Jus novum c. Jus novissimum c. Particular churches. Juridic persons. Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law. Juridic and physical persons. Associations of the faithful. Institute of consecrated life. Society of apostolic life. Clerical celibacy is the discipline within the Catholic Church by which only unmarried men are ordained to the episcopate , to the priesthood in the Latin Church one of the 24 rites of the Catholic Church with some particular exception and in some autonomous particular Churches , and similarly to the diaconate.
In other autonomous particular churches, the discipline applies only to the episcopate. According to Jason Berry of The New York Times , "The requirement of celibacy is not dogma; it is an ecclesiastical law that was adopted in the Middle Ages because Rome was worried that clerics' children would inherit church property and create dynasties. The first male issue of non-married concubines of celibate clergy became set to continue the dynasty a form of nepotism.
To curtail this clerical abuse, the Latin Church imposed a ban on the ordination of bastards. This policy ended almost years later in the 20th century. The Catholic church in particular which principally follows this discipline is the Latin Church ; this discipline does not apply to the Eastern Catholic Churches , which permit married men to be ordained to priesthood with the exception of the Ethiopian Catholic Church.
All particular Churches of the Catholic Church require bishops to be celibate as was the practice of the ancient church as bishops were chosen from monastics who always practiced celibacy. In this context, the word celibacy retains its original meaning of 'unmarried'. Though even the married may observe abstinence from sexual intercourse, the obligation to be celibate is seen as a consequence of the obligation to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.
Advocates see clerical celibacy as "a special gift of God by which sacred ministers can more easily remain close to Christ with an undivided heart, and can dedicate themselves more freely to the service of God and their neighbour. In February , the Vatican acknowledged that the policy has not always been adhered to and that rules had been secretly established by the Vatican to handle clergy who violated their vows of celibacy.
