THIS IS MY BODY

CELIBACY
with Fr Samuel Medley, SOLT

Cat the same time a ELIBACY is

sign and a stimulus for pastoral charity and a special source of spiritual fecundity in the world. Vatican II, On the Life and Ministry of Priests, 16

CELIBACY
For the sake of the Kingdom For the sake of Pastoral Charity For the sake of the Church For the sake of spiritual fruitfulness For the sake of the salvation of souls

But what does

CELIBACY
mean to the

CELIBATE?

But what does

CELIBACY
mean to the

CELIBATE?

LOVE

Lis love, not OVE This

that we loved God but that he loved us

It is a characteristic feature of the human heart to accept even difficult demands in the name of love, for an ideal, and above all in the name of love for a person (love is, in fact, oriented by its very nature toward the person). And so, in this call to continence for the kingdom of heaven, first the disciples and then the whole living Tradition of the Church quickly discovered the love for Christ himself as the Bridegroom of the Church, Bridegroom of souls, to whom he has given himself to the end (cf. Jn 13:1; 19:30) in the mystery of his Passover and of the Eucharist. TOB 80.1

LOVE

LOVE
It is not difficult to perceive a particular sensibility of the human spirit that seems to anticipate, already in the conditions of temporality, what man will share in the future resurrection. TOB 73.1

Virginity for the Sake of the Kingdom

A little piece of heaven...

Virginal Meaning of the Body

A consecrated woman gifts her womanhood directly to Jesus to reveal how all will be in heaven with God.

Virginal Meaning of the Body

Only Jesus. Always Jesus.

Spousal Meaning of the Body

A married woman gifts her womanhood to Christ through her husband, while giving herself to her husband through Christ.

Spousal Meaning of the Body for Priests

Just as Christ gave himself up for the Church as a spouse, so priests gift themselves to the Church in spousal fruitfulness.

Spousal Meaning of the Body for Priests

They evoke the mysterious marriage established by Christ, and fully to be manifested in the future, in which the Church has Christ as her only Spouse.
(Vatican II, Decree on Priestly Life, 16)

Spousal Meaning of the Body for Priests

When they say at the altar the words of spousal consummation of Christ, THIS IS MY BODY, they dont just say it in persona Christi, but also in propria persona sua, in his own person to the very people who can hear him speak the words.

Spousal Meaning of the Body for Priests

A priest is free to gift himself totally to the Church and be consumed out of love and service to her, completely configured to Christ, even to the very shedding of his blood.

Spousal Meaning of the Body for Priests

The deepest drive in us is NOT the sexual drive, but rather, what is at the root of the sexual drive, the drive for intimate communion with Love, with Abba Father. Celibacy is lived well when a priest lives the discipleship, ascesis, and above all the love to sublimate the lesser drive of his sexuality to his drive for communion.

SUBLIMATION NOT SUPPRESSION

A match may burn your fingers but its not as hot as a forest fire. A candle is bright in the night but invisible in the day. Burning desire for communion consumes the sexual drive with the fire of love.

Spousal Meaning of the Body for Priests

On the basis of the same disposition of the personal subject and on the basis of the same spousal meaning of being, as a body, male and female, there can be formed the love that commits man to marriage for the whole duration of his life (see Mt 19:39), but there can be formed also the love that commits man for his whole life to continence for the kingdom of heaven (see Mt 19:1112). TOB 80:6

Spousal Meaning of the Body for Priests

Since it is the same Spousal Meaning of the Body that a person can either marry or commit themselves to God alone in celibacy, the value of celibacy reveals the truth and dignity of the human persons capacity to live in a life-time faithful covenanted commitment. Marriage and Celibacy complement one another.

Masculinity of Celibate Priesthood

Celibacy does not emasculate a man, or make him asexual but fulfills his masculine nature of his body. Celibacy is not second rate, second best, does not cripple or stifle the manly spirit but frees it.

Masculinity of Celibate Priesthood

DEEP CALLS TO DEEP The Holy Spirit searches the depths of the gift of a celibates manhood, his masculinity, his paternity, and joins it to the depths of Christ who gifts it to the Father for his glory.

Spiritual Paternity of Celibate Priesthood

Just as Christs union with the Church was fruitful in spiritual life, so the gift of celibacy is fruitful.

Spiritual Paternity of Celibate Priesthood

Through virginity, then, or celibacy observed for the Kingdom of Heaven, priests are consecrated to Christ by a new and exceptional reason. They adhere to him more easily with an undivided heart, they dedicate themselves more freely in him and through him to the service of God and men, and they more expeditiously minister to his Kingdom and the work of heavenly regeneration, and thus they are apt to accept, in a broad sense, paternity in Christ. Vatican II, Decree of Life of Priests, 16

Celibacy and the Sex Abuse Scandal

GET THE FACTS

Criminological Statistics:

Celibate priests have the least cases of sexual misconduct than any other profession.

GET THE FACTS

Criminological Statistics:

There are more cases, insurance claims, from married ministers than celibate priests.

GET THE FACTS

Criminological Statistics:

Celibate priests ought to have committed NO CRIMES against the vulnerable - they ought receive STRICTEST PENALTY.

GET THE FACTS

Criminological Statistics:
The strictest penalties are applied to celibate priests- guilty until proven innocent, waiver of the statute of limitations, harshness of sentencing, etc.

GET THE FACTS

Criminological Statistics:
YET - the media and the stigma against priestly celibacy HAS BEEN TAKEN WAY TOO FAR and MUST BE CORRECTED -

KNOW THE FACTS

Support your Priests

Pray for your Priests

LOVE your Priests

THANK YOU