The Irish standard., 1902-04-26
"Why Priests Do Not Wed'' is the Subject
Chosen For the Edification
of the Sectaries.
The Church Has Been Wise in Making the
Requirement That Priests
Shall Not Marry.

Father Zavier, of the Passionist
Order, recently enlightened n nom
Catholic audience in Philadelphia on
the cclibacy OF the Catholic priesthood.
His subject was "Why Priests Do Not
We'd" He spoke in substance as fol-
lows:
Among mankind there are great
leading truths upon which all men arc
agreed: the love of the beautiful, the
admiration of the grand, esteem for
what is good and virtuous and among
these is included the love of purity and
chastity. Infidels and matcrinlists have
praised and even Brnhmins have eX-
tollel it. Savage tribes have invested
it with holy character. Wherever
we go we find among all nations II re-
spcct and love for it, even among the
pagans Livy tells us that the vestals
were commanded to remain virgins
I, Moreover, those who do not possess
/ this virtue assume the gnrb Of purity
[; and pretend to have it. Only the most
degraded publicly proclaim their lack
of It, and the debnuched man who eli
ters into the presence of pure maiden
feels his inferiority and is nbashed and
ashamed, and instinctively pays re
spect to the purity she possesses. Why
is it that we instinctively love and
cherish what is pure and chnste? II
springs from our nature, because oul
soul, created by God, is nftcr His owl
image and likeness 1t is the divine
within us going out and loving what is
pure and giving us the triumph of the
soul over matter.
This virtue has ever been the glory
/ of the Catholic Church. She has ever
inculcated it to her children, fosteret'
it and held it up before the people as
! nm excellent virtue to practice. Our
, Savior is our model A virgin Himself
Hc selected virgin for His mother
He extolled it in His beatitudcs, fol
He said: blessed are the pure IN
heart, for they shall see God"
Go back in the history Of the Cath
olic Church and see the thousands OF
Young men and young women who for
sook all in order to follow Christ IN
purity and chastity. Did He not say
"Come follow Me?" Did Tie not invite
us? He, virgin, the model ever be-
fore us, shall we not walk in His foot
steps and practice this most beautiful
virtue?
Now as to the law Of the Church
No one who is married can be ordained
a priest. No priest can ever enter into
the married state. The law was made
in the early ages Of the Church. AS
early as the year 305 we read that
none can become priest except a
single person. Later there were fur
ther regulations, but they only en-
forced what had previously been prac
ticcd even by the Apostles. They were
single men except those previously
married. and they afterwards led "
chaste life. This law is not forced or
any one. You are not compelled tc
become n priest. Every one who feels
| himself called to the priesthood knows
J this law will bind him. Other churches
have regulations also. The Mcthodist'
require their candidates for the minis
try to abstain from tobacco and alec
holic drinks.
Why is this regulation? Why arc
/ priests debarred from the married
| state? It is not to cast any reflection
I on the good ladies or to insinuate tina,
they are a hindrance to man. But the
! duties Of q priest are so many. sc
grave, so serious that the Church does
not wish him to be hampered by the
/ cares of a family. The Church wants
this body of men, the priesthood, af
: free as their Master was. But the
Church has n more fundamental rea
son. because the ideas of sacrifice and
marriage are mutually repugnant. The
two are not to be placed together. l1
all religions in which they have had a
sacrifice this idea prevails. 1t was sc