From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church

At last, former Pope Benedict XVI could no longer remain silent and has come out to defend the value of priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church even though he vowed to "remain hidden from the world" when he resigned in 2013. To reaffirm the necessity of a celibate priesthood, he has recently coauthored a book entitled From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church with Cardinal Robert Sarah. Both authors honestly address the challenges faced by our priests today as well as their struggles with celibacy and wrote in a joint introduction to the book, "Like Augustine we can say: 'Silere non possum! I cannot remain silent!'" They also wrote that they have offered their reflections "in a spirit of love for the unity of the Catholic Church" and "an attitude of filial obedience to Pope Francis."

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is one of the greatest authors, theologians and spiritual leaders of our time and has written many influential books. These include the best-selling Jesus of Nazareth, Introduction to Christianity, Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life, Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today, and The Spirit of the Liturgy. In his latest book entitled From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church, he clearly addresses the issue of priestly celibacy today and argues in favor of the 1000-year tradition of celibacy within the Catholic Church. The section written by our beloved former pontiff is titled The Catholic Priesthood. According to him, "The priesthood of Jesus Christ causes us to enter into a life that consists of becoming one with him and renouncing all that belongs only to us. For priests, this is the foundation of the necessity of celibacy but also of liturgical prayer, meditation on the word of God and the renunciation of material goods."

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI clearly emphasizes that those who wished to be ordained as priests ought to "put oneself completely at the disposition of the Lord". He strongly believes that celibacy has "great significance" and is "truly essential" as "the call to follow Jesus is not possible without this sign of freedom and of renunciation of all commitments." This brings up the question of whether a family man priest can have the freedom to serve God and renounce all his commitments. (To answer this question, please click here to read SHOULD CATHOLIC PRIESTS BE ALLOWED TO MARRY?) Of course a married man has to give himself totally to his family and it is therefore not possible for him to serve God and his family at the same time. As what our dearest Pope Emeritus says:

... the married state involves a man in his totality, and since serving the Lord likewise requires the total gift of a man, it does not seem possible to carry on the two vocations simultaneously. Thus, the ability to renounce marriage so as to place oneself totally at the Lord's disposition became a criterion for priestly ministry.

From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy, and the Crisis of the Catholic Church is a book with a lot of truth in it. What kind of truth? Please click here to read about the taxi driver who wanted to become a married Catholic priest and you will understand why Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Cardinal Robert Sarah can no longer remain silent and have no choice but to come out with this book. Can you respect a family man priest who is busy serving his family at the expense of the Church? Of course this taxi driver is not the only man who wanted to become a married Catholic priest - there are lots of them out there hoping and waiting for the opportunity to become a married Catholic priest so that they can have a better "job" and their family can have a better life. Recently, I met a church member who used to be an altar boy during his school days. He is married with 2 children and is working as a salesman now with a basic salary of RM1200 per month. Like the taxi driver, he also said that he would love to become a Catholic priest (if priests could get married) so that he could provide well for his family. Most of all, he does not have to worry about buying a house because houses are very expensive in the Klang Valley. OMG! Is this the kind of priest we want? It is thus obvious that if a priest cannot renounce marriage, he cannot give himself totally to the Church. What is even worse is that he would be busy serving his family at the expense of the Church because a married man is always busy planning how to increase his income. How can a priest increase his income? Doing direct selling in Church, getting paid a commission for Church projects, receiving money / gifts from Church members,  just to mention a few. And can anyone imagine what will happen if he is a "Queen Control" and has a wife who likes to collect Birkin bags? Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is right as it is NOT possible for a man to serve his family and the Lord simultaneously and this is also his greatest concern (Please click here to read why Pope Benedict XVI clarifies, reaffirms, reinforces, and defends celibacy and here to find out why Cardinal Sarah says that the Priesthood today is in mortal danger).

The two authors dedicated this precious book "in homage to the priests of the entire world" and urge them to persevere. They also call the faithful to support them in their celibate ministry. According to them:

It is urgent and necessary for everyone - bishops, priests and lay people - to stop letting themselves be intimidated  by the wrong-headed pleas, the theatrical productions, the diabolical lies and the fashionable errors that try to put down priestly celibacy. It is urgent and necessary for everyone - bishops, priests and lay people - to take a fresh look with the eyes of faith at the Church and at priestly celibacy which protects her mystery. 

Would marrying off priests prevent sexual transgressions? If this tactic really works, why do married men still commit adultery? It should be noted that sex crimes are not confined to the Catholic Church alone as one cannot deny the fact that protestant pastors / married men can be much worse when it comes to sexual abuse (Please click here to read Corrupt Religious Leaders: Pastors and Sex Crimes). In a way, it may also be true to say that sex scandals have nothing to do with priestly celibacy but rather it is sexual license that breeds sexual abuse.

The 175-page book includes an introduction and conclusion by both authors and one chapter by each of them written individually. Below is a synopsis of the book from the publisher, Ignatius Press:

The Catholic Church faces a major crisis and the turmoil in priestly ministry is at the heart of it. "The priesthood is going through a dark time," write Pope Emeritus Benedict and Cardinal Robert Sarah. "Wounded by the revelation of so many scandals, disconcerted by the constant questioning of their consecrated celibacy, many priests are tempted by the thought of giving up and abandoning everything."

In this book, Pope Emeritus Benedict and Cardinal Robert Sarah give their brother priests and the whole Church a message of hope. They honestly address the spiritual challenges faced by priests today, including struggles of celibacy. They point to deeper conversion to Jesus Christ as the key to faithful and fruitful priestly ministry and church reform.

From the Depths of Our Hearts is an unprecedented work by the Pope Emeritus and a Cardinal serving in the Vatican. As bishops, they write "in spirit of filial obedience" to Pope Francis, who has said, "I think that celibacy is a gift for the Church ... I don't agree with allowing optional celibacy, no."

Responding to calls for refashioning the priesthood, including proposals from the Amazonian Synod, two wise, spiritually astute pastors explain the biblical and spiritual role of the priesthood, celibacy, and genuine priestly ministry. Drawing on Vatican II, they present priestly celibacy as more than "a mere precept of ecclesiastical law". They insist that renewal of the Church is bound to a renewed understanding of priestly vocation as sharing in Jesus' priestly identity as Bridegroom of the Church. This is a book whose crucial message is for clergy and laity alike.


POINTS OF INTEREST

• An unprecedented book coauthored by a former Pope.
• Looks seriously and unflinchingly at the crisis in the Catholic Church
• A forthright discussion of priestly celibacy and its role in the Catholic Church
• A book for clergy and laity alike concerned about the Catholic Church