PARADOX:CHURCH AND THE WORLD

A reflection on celibacy

The Church and the World are two different entities. One founded by God and the other created by Him. The Church founded by God still belongs to Him while the World has long abandoned its Creator. "In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was in the World, the World was made through Him, but the World did not know Him. He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him" (Jn 1: 1, 10-11).

While the Church is in the World, She is not of the World. "I have given them Your word and the World hates them, because they are not of the World, just as I am not of the World", said Jesus to His Father about His Disciples - the Church - if you like (Jn 17: 14).

The Church is the Light of the World and not the contrary, as some are making it to look today. "You are the light of the World", Jesus said to His Disciples (Mt 5: 14). Being the light of the World, it is only the Church that can enlighten the World. But unfortunately, the World prefers darkness to light. "…the Light came into the World, but men prefer darkness to Light, because their actions were evil" (Jn 3: 19). Worst still, the World claims to be in better light than Light Herself.

If the Church is the light of the World, the World's ideologies, therefore, must not be placed over and above the Church's ideologies as many are suggesting today. Let us analyse some of these issues they are advocating for. They are advocating that priests should marry maybe owing to many sex scandal allegations levied on some priests, arguing that this would help to check the situation, adding that it is no sin that priests should marry anyway. The issue here is not whether it is a sin or not priests getting married.

The fact is that the advantage of priestly celibacy outweighs its disadvantage. Let us be realistic. Permitting priests to marry will distract them from their primary function of serving the people of God. How many women for example will allow their priests husbands in this age to attend sick-calls at midnights? How many will assume at least the grater part of the family responsibilities just to allow them perform their services to the people of God? Let us recall what St. Paul said to the people of Corinth on this issue: "I would want you to be free of worries. He, who has no spouse, thinks of the things of the Lord and how to please the Lord.
He, who has a spouse, thinks of the things of the world and how to please his spouse, and remains divided. I say this for your own good, not to set a trap; simply for you to do what is noble and to be able to remain with the Lord without distraction. Therefore, he, who marries, does well; and he, who does not marry does better still" (1Cor. 7: 32-33, 35, 38).

On anther note, nothing shows for sure that the "accused priests", if allowed to marry will remain faithful to their marriage vows if they have not been faithful to their vow of celibacy. Therefore, the proponents of this theory can not prove that withdrawing the law of priestly celibacy will solve the problem of sex scandal accusations on some priests. Priestly Act is a Sacred Act. Being a Sacred Act, it demands a high level of concentration and sanctity. Some Religions, including African Traditional Religion for example, insists that their priests abstain from sexual relations before performing any sacred act. To maintain this, they have to keep away from women for some period of time. Even Moses told the people of Israel to abstain from sexual relations for three days before their meeting with God: "be prepared for next tomorrow, and do not have relations with your women" (Ex. 19: 15).

This being the case, a priest has to keep away from his wife perpetually because he performs a sacred act everyday. And how many women can support that? The Devil knows that priests achieve a lot through their vow of celibacy; therefore, he is fighting tooth and nail to get it destroyed. Celibate priests are treasures to the church therefore celibacy should be uphold