The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-01-21
LAW OF CEL|BACY
The Rev. Father Burke Con-
tinues His Instructive
Lectures to Nom
Catholics.

| s
The subject to be treated tonight in
the series of lectures at st. Joseph's
Church is, .sNhy Confess Our Sins to a
ManY After the service books explain
ing Catholic doctrine will be distributed
free to non-Catlolics. Last night was
! the most interesting of all the evenings
thus far. Among the many questions re-
ceived number on celibacy of the
Catholic clergy We're answered by the
Rev. Father Thomas T.. Burke. In re-
plying to the general question, 'Why do
not priests marry?" he said:-s.The law
of celibacy is an ecclesiastical law. There
il nothing essential in Catholic doctrine
against the marriage of her clergy, as
is seen from the fact that it is allowed
in the East under certain conditions.
The reasons why the Catholic priests in
general do not marry are:-O Because
the doctrine of Christ, and especially as
given by st. Paul, plainly exalts the
virgin state as high vocation for those
who can follow it. He that giveth his
virgin in marriage doth well, and he
that giveth her not doth better" q Cor.
1881
2 The doctfine of st. Paul is. that the
| unmarried can devote themselves more
exclusively to the Lord, not having the
care of wife or children. He that is
without wife is solicitous for the things
that belong to the Lord how he may
please God. But he that is with a wife
is solicitous for the things of the world,
how he may please his wife, and he is
divided Il Cor 1882, 33.)
3. AS matter of history, the nations
have been converted to Christianity at
all times and in all places by celibate
| and not a married clergy.
f. The Catholic priest, moreover, must
be ready at any moment to face any
danger, to visit the bedside of the small
pox patient, TO administer the sacraments
in time of pestilence. He can do these
things the better when he has not to
think of the danger of infection to wife
or children.
The lecture, delivered with great power
of logic and feeling, was given by Father
John Burke on the subject, Can we be
taught through the Bible alone? 1t
treated of the source of our faith. The
Catholic Church has always defended the
sanctity and dignity of the Bible, but she
holds it cannot be the sole rule of our
faith, because, in the first place. inde-s
pendently of an authority deciding in
Christ's name what are canonical and
inspired books of Holy Writ and safe
guarding the authenticity and genuinity
of manuscripts and translations, no man
could know what books constitute the
sacred Scripture. The Bible is not its
own witness.
Again, the nature of the Bible pre-
cludes it as safe rule of faith, for it
consists of number of sublime and mys
terious books, difficult to understand, as
st. Peter writes Of tile Epistles of st.
Paul. To allow private judgment TO in
terpret Scripture is to form a subjective
Bible varying with the individual inter-
prefer. There must needs, be an inter
prefer telling in a divine and infallible
voice the objective meaning of the sacred
volume. The Bible is not self sufficient.
The New Testament does not pretend
to be formulary Of belief and was Inev-
er written for such purpose as is a creed
or catecnism. 1t was dritten as occasion
arose for different churches to confirm
faith already preached, to settle disputes
arising concerning doctrine, to INSIST on
Christian principles of morality.
These and other reasons were given to
show why an infallible Church and not
the Scriptures alone must be the guide
to our faith.