difficulties and risks in this sphere. In
order to safeguard his chastity with all care and affirm its sublime meaning,
the priest must consider clearly and calmly his position as a man exposed to
spiritual warfare against seductions of the flesh in himself and in the world,
continually renewing his resolution to give an ever increasing and ever better
perfection to the irrevocable offering of himself which obliges him to a
fidelity that is complete, loyal and real.
74. Christ's priest will daily receive new strength and joy as he deepens in
meditation and prayer the motives for his gift and the conviction that he has
chosen the better part. He will ask humbly and perseveringly for the grace of
fidelity, never denied to those who ask it sincerely. At the same time he will
use the natural and supernatural means at his disposal. In particular he will
not disregard those ascetical norms which have been substantiated by the
Church's experience and are no less necessary in modern circumstances than in
former times. (121)
Intense Spiritual Life
75. The priest should apply himself above all else to developing, with all the
love grace inspires in him, his close relationship with Christ, and exploring
this inexhaustible and enriching mystery; he should also acquire an ever deeper
sense of the mystery of the Church. There would be the risk of his state of life
seeming unreasonable and unfounded if it is viewed apart from this mystery.
Priestly piety, nourished at the table of God's word and the Holy Eucharist,
lived within the cycle of the liturgical year, inspired by a warm and
enlightened devotion to the Virgin Mother of the supreme and eternal High Priest
and Queen of the Apostles, (122) will bring him to the source of a true
spiritual life which alone provides a solid foundation for the observance of
celibacy.
The Spirit of the Priestly Ministry
76. In this way the priest, with grace and peace in his heart, will face with
generosity the manifold tasks of his life and ministry. If he performs these
with faith and zeal he will find in them new occasions to show that he belongs
entirely to Christ and His Mystical Body, for his own sanctification and the
sanctification of others. The charity of Christ which urges him on, (123) will
help him not to renounce his higher feelings but to elevate and deepen them in a
spirit of consecration in imitation of Christ the High Priest, who shared
intimately in the life of men, loved and suffered for them, (l24) and of Paul
the Apostle who shared in the cares of all (125) in order to bring the light and
power of the Gospel of God's grace to shine in the world. (126)
77. Rightly jealous of his full self-giving to the Lord, the priest should know
how to guard against emotional tendencies which give rise to desires not
sufficiently enlightened or guided by the Spirit. He should beware of seeing
spiritual or apostolic pretexts for what are in fact dangerous inclinations of
the heart.
Virile Asceticism
78. The priestly life certainly requires an authentic spiritual intensity in
order to live by the Spirit; (127) it requires a truly virile asceticism—both
interior and exterior—in one who, belonging in a special way to Christ, has in
Him and through Him "crucified the flesh with its passions and desires," (128)
not hesitating to face arduous and lengthy trials in order to do so. (l29) In
this way Christ's minister will be the better able to show to the world the
fruits of the Spirit, which are "charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity,
goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity.'' (l30)
The Brotherhood of Priests
79. Moreover, priestly chastity is increased, guarded and defended by a way of
life, surroundings and activity suited to a minister of God. For this reason the
"close sacramental brotherhood (131) which all priests enjoy in virtue of their
ordination must be fostered to the utmost. Our Lord Jesus Christ has taught the
urgency of the new commandment of charity. He gave a wonderful example of it
when He instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist and the Catholic priesthood,
(l32) and prayed to His Heavenly Father that the love the Father bore for Him
from all eternity should be in His ministers and that He too should be in them.
(133)
80. So the unity of spirit among priests should be active in their prayers,
friendship and help of all kinds for one another. Ore cannot sufficiently
recommend to priests a life lived in common and directed entirely toward their
sacred ministry; the practice of having frequent meetings with a fraternal
exchange of ideas, counsel and experience with their brother priests; the
movement to form associations which encourage priestly holiness.
Charity For Fellow Priests
81. Priests should reflect on the advice of the Council, (134) which reminds
them of their common sharing in the priesthood so that they may feel a lively
responsibility for fellow priests troubled by difficulties which gravely
endanger the divine gift they have. They should have a burning charity for those
who have greater need of love, understanding and prayer, who have need of
prudent but effective help, and who have a claim on their unbounded charity as
those who are, and should be, their truest friends.
82. Venerable brothers in the episcopacy, priest and ministers of the altar, by
way of completing and leaving a remembrance of this written conversation with
you, we should like to suggest this resolution to you: that on the anniversary
of his ordination, or on Holy Thursday when all are united in spirit
commemorating the mystery of the institution of the priesthood, each one should
renew his total gift of himself to Christ our Lord; reviving in this way the
awareness that He has chosen you for His divine service, and repeating at the
same time, humbly and courageously, the promise of our unswerving faithfulness
to His love alone in your offering of perfect chastity. (l35)
LAMENTABLE DEFECTIONS
83. Now, with fatherly love and affection, Our heart turns anxiously and with
deep sorrow to those unfortunate priests who always remain Our dearly beloved
brothers and whose absence
We keenly regret. We speak of those who, retaining the sacred character
conferred by their priestly ordination, have nonetheless been sadly unfaithful
to the obligations they accepted when ordained.
Their sad state and its consequences to priests and to others move some to
wonder if celibacy is not in some way responsible for such dramatic occurrences
and for the scandals they inflict on God's People. In fact, the responsibility
falls not on consecrated celibacy in itself but on a judgment of the fitness of
the candidate of the priesthood which was not always adequate or prudent at the
proper time, or else it falls on the way in which sacred ministers live their
life of total consecration.
Reasons for Dispensations
84. The Church is very conscious of the sad state of these sons of hers and
judges it necessary to make every effort to avert or to remedy the wounds she
suffers by their defection. Following the example of Our immediate predecessors,
We also have, in cases concerning ordination to the priesthood, been prepared to
allow inquiry to extend beyond the provisions of the present canon law (l36) to
other very grave reasons which give ground for really solid doubts regarding the
full freedom and responsibility of the candidate for the priesthood and his
fitness for the priestly state. This has been done to free those who, on careful
judicial consideration of their case, are seen to be really unsuited.
The Church's Concern
85. The dispensations which are granted after such considerations—a minimal
percentage when they are compared with the great number of good, worthy
priests—provide in justice for the spiritual salvation of the individual and
show at the same time the Church's concern to safeguard celibacy and the
complete fidelity of all her ministers. In granting such dispensations the
Church always acts with heartfelt regret, especially in the particularly
lamentable cases in which refusal to bear worthily this sweet yoke of Christ
results from crises in faith, or moral weakness, and is thus frequently a
failure in responsibility and a source of scandal to the Christian people.
86. If these priests knew how much sorrow, dishonor and unrest they bring to the
holy Church of God, if they reflected on the seriousness and beauty of their
obligations and on the dangers to which they are exposed in this life and in the
next, there would be greater care and reflection in their decisions; they would
pray more assiduously and show greater courage and logic in forestalling the
causes of their spiritual and moral collapse.
87. Mother Church takes particular interest in what befalls young priests who,
no matter how great the zeal and enthusiasm with which they entered the sacred
ministry, have nevertheless been troubled later on in performing their duties by
feelings of hopelessness, doubt, desire, or folly. Hence, especially in these
circumstances, it is the wish of the Church that every persuasive means
available be used to lead our brothers from this wavering state and restore to
them peace of soul, trust, penance, and their former zeal. It is only when no
other solution can be found for a priest in this unhappy condition that he
should be relieved of his office.
The Granting of Dispensations
88. There are some whose priesthood cannot be saved, but whose serious
dispositions nevertheless give promise of their being able to live as good
Christian lay people. To these the Holy See, having studied all the
circumstances with their bishops or with their religious superiors, sometimes
grants a dispensation, thus letting love conquer sorrow. In order, however, that
her unhappy but always dear son may have a salutary sign of her maternal grief
and a keener remembrance of the universal need of God's mercy, in these cases
she imposes some works of piety and reparation .
Encouragement and Warning
89. Inspiring this discipline, which is at once severe and merciful, are justice
and truth, prudence and reserve. It is without doubt a discipline which will
confirm good priests in their determination to live lives of purity and
holiness. At the same time it will be a warning to those aspiring to the
priesthood. Guided by the wisdom of those who educate them, they will approach
their priesthood fully aware of its obligations and entirely forgetfully of
self, responding generously to divine grace and the will of Christ and His
Church.
90. Finally, and with deep joy, We thank our Lord because many priests who for a
time had been unfaithful to their obligations have again, with the grace of the
High Priest, found the path and given joy to all by becoming anew exemplary
pastors. With admirable good will, they used all the means which were helpful to
ensure their return, especially an intense life of prayer, humility, persevering
effort sustained by regular reception of the Sacrament of Penance.
THE BISHOP'S FATHERLINESS
91. There is an irreplaceable and very effective means to ensure for our dear
priests an easier and happier way of being faithful to their obligations, and it
is one which they have the right and duty to find in you, venerable brother
bishops. It was you who called them and destined them to be priests; it was you
who placed your hands on their heads; with you they are one in sharing the honor
of the priesthood by virtue of the Sacrament of Orders; it is you whom they make
present in the community of the faithful; with you they are united in a spirit
of trust and generosity since, in as far as is compatible with their order, they
take upon themselves your duties and concerns. (137) In choosing a life
dedicated to celibacy they follow the ancient examples of the prelates of the
East and West; this provides a new motive for union between bishop and priest
and a sound hope that they will live together more closely.
92. The love which Jesus had for His Apostles showed itself very clearly when he
made them ministers of His real and Mystical Body; (138) and even you in whose
person "Our Lord Jesus Christ, the high priest, is present in the midst of those
who believe," (139) know that you owe the best part of your hearts and pastoral
care to your priests and to the young men preparing to be priests. (l40) In no
other way can you better show this conviction than in the conscious
responsibility and sincere and unconquerable love with which you preside over
the education of your seminarians, and help your priests in every way possible
to remain faithful to their vocation and their duties.
A Bishop's Kindness
93. Your fraternal and kindly presence must fill up in advance the human
loneliness of the priest, which is so often the cause of his discouragement and
temptations. (141) Before being the superiors and judges of your priests, be
their teachers, fathers, friends, their good and kind brothers always ready to
understand, to sympathize and to help. Encourage your priests in every possible
way to be your personal friends and to be very open with you. This will not
weaken the relationship of juridical obedience; rather it will transform it into
pastoral love so that they will obey more willingly, sincerely and securely. If
they have a filial trust in you, your priests will be able in time to open up
their souls and to confide their difficulties in you in the certainty that they
can rely on your kindness to be protected from eventual defeat, without a
servile fear of punishment, but in the filial expectation of correction, pardon
and help, which will inspire them to resume their difficult journey with a new
confidence.
Authority and Fatherliness
94. Venerable brothers, all of you are certainly convinced that to restore to
the soul of a priest joy in and enthusiasm for his vocation, interior peace and
salvation, is an urgent and glorious ministry which has an incalculable
influence on a multitude of souls. There will be times when you must exercise
your authority by showing a just severity toward those few who, after having
resisted your kindness, by their conduct cause scandal to the People of God; but
you will take the necessary precautions to ensure their seeing the error of
their ways. Following the example of our Lord Jesus, "the Shepherd and Guardian
of your souls," (142) do not crush the "bruised reed" nor quench the "smoldering
wick"; (l43) like Jesus, heal their wounds, (144) save what was lost; (145) with
eagerness and love go in search of the lost sheep and bring him back to the
warmth of the sheepfold (146) and like Him, try until the end (147) to call back
the unfaithful friend.
95. We are certain, venerable brothers, that you will leave nothing undone to
foster, by your teaching, prudence and pastoral zeal, the ideal of consecrated
celibacy among your clergy. We are sure too that you will never neglect those
priests who have strayed from the house of God, their true home, no matter where
their painful odyssey has led them; for they still remain your sons.
ROLE OF THE FAITHFUL
96. Priestly virtue is a treasure that belongs to the whole Church. It is an
enrichment and a splendor above the ordinary, which redounds to the building up
and the profit of the entire People of God. We wish therefore to address to all
the faithful, Our children in Christ, an affectionate and urgent exhortation. We
wish that they too feel responsible for the virtue of t ho se brothers of theirs
who have undertaken the mission of serving them in the priesthood for the
salvation of their souls. They should pray and work for priestly vocations; they
should help priests wholeheartedly, with filial love and ready collaboration;
they should have the firm intention of offering them the consolation of a joyous
response to their pastoral labors. They should encourage these, their fathers in
Christ, to overcome the difficulties of every sort which they encounter as they
fulfill their duties, with entire faithfulness, to the edification of all. In a
spirit of faith and Christian love, they should foster a deep respect and a
delicate reserve in their dealings with priests, on account of their condition
as men entirely consecrated to Christ and to the Church.
Invitation to the Laity
97. Our invitation goes out specially to those lay people who seek God with
greater earnestness and intensity, and strive after Christian perfection while
living in the midst of their fellow men. By their devoted and warm friendship
they can be of great assistance to the Church's ministers since it is the laity,
occupied with temporal affairs while at the same time aiming at a more generous
and perfect conformity to their baptismal vocation, who are in a position, in
many cases, to enlighten and encourage the priest. The integrity of his
vocation, one that plunges him into the mystery of Christ and the Church, can
suffer harm from various circumstances and from contamination by a destructive
worldliness. In this way the whole People of God will honor Christ our Lord in
those who represent Him and of whom He has said: "He who receives you receives
me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me," (148) promising an assured
reward to anyone who in any way shows charity toward those whom He has sent.
(149)
CONCLUSION
98. Venerable brothers, pastors of God's flock throughout the world, and dearly
beloved priests, Our sons and brothers: as We come to the end of this letter
which We have addressed to you, We invite you, with a soul responsive to
Christ's great love, to turn your eyes and heart with renewed confidence and
filial hope to the most loving Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church, and to
invoke for the Catholic priesthood her powerful and maternal intercession. In
her the People of God admire and venerate the image of the Church, and model of
faith, charity and perfect union with Him. May Mary Virgin and Mother obtain for
the Church, which also is hailed as virgin and mother, (150) to rejoice always,
though with due humility, in the faithfulness of her priests to the sublime gift
of holy virginity they have received, and to see it flourishing and appreciated
ever more and more in every walk of life, so that the army of those who "follow
the divine Lamb wherever He goes'' (151) may increase throughout the earth.
99. The Church proclaims her hope in Christ; she is conscious of the critical
shortage of priests when compared with the spiritual necessities of the world's
population; but she is confident in her expectation which is founded on the
infinite and mysterious power of grace, that the high spiritual quality of her
ministers will bring about an increase also in their numbers, for everything is
possible to God. (l52)
In this faith and in this hope, may the apostolic blessing which we impart with
all Our heart be for all a pledge of heavenly graces and the testimony of Our
fatherly affection.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, June 24, 1967, the feast of St. John the Baptist,
in the fifth year of Our pontificate.
PAUL VI
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NOTES
LATIN TEXT: Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 59 (1967), 657-97.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION: The Pope Speaks, 12 (Summer,1967), 291-319.
REFERENCES:
(1) See letter of Oct. 10, 1965, to Cardinal Tisserant, read in the general
session of the next day.
(2) See Mt 19. 11-12.
(3) See 1 Tm 3. 2-5; Ti 1. 5-6.
(4) See Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the
Church, no. 35: AAS 58 (1966), 690 [TPS XI, 195-96]; Decree on the Apostolate of
the Laity, no. 1: AAS 58 (1966), 837 [TPS XI, 119-20]; Decree on the Priestly
Ministry and Life, nos. 10 ff.: AAS 58 (1966), 1007-08 [TPS XI, 455-56]; Decree
on the Missionary Activity of the Church, nos. 19, 38; AAS 58 (1966), 969, 984 [TPS
XI, 426, 437-38].
(5) Mt 19. 11.
(6) Jn 4. 10.
(7) See Mt 5. 13-14.
(8) See above, nos. 5 and 7 [pp. 292-93].
(9) Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of
Today, no. 62: AAS 58 (1966), 1082 [TPS XI, 300].
(10) See Eph 5. 25-27.
(11) Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 16: AAS 58 (1966), 1015 [TPS
XI, 461].
(12) Ibid.
(13) See Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, no.
8: AAS 58 (1966), 820 [TPS XI, 75-76.].
(14) See Jn 16. 13.
(15) Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 28: AAS 57
(1965), 33-36 [TPS X, 378-79]; Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 2:
AAS 58 (1966), 991-93 [TPS XI, 442-44].
(16) See 1 Cor 4. 1.
(17) See 1 Cor 11. 1.
(18) See Jn 3. 5; Ti 3. 5.
(19) See Jn 4. 34; 17. 4.
(20) See 2 Cor 5. 17; Gal 6. 15.
(21) See Gal 3. 28.
(22) See Gn 2. 18.
(23) See Mt 19. 3-8.
(24) See Jn 2. 1-11.
(25) See Eph 5. 32.
(26) Heb 8. 6.
(27) See 1 Cor 7. 33-35.
(28) See Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 16: AAS 58 (1966),
1015-17 [TPS XI, 461-62].
(29) Mt 13. 11.; see Mk 4. 11; Lk 8. 10.
(30) See 2 Cor 5. 20.
(31) See Jn 15. 15; 20. 17.
(32) Ibid., 17. 19.
(33) See Lk 18. 29-30.
(34) See Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 16: AAS 58 (1966),
1015-17 [TPS XI, 461 -62].
(35) See Mt 19. 11.
(36) Ibid., 19. 12.
(37) See Lk 18. 29-30.
(38) Mk 10. 29-30.
(39) Mt 19. 29.
(40) See Jn 3. 16; 15, 13.
(41) See Mk 10. 21.
(42) Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 42: AAS 57 (1965), 48 [TPS X,
388].
(43) Phil 3.12.
(44) See Eph 5.25-27.
(45) Jn 1, 13.
(46) See Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 42: AAS 57 (1965), 48 [TPS X,
388]; Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 16: AAS 58 (1966), 1015-17 [TPS
XI, 461-62].
(47) See Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 14: AAS 58 (1966), 1013 [TPS
XI, 459-60].
(48) See Lk 2.49; 1 Cor 7.32-33.
(49) See Heb 9.24; 7.25.
(50) Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 13: AAS 58 (1966), 1012 [TPS
XI, 458-59].
(51) See Acts 6. 4.
(52) Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 5: AAS 58 (1966), 997 [TPS
XI, 447].
(53) Jn 12. 24-25.
(54) See 1 Cor 15. 31.
(55) See Second Vatican Council, Decree on Training for the Priesthood, no. 10:
AAS 58 (1966), 719-20 [TPS XI, 23-24].
(56) See 2 Cor 12.15.
(57) See Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 16: AAS 58 (1966),
1015-17 [TPS XI, 461 -62].
(58) See Jn 17. 18.
(59) See Rom 1. 14.
(60) Jn 18. 36.
(61) See Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of Today, no. 39: AAS
58 (1966), 1056-57 [TPS XI, 282-83].
(62) See Dogmatic Constitution on the Church , no . 5: AAS 57 (1965), 7-8 [TPS
X, 361].
(63) See Phil 3. 20.
(64) See 1 Jn 3. 2.
(65) See Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 48: AAS 57 (1965), 53-54 [TPS
X, 391-92].
(66) Mt 22. 30.
(67) See 1 Jn 2. 16.
(68) Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of the
Religious Life, no. 12: AAS 58 (1966), 107 [TPS XI, 147].
(69) See 1 Cor 7. 29-31.
(70) Col 3. 1-4.
(71) See tertullian, De exhort. castitatis, 13: PL 2. 930; St. Epiphanius, Adv.
Haer. II, 48.9 and 59.4: PG 41.869, 1025; St. Efrem, Carmina nisibena, XVIII,
XIX: ed. G. Bickell, Leipzig (1866), p. 122; Eusebius of Caesarea, Demonstr.
evan., 1.9: PG 22.81; St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechesis, 12.25: PG 33.757; St.
Ambrose, De officiis ministr., 1.50: PL 16.97 ff.; St. Augustine, De moribus
Eccl. cath., 1.32: PL 32.1339; St. Jerome, Adversus Vigilantium, 2: PL
23.340-41; Bishop Synesius of Ptolemais, Epist. 105: PG 66.1485.
(72) First done at the Council of Elvira, c. 300, can. 33: Mansi II, 11.
(73) Sess. XXIV, can. 9-10.
(74) Can. 132, §1.
(75) See St. Pius X, apost. exhortation Haerent animo: AAS 41 (1908), 555-57;
Benedict XV, letter to Francis Kordac, Archbishop of Prague: AAS 12 (1920),
57-58; consistorial address, Dec. 16, 1920: AAS 12 (1920), 585-88; Pius XI,
encyc.letter Ad catholici sacerdotii: AAS 28 (1936), 24-30; Pius XII, apost.
exhortation Menti Nostrae: AAS 42
(1950), 657-702; encyc.letter Sacra virginitas: AAS 46 (1954), 161-91 [TPS 1,
101-23]; John XXIII, encyc. letter Sacerdotii Nostri primordia: AAS51 (1959),
;54-56 [TPS VI, 14-16].
(76) Second address, Jan. 26, 1960: AAS 52 (1960), 226.
(77) Can. 6, 12, 13, 48: Mansi XI, 944-48, 965.
(78) See Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. l6: AAS 58 (1966),
1015-16 [TPS XI, 461-62].
(79) De Virginitate, 13: PG 381-82.
(80) De Sacerdotio, 1, 111: PG 48. 642.
22. 81 Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, nos. 21, 28, 64: AAS 57 (1965),
24-25; 33-36; 64 [TPS X, 372-73, 378-79, 398].
23. (82) See above, no. 15.
(83) See Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 29: AAS 57 (1965), 36 [TPS X,
380].
(84) Ibid., 47-49 [TPS X, 387-88]
(85) Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 16: AAS 58 (1966), 1015-16 [TPS
XI, 462].
(86) See Decree on Training for the Priesthood, no. 2: AAS 58 (1966), 714-15 [TPS
XI, 17-19]; Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 11: AAS 58 (1966),
1008-09 [TPS XI, 455-56].
(87) See Rom 3. 23.
(88) See 2 Cor 8. 23.
(89) See Eph 1. 6.
(90) Phil 1. 8.
(91) See Lk 12. 32.
(92) See Mt 28. 20.
(93) See Jn 16. 33.
(94) See Mk 4. 26-29.
(95) Mt 9. 37-38.
(96) See 1 Cor 1. 20-31.
(97) See Phil 4. 13.
(98) See 1 Cor 3. 67.
(99) See above, no. 10.
(100) Conf. X, 29, 40: PL 32. 796.
(101) See above, no. 10.
(102) Gn 1. 26-27.
(103) See 1 Jn 4. 8-16.
(104) Ibid., 3. 16-18.
(105) See 1 Thes 2.11 1Cor.4.15; 1 Cor 6.13; Gal 4.19; 1 Tm 5.1-2.
(106) See 1 Cor 2. 15.
(107) Heb 5. 1.
(108) See 1 Cor 14. 4 ff.
(109) See Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 3: AAS 58 (1966), 993-95
[TPS XI, 444-45].
(110) Jn 13. 1.
(111) Ibid., 16. 32.
(112) See ibid., 13. 16; 15. 18.
(113) See ibid., 15 15-16, 20.
(114) See 1 Tm 6. 11.
(115) See Decree on Training for the Priesthood, nos. 3-11: AAS 58 (1966),
715-21 [TPS XI, 19-24]; Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of the Religious
Life, no. 12: AAS 58 (1966), 721 [TPS XI, 147].
(116) See above, no. 15.
(117) See Mt 5. 37.
(118) See ibid., 16. 24; Jn 12. 25.
(119) St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theol., II-II, q. 184, a. 8 c.
(120) See Decree on Training for the Priesthood, no. 12: AAS 58 (1966), 721 [TPS
XI, 24-25].
(121) See Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, nos. 16, 18: AAS 58 (1966),
1015-16, 1019 [TPS XI, 461-62, 463-64].
(122) Ibid., no. 18.
(123) See 2 Cor 5. 14.
(124) See Heb 4. 15.
(125) See 1 Cor 9. 22; 2 Cor 11. 29.
(126) See Acts 20. 24.
(127) See Gal 5. 25.
(128) Ibid., 5. 24.
(129) See 1 Cor 9. 26-27.
(130) Gal 5. 22-23.
(131) See Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 8: AAS 58 (1966), 1003 [TPS
XI, 452].
(132) See Jn 13. 15 and 34-35.
(133) Ibid., 17. 26.
(134) See Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 8: AAS 58 (1966),
1003-05 [TPS XI, 452-53].
(135) See Rom 12. 1.
(136) See Code of Canon Law, can. 214.
(137) See Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 28: AAS 57 (1965), 34-35 [TPS
X, 378-79].
(138) See Jn chaps. 13-17.
(139) Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 21: AAS 57 (1965), 24 [TPS X,
372-73].
(140) Decree on the Priestly Ministry and Life, no. 7: AAS 58 (1966), 1001-03 [TPS
XI, 450-52].
(141) See ibid.
(142) 1 Pt 2. 25.
(143) See Mt 12. 20.
(144) See Lk 9. 11.
(145) See Mt 18. 11.
(146) See Lk 15.4 ff.
(147) Ibid., 22. 48.
(148) Mt 10. 40.
(149) See ibid., 10. 42.
(150) Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, nos. 63.64: AAS 57 (1965), 64 [TPS X,
398].
(151) Ap 14. 4.
(152) Mk 10, 27; see Lk 1. 37.