Celibacy and Priesthood

The church since its birth(Catholic) has suffered many oppositions both intra and inter conflicts. The expected result of these conflicts by the frontiers is to bring the church to a brink of destruction and extinction. Following the words of Bishop J. B Adelakun;bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo,he said celibacy is “A discipline of the Church and not essential to the priesthood.

Agents of destruction have not for once relented in their mission. The same man who shot Pope John Paul II in May 13, 1981, in St.Peter’s Square at Vatican City is still the same person demanding that Pope Benedict XVI should resign. Mehmet Ali Agca, a trained sniper from Turkey who shot the late pope has been has been making effrontery to terminate the assignment of the church to reach out to the unreached. Celibacy is an eschatological sign to the Church, a living-out in the present of the universal celibacy of heaven: “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matt. 2:30). The church has different ways of handling matters and that is why their is what we call the code of the canon law governing the church under the supremacy of God.

The commonest notion people held about the breach in the chastity of priests is that its often wrapped in silence. The recent sexual scandal perpetrated by two priests in Malta has become the topic of discussion in most journal and dailies now whereas the church has made provisions for occurrences like that.Those who lack the locus standi are now poke-nosing. Celibacy is to make priests have time to be dedicated to God’s work not compulsory. What the church needs at this point is prayer against the agents plots. Since the inception of the church,it has suffered violence and great oppositions. Hence celibacy can not be said to be a manual for priests as that.

YAYI TIMOTHY OPEYEMI