In Defense of Married Priesthood

Vivencio O. Ballano

In Defense of Married Priesthood
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Country
United Kingdom
Published
30 August 2023
Pages
208
ISBN
9781032558875

In Defense of Married Priesthood

Vivencio O. Ballano

This book offers an analysis of the sociological, historical, and cultural factors that lie behind mandatory clerical celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church and examines the negative impact of celibacy on the Catholic priesthood in our contemporary age. Drawing on sociological theory and secondary qualitative data, together with Church documents, it contends that married priesthood has always existed in some form in the Catholic Church and that mandatory universal celibacy is the product of cultural and sociological contingencies, rather than sound doctrine. With attention to a range of problems associated with priestly celibacy, including sexual abuse, clerical shortages, loneliness, and spiritual sloth, In Defense of Married Priesthood argues that the Roman Catholic Church should permit marriage to the priesthood in order to respond to the challenges of our age. Presenting a sociologically informed alternative to the popular theological perspectives on clerical celibacy, this book defends the notion of the married priesthood as legitimate means of living the vocation of Catholic priesthood-one which is eminently fitting for the contemporary world. It will therefore appeal to scholars and students of religion, theology, and sociology.

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