The Eucharist and the Celibate Priesthood

by Fr. Roger J. Landry - November 4, 2005

Among the many issues debated and discussed during the recent Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist, the topic of priestly celibacy was perhaps the most closely followed. Several bishops at the beginning of the three-week session noted that if the Eucharist is really to be the "source and summit of the Church's life and mission," Catholic faithful need to be able to receive and adore the Eucharist. In many areas of the globe, however, access to the Eucharist is quite limited because of a shortage of priests. "In the absence of a priest, there is no Eucharist," said one bishop from the Philippines, before imploring, "We must face squarely the issue of the shortage of priests."

The Synod did tackle that issue head on. In the preparatory document for the Synod and in interventions and discussions throughout the three week assembly, several participants raised the possibility of ordaining as priests what the early Church referred to viri probati. These "married men of proven virtue" would receive an abbreviated training for the priesthood and be ordained to celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments in areas where priests are absent or in short supply.

After much substantive debate, the entire body of Synod Fathers concluded that this "hypothesis was not a path to follow." The participants gave various reasons for that verdict. Bishops from the Eastern Churches, which have a married clergy, described a multitude of practical difficulties. Others described the dangers that might come from shortened preparation, which might lead to problems similar to those the Church experienced prior to the Council of Trent and the formation of seminaries.

But the main reason various participants gave for their decision is instructive not only in relation to priestly vocations and celibacy, but to the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. They said that the priestly vocations crisis is not really one of celibacy but of faith. They noted that in most countries, as the number of Catholic priests have declined, there have been parallel decreases in churches and denominations with married clergy. Among Catholics, the reduction in priestly vocations has mirrored a decline in the participation in the sacraments in general. Within a culture in which people are giving God less, it's no surprise that we are finding more Rich Young Men who turn away from Christ's more demanding invitations (Mt 19:16-22).

Some Fathers noted that there is a temptation to approach the situation of decreasing numbers of priests as a manager of a multi-national corporation might, trying to fill slots with the most qualified people that can be found at the moment. But in the Church, they said, there must be greater trust in the "Harvest Master," to whom Jesus instructed us to pray, and who alone knows how many laborers are needed in his vineyard (Mt 9:38). He will continue to call an adequate number: the crisis is not one of "calling," but of "hearing and responding" with faith and generosity.

Pope Benedict, in his homily to conclude the Synod, pointed to the means by which the whole Church would be led to greater faith and self-giving love and to a deeper understanding of priestly celibacy. "The celibacy that priests have received as a precious gift and sign of undivided love towards God and neighbor," he stressed, "is founded upon the Eucharistic Mystery, celebrated and adored."

It is in the Eucharist that the faithful will learn how to "give one's body" to God and for others. It is also in the Eucharist that young men will learn the importance of the priesthood. Once a man recognizes that the Eucharist is the source and summit of his life and the Church's life, then the relevance of the priesthood, through which alone Jesus gives us the Eucharist, comes into full view. And the more one receives and reciprocates Christ's love in the Eucharist, the easier it is for one to be willing to give up the love of a wife and family for a greater Love. Rebirth in Eucharistic amazement and worship and a resurgence of priestly vocations will go hand-in-hand.

The Synod Fathers, in the list of final propositions presented to Benedict, noted as well that the Church must do a better job explaining the "relationship between celibacy and priestly ordination… in full respect of the tradition of the Eastern Churches." That will be the subject of next week's editorial.

Father Roger J. Landry is pastor of St. Anthony of Padua in New Bedford, MA and Executive Editor of The Anchor, the weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Fall River.