So, I was listening to NPR today and they were having a discussion about celibacy among priests in the Catholic Church. As someone who aligns himself with a Protestant denomination, I clearly am in favor of church leaders being free to marry if they feel so led. I do however see the wisdom of the Catholic Church in allowing married men to become priests, but not allowing unmarried priests to get married. It seems that the logical and traditional way of raising up leaders in the church from the first days was not placing 25-year-old seminary graduates as leaders of a church that they have never visited before. Leaders should be raised up from within. There’s nothing wrong with missionaries who leave their hometown to start churches in new places or even sending those who feel called to lead off to seminary, but it seems that those who desire to be leaders should be trained by those who are the leaders in the church that they are a part of.
Also, if priests are taking a vow of celibacy, this isn’t something that they are merely doing for church leaders, but a vow they are making before God. If they confess to be church leaders who believe in God and they make a vow to Him, then they should stick to it.
In the end, however, it is not up to me to judge a man’s conscience. And I definitely don’t get to judge the Roman Catholic Church. But I hope that whatever comes of this happens because it is the right decision and not because it is the most convenient option.