Priesthood and celibacy Fr. Peter M. J Stravinskas Monday, June 4, 2018 The connection between priesthood and celibacy is not unique to Catholicism. We find such linkage in various pagan cults of Greece and Rome and, even more radically, in Stoicism’s overall rejection of sexual pleasure. While these historical precedents may offer interesting angles of insight or a “natural” intuition in this regard, Christian faith sees something much deeper here. © 2024 The Catholic Thing. All rights reserved. For reprint rights, write to: [email protected] The Catholic Thing is a forum for intelligent Catholic commentary. Opinions expressed by writers are solely their own.
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Priesthood and celibacy
Fr. Peter M. J Stravinskas
Monday, June 4, 2018
The connection between priesthood and celibacy is not unique to Catholicism. We find such linkage in various pagan cults of Greece and Rome and, even more radically, in Stoicism’s overall rejection of sexual pleasure. While these historical precedents may offer interesting angles of insight or a “natural” intuition in this regard, Christian faith sees something much deeper here.