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ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI



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The Celibacy of the Priest

(Sacerdotalis Caelibatus)

No. 604

Printed in the LI.S.A. by

OUR SUNDAY VISITOR, INC.
Huntington, Indiana 46750



This pamphlet is an English translation released by the Vatican

of the encyclical of Pope Paul VI, Sacerdotalis Caelihatus, and released

by the Press Department of the U.S. Catholic Conference. The en-

cyclical, “to the bishops, to his brothers in the priesthood and to the

faithful of the entire Catholic world,'' was made public June 23, but

was dated June 24, the feast of St. John the Baptist and the name day

of Pope Paul.



The Celibacy of the Priest

To the bishops, to his brothers in the priesthood,

and to the faithful of the entire Catholic world

Consecrated Celibacy Today

1. Priestly celibacy has been

guarded by the Church for cen-

turies as a brilliant jewel, and

retains its value undiminished

even in our time when men-

tality and structures have un-

dergone such profound change.

Amid the modern stirrings of

opinion, a tendency has also

been manifested, and even a

desire expressed, to ask the

Church to reexamine this char-

acteristic institution of hers. It

is said that in the world of our

time its observance has come

to be of doubtful value and al-

most impossible.

A Promise We Made

2. This state of affairs is

troubling consciences, perplex-

ing some priests and young as-

pirants to the priesthood; it is

a cause for alarm in many of

the faithful and constrains us

to fulfill the promise we made

to the Council Fathers. We told
them that it was our intention

to give new luster and strength

to priestly celibacy in the world

of today. (1) Since saying this

we have over a considerable

period of time earnestly im-

plored the enlightenment and

assistance of the Holy Spirit and

have examined before God

opinions and petitions which

have come to us from all over

the world, notably from some

pastors of God’s Church.

Breadth and Gravity of the

Question

3.

The great question con-

cerning the sacred celibacy of

the clergy in the Church has

long been before our mind in

its deep seriousness: must that

grave, ennobling obligation re-

3



main today for those who have

the intention of receiving major

orders? Is it possible or appro-

priate nowadays to observe such

an obligation? Has the time not

come to break the bond link-

ing celibacy with the priesthood

in the Church? Could the diffi-

cult observance of it not be

made optional? Would this not

be a way to help the priestly

ministry and facilitate ecumeni-

cal approaches? And if the

golden law of sacred celibacy

is to remain, what reasons are

there to show that it is holy

and fitting? What means are to

be taken to observe it, and how

can it be changed from a bur-

den to a help for the priestly

life?

Facts and Problems

4.

Our attention has rested

particularly on the objections

which have been and are still

made in various forms against

the retention of sacred celibacy.

In virtue of our apostolic office

we are obliged by the impor-

tance, and indeed complexity, of

the subject to give faithful con-

sideration to the facts and the

problems they involve, at the

same time bringing to them as

it is our duty and our mission

to do, the light of truth which

is Christ. Our intention is to

do in all things the will of Him

who has called us to this office

and to show what we are in

the Church, the servant of God’s

servants.

Objections against

Priestly Celibacy

Celibacy and the

New Testament

5. It may be said that today
ecclesiastical celibacy has been

examined more penetratingly

than ever before and in all its

aspects. It has been examined

from the doctrinal, historical,

sociological, psychological and

pastoral point of view. The in-

tentions prompting this exami-

nation have frequently been ba-

sically correct although reports

may sometimes have distorted

them.

Let us look openly at the

principal objections against the

law that links ecclesiastical

celibacy with the priesthood.

The first seems to come from

the most authoritative source,

the New Testament which pre-
serves the teaching of Christ

and the Apostles. It does not

demand celibacy of sacred min-

isters but proposes it rather as

a free act of obedience to a

special vocation or to a special

spiritual gift (cf. Matt. 19, 11-

12). Jesus Himself did not make

it a prerequisite in His choice

of the Twelve, nor did the

Apostles for those who presided

over the first Christian com-

munities (cf. 1 Tim. 3, 2-5; Tit.

1, 5-6).

The Fathers of the Church

6. The close relationship that

the Fathers of the Church and

ecclesiastical writers made over

4



the centuries between the min-

istering priesthood and celibacy

has its origin in a mentality and

historical situations far differ-

ent from ours. In patristic texts

more frequently we find exhor-

tations to the clergy to abstain

from marital relations rather

than those which recommend

that they observe celibacy; and

the reasons justifying the per-

fect chastity of the Church’s

ministers seem often to be based

on an over-pessimistic view of

man’s earthly condition or on

a certain notion of the purity

necessary for contact with sa-

cred things. In addition, it is

said that the old arguments no

longer are in harmony with the

different social and cultural

milieus in which the Church to-

day, through her priests, is

called upon to work.

Vocation and Celibacy

7. Many see a difficulty in the
fact that in the present disci-

pline concerning celibacy the

gift of a vocation to the priest-

hood is identified with that of

perfect chastity as a state of

life for God’s ministers. And so
people ask whether it be right

to exclude from the priesthood

those who, it is claimed, have

been called to the ministry

without having been called to

lead a celibate life.

Celibacy and Shortage of

Priests

8. It is asserted, moreover,

that the maintaining of priestly

celibacy in the Church does

great harm in those regions

where the shortage of the clergy

—a fact recognized with sadness
and deplored by the same Coun-

cil (2)—gives rise to critical
situations; that it prevents the

full realization of the divine

plan of salvation and at times

jeopardizes the very possibility

of the initial proclamation of

the Gospel. Thus the disquiet-

ing decline in the ranks of the

clergy is attributed by some to

the heavy burden of the obli-

gation of celibacy.

Difficulties of Celibacy

9. Then there are those who

are convinced that a married

priesthood would remove the

occasions for infidelity, way-

wardness and distressing defec-

tions which hurt and sadden

the whole Church. These also

maintain that a married priest-

hood would enable Christ’s

ministers to witness more fully

to Christian living, by includ-

ing the witness of married life,

from which they are excluded

by their state of life.

Violence to Nature?

10. There are also some who

strongly maintain that priests

by reason of their celibacy find

themselves in a situation that

is physically and psychological-

ly detrimental to the develop-

ment of a mature and well-bal-

anced human personality. And

so it happens, they say, that

priests often become hard and

5



lacking in human warmth; that,

excluded from sharing fully the

life and destiny of the rest of

their brothers, they are obliged

to live a life of solitude which

leads to bitterness and dis-

couragement.

Is all this perhaps indica-

tive of unwarranted violence to

nature and an unjustified dis-

paragement of human values

which have their source in the

divine work of creation and

have been made whole through

the work of the redemption ac-

complished by Christ?

Inadequate Formation

11. Again, in view of the way

in which a candidate for the

priesthood comes to accept an

obligation as momentous as this,

the objection is raised that in

practice this acceptance results,

not from an authentically per-

sonal decision, but rather from

an attitude of passivity, the

fruit of a formation that is

neither adequate nor one that

makes sufficient allowance for

human liberty. For the degree

of knowledge and power of de-

cision of a young person and his

psychological and physical ma-

turity fall far below—or at any
rate are disproportionate to

—

the seriousness of the obligation

he is assuming, its real diffi-

culties and its permanence.

Corrects Point of View

12. We well realize that there
are other objections that can be

made against priestly celibacy.

It is a very complex question

and one which touches inti-

mately on the ordinary view of

life, to which it brings the

shining light of divine revela-

tion. A never-ending series of
difficulties will present them-

selves to those who “cannot re-

ceive this precept” (Matt. 19,

11), and who do not know or
who forget the “gift of God”

(cf. John 4, 10), and who are

unaware of the higher logic of

that new concept of life, its

wonderful efficacy and abun-

dant riches.

Testimony of the Past and

Present

13.

The sum of these objec-

tions would appear to drown out

the solemn and age-old voice of

the pastors of the Church and

of the masters of the spiritual

life and to nullify the living tes-

timony of the countless ranks of

saints and faithful ministers of

God, for whom celibacy has
been the object of the total and

generous gift of themselves to

the mystery of Christ, as well as

its outward sign. But no, this

voice, still strong and untrou-

bled, is the voice not just of

the past but of the present too.

Ever intent on seeing things as

they are, we cannot close our

eyes to this magnificent, won-

derful reality: that there are

still today in God’s holy Church,

in every part of the world

where she exercises her benef-

icent influence, great numbers

of her ministers—subdeacons.
6



deacons, priests and bishops

—

who are living their life of vol-

untary and consecrated celibacy

in the most exemplary way.

Nor can we overlook the im-

mense ranks of religious men

and women at their side, of laity

and of young people too, united

in the faithful observance of

perfect chastity. They live in

chastity, not out of disdain for

the gift of life, but because of

a greater love for that new

life which springs from the pas-

chal mystery. They live this life

of courageous self-denial and

spiritual joyfulness with exem-

plary fidelity and also with rel-

ative facility. This magnificent

phenomenon bears testimony to

an exceptional facet of the

Kingdom of God living in the

midst of modern society, to

which it renders humble and

beneficial service as the “light

of the world” and the “salt

of the earth” (cf. Matt. 5, 13-

14). We cannot withhold the
expression of our admiration;

the spirit of Christ is certainly

breathing here.

Validity of Celibacy Confirmed

14. Hence we consider that
the present law of celibacy

should today continue to be

firmly linked to the ecclesias-

tical ministry. This law should

support the minister in his ex-

clusive, definitive and total

choice of the unique and su-

preme love of Christ; it should

uphold him in the entire dedi-

cation of himself to the public

worship of God and to the serv-

ice of the Church; it should

characterize his state of life

both among the faithful and in

the world at large.

Power of the Church

The gift of the priestly voca-

tion dedicated to the divine

worship and to the religious and

pastoral service of the People of

God, is undoubtedly distinct

from that which leads a person

to choose celibacy as a state of

consecrated life (cf. # 5, 7).
But the priestly vocation, al-

though inspired by God, does

not become definitive or opera-

tive without having been test-

ed and accepted by those in

the Church who hold power and

bear responsibility for the min-

istry serving the ecclesial com-

munity. It is therefore the task

of those who hold authority in

the Church to determine in ac-

cordance with the varying con-

ditions of time and place, who

in actual practice are to be con-

sidered suitable candidates for

the religious and pastoral serv-

ice of the Church, and what

should be required of them.

Purpose of the Encyclical

16. In a spirit of faith, there-

fore, we look on this occasion

afforded us by Divine Provi-

dence as a favorable opportuni-

ty for setting forth anew and in

a way more suited to the men

of our time, the fundamental

reasons for sacred celibacy. If

difficulties against faith “can

7



stimulate the mind to a more

accurate and penetrating grasp”

of it, (3) the same is true of

the ecclesiastical discipline

which guides and directs the

life of the faithful.

We are deeply moved by the
joy this occasion gives us of

contemplating this aspect of the

divine riches and beauty of the

Church of Christ. Her beauty

may not always be immediately
apparent to the human eye, be-

cause it is the fruit of the love

of the divine Head of the

Church and because it reveals

itself in that perfection of holi-

ness (cf. Eph. 5, 25-27) which

moves the human spirit to ad-
miration, since it finds the re-

sources of the human creature

inadequate to account for it.

8



Part I

I. Reasons for Sacred

Celibacy

The Council and Celibacy

17. Virginity undoubtedly, as

the Second Vatican Council de-

clared, “is not, indeed, de-

manded by the very nature of

the priesthood, as is evident

from the practice of the primi-

tive Church and from the tradi-

tion of the Eastern Churches.”

(4) But at the same time the

council did not hesitate to con-

firm solemnly the ancient, sa-

cred and providential present

law of priestly celibacy. In ad-

dition, it set forth the motives

which justify this law for those

who, in a spirit of faith and

with generous fervor, know how

to appreciate the gifts of God.

New Light on Old Arguments

18. Consideration of the

“manifold suitability” (loc. cit.)

of celibacy for God’s ministers

is not something recent. Even if

the explicit reasons have dif-

fered with different mentalities

and different situations, they

were always inspired by specif-

ically Christian considerations;

and from these considerations

we can get an intuition of the

more fundamental motives un-

derlying them. These can be

brought into greater evidence

only under the influence of the

Holy Spirit, promised by Christ

to His followers for the knowl-

edge of things to come (cf. John

16, 13) and to enable the People

of God to increase in the under-

standing of the mystery of

Christ and of the Church. In

this process the experience

gained through the ages from a

deeper penetration of spiritual

things also has its part. (5)

The Christological

Significance of Celibacy

The Newness of Christ

19.

The Christian priesthood,

being of a new order, can be

understood only in the light of

the newness of Christ, the Su-

preme Pontiff and eternal

Priest, who instituted the

priesthood of the ministry as

a real participation in His own

unique priesthood. (6) The

minister of Christ and dispenser

of the mysteries of God (1 Cor.

9



4, 1), therefore, looks up to Him

directly as his model and su-

preme ideal (cf. 1 Cor. 11, 1).

The Lord Jesus, the only Son of

God, was sent by the Father

into the world and He became

man, in order that humanity

which was subject to sin and

death might be reborn, and

through this new birth (John 3,

5; Tit. 3, 5) might enter the

kingdom of heaven. Being en-

tirely consecrated to the will of

the Father (John 4, 34; 17, 4),

Jesus brought forth this new

creation by means of His pas-

chal mystery (2 Cor. 5, 17; Gal.

6, 15); thus. He introduced into

time and into the world a new
form of life which is sublime

and divine and which trans-

forms the very earthly condition

of human nature (cf. Gal. 3,
28).

Matrimony and Celibacy in the

Newness of Christ

20.

Matrimony according to

the will of God continues the

work of the first creation (Gen.

2, 18); and considered within

the total plan of salvation, it

even acquires a new meaning
and a new value. Jesus, in fact,

has restored its original digni-

ty (Matt. 19, 3-8), has honored

it (John 2, 1-11) and has raised

it to the dignity of a sacrament

and of a mysterious symbol of

His own union with the Church
(Eph. 5, 32). Thus, Christian

couples walk together toward

their heavenly fatherland in the

exercise of mutual love, in the

fulfillment of their particular

obligations, and in striving for

the sanctity proper to them. But

Christ, Mediator of a more ex-

cellent Testament (Heb. 8, 6),

has also opened a new way, in
which the human creature ad-
heres wholly and directly to the

Lord, and is concerned only

with Him and with His affairs

(1 Cor. 7, 33-35) ; thus, he man-

ifests in a clearer and more

complete way the profoundly

transforming reality of the New
Testament.

Celibacy and Priesthood in

Christ the Mediator

21. Christ, the only Son of

the Father, by the power of the

Incarnation itself was made

Mediator between heaven and

earth, between the Father and

the human race. Wholly in ac-

cord with this mission, Christ

remained throughout His whole

life in the state of celibacy,

which signified His total dedi-

cation to the service of God and

men. This deep connection be-

tween celibacy and the priest-

hood of Christ is reflected in

those whose fortune it is to

share in the dignity and in the

mission of the Mediator and

eternal Priest; this sharing will

be more perfect the freer the

sacred minister is from the

bonds of flesh and blood. (7)

Celibacy for the Kingdom of

Heaven

22. Jesus, who selected the

first ministers of salvation.

10



wished them to be introduced

to the understanding of the

mysteries of the kingdom of

heaven (Matt. 13, 11; Mark 4,

11; Luke 8, 10), to be co-work-

ers with God under a very spe-

cial title, and His ambassadors

(2 Cor. 5, 20). He called them

friends and brethren (John 15,

15; 20, 17), for whom He con-
secrated Himself so that they

might be consecrated in truth

(John 17, 19), He promised a

more than abundant recom-

pense to anyone who should

leave home, family, wife and

children for the sake of the

kingdom of God (Luke 18, 29-

30). More than this, in words

filled with mystery and hope.

He also commended (8) an
even more perfect consecration

to the kingdom of heaven by

means of celibacy, as a special

gift (Matt. 19, 11-12). The mo-

tive of this answer to the divine

call is the kingdom of heaven

(ibid. V. 12); similarly, the

ideas—of this kingdom (Luke
18, 30), of the Gospel (Mark 10,

29), and of the name of Christ

(Matt. 19, 29), are what mo-

tivate those invited by Jesus

to the difficult renunciations of

the apostolate, by a very inti-

mate participation in His lot (cf.

Mark loc. cit.).

Testimony to Christ

23. This, then, is the mystery

of the newness of Christ, of all

that He is and stands for; it is
the sum of the highest ideals of
the Gospel and of the kingdom;

it is a particular manifestation

of grace, which springs from the

paschal mystery of the Saviour

and renders the choice of celi-

bacy desirable and worthwhile

on the part of those called by

Our Lord Jesus. Thus, they in-

tend not only to participate in

Christ’s priestly office, but also

to share with Him His very con-
dition of living.

Fullness of Love

24. The response to the divine

call is an answer of love to the

love which Christ has shown us

so sublimely (John 15, 13; 3,

16). This response is included

in the mystery of that special

love for those souls, who have

accepted His most urgent ap-

peals (cf. Mark 10, 21). Grace

with a divine force increases

the longings of love. And love,

when it is genuine, is total, ex-

clusive, stable and lasting, an

irresistible spur to all forms of

heroism. And so, the free choice
of sacred celibacy has always

been considered by the Church

“as something that signifies and

stimulates charity”: (9) it sig-

nifies a love without reserva-

tions, it stimulates to a charity

which is open to all. Who can
see in such a life so completely

dedicated and motivated as

shown above, the sign of a

spiritual poverty, of self-seek-

ing, and not rather see that celi-

bacy is and ought to be a rare

and very meaningful example

of a life whose motivation is

love, by which man expresses

11



his own unique greatness? Who
can doubt the moral and spirit-

ual richness of such a conse-

crated life, consecrated not to

any human ideal no matter how

noble, but to Christ and to His

work to bring about a new form

of humanity in all places and

for all generations?

Invitation to Study

25.

This biblical and theolog-

ical vision associates our min-

isterial priesthood with the

priesthood of Christ; it is mod-

eled on the total and exclusive

dedication of Christ to His mis-

sion of salvation, and makes it

the cause of our assimilation to

the form of charity and sacri-

fice proper to Christ our Sav-

iour.

This vision seems to us so

profound and rich in truth, both

speculative and practical, that

we invite you, Venerable Broth-

ers, and we invite you, eager

students of Christian doctrine

and masters of the spiritual life,

and all priests who have gained

a supernatural insight into your

vocation—to persevere in the
study of this vision, and to go

deeply into the inner recesses

and wealth of its reality.

In this way, the bond be-

tween the priesthood and celi-

bacy will be seen in an ever

improving union, owing to its

clear logic and to the heroism

of a unique and limitless love

for Christ the Lord and for His

Church.

The Ecclesiological

Significance of Celibacy

Celibacy and the Love of Christ

and of the Priest for the Church

26. “Made captive by Christ

Jesus” (Phil. 3, 12) unto the

complete abandonment of one’s

entire self to Him, the priest

takes on the likeness of Christ

most perfectly, even in the love

with which the eternal Priest

has loved the Church His Body

and offered Himself entirely for

her sake, in order to make her

a glorious, holy and immaculate

Spouse (cf. Eph. 5, 25-27).

The consecrated celibacy of

the sacred ministers actually

manifests the virginal love of

Christ for the Church, and the

virginal and supernatural fe-

cundity of this marriage, by

which the children of God are

born but not of flesh and blood

(John 1, 13). (10)

Unity and Harmony of the

Priest’s Life: the Ministry of

the Word

27. The priest dedicates him-

self to the service of the Lord

Jesus and of His Mystical Body

with complete liberty, which is

made easier by his total offer-

ing, and he realizes more fully

the unity and harmony of the

priestly life. (11) His ability in-

creases for listening to the Word

of God and for prayer. Indeed,

the Word of God, as preserved

by the Church, stirs up in the

priest, who daily meditates on

it, lives it and preaches it to

12



the faithful, echoes that are vi-

brant and profound.

Divine Office and Prayer

28. Like Christ Himself, His

minister is wholly and solely in-

tent on the things of God and

the Church (cf. Luke 2, 49; 1

Cor. 7, 32-33), and he imitates

the great high Priest who stands

in the presence of God ever liv-

ing to intercede in our favor

(Heb. 9, 24; 7, 25). So, he re-

ceives joy and encouragement

unceasingly from the attentive

and devout recitation of the

Divine Office, by which he ded-

icates his voice to the Church

who prays together with her

Spouse, (12) and he recognizes

the necessity of continuing his

diligence at prayer, which is the

profoundly priestly occupation

(Acts 6,4).

The Ministry of Grace and of

the Eucharist

29. The rest of a priest’s life

acquires a greater richness of

meaning and sanctifying power.

In fact, his individual efforts at

his own sanctification find new

incentives in the ministry of

grace and in the ministry of the

Eucharist, in which all the

riches of the Church are con-

tained (13): acting in the per-

son of Christ, the priest unites

himself most intimately with

the offering, and places on the

altar his entire life, which bears

the marks of the holocaust.

A Life Most Full and Fruitful
30. What other considerations

can we make to describe the in-

crease of the priest’s power, of

his service, his love and his

sacrifice for the entire People

of God? Christ spoke of Him-

self: “Unless a grain of wheat

falls into the earth and dies, it

remains alone; but if it dies, it

bears much fruit” (John 12,24).

And the Apostle Paul did not

hesitate to expose himself to a

daily death, in order to obtain

among his faithful glory in

Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 15, 31). In

a similar way, by a daily dying

to himself, and by giving up

the legitimate love of a family

of his own for the love

of Christ and of His kingdom,

the priest will find the glory

of an exceedingly rich and

fruitful life in Christ, because

like Him and in Him, he loves
and dedicates himself to all the

children of God.

The Celibate Priest in the

Community of the Faithful

31.

In the community of the

faithful committed to his

charge, the priest is Christ pres-

ent. Thus, it is most fitting that

in all things he should repro-

duce the image of Christ and

follow in particular His exam-

ple, both in his personal as well

as in his apostolic life. To his

children in Christ, the priest is

a sign and a pledge of that sub-

lime and new reality which is

the kingdom of God, of which

he is the dispenser; he possesses

it on his own account and to a

more perfect degree, and nour-

13



ishes the faith and the hope of

all Christians, who, because

they are such, are bound to ob-

serve chastity according to their

proper state of life.

The Pastoral Efficacy of

Celibacy

32. The consecration to

Christ, by virtue of a new and

lofty title like celibacy, evident-

ly gives to the priest, even in

the practical field, the maxi-

mum efficiency and the best
disposition of mind, psycholog-

ically and affectively, for the

continuous exercise of a perfect

charity. This charity will permit

him to spend himself wholly

for the welfare of all, in a fuller

and more concrete way (2 Cor.

12,15). (14) It also guarantees

him obviously a greater free-

dom and flexibility in the pas-

toral ministry, (15) in his ac-

tive and loving presence in the

world, to which Christ has in-

vited him (John 17, 18), so

that he may pay fully to all

the children of God the debt due

them (Rom. 1, 14).

The Eschatological

Significance of Celibacy

The Longing of the People of

God for the Heavenly Kingdom

33. The kingdom of God

which is not of this world (John

18,36) is present here on earth

in mystery, and will reach her

perfection with the glorious

coming of the Lord Jesus. (16)

The Church here below consti-

tutes the seed and the beginning

of this kingdom. And as she

continues to grow slowly but

surely, she longs for the per-

fect kingdom and desires vehe-

mently with all her energy to

unite herself with her King in

glory. (17)

The pilgrim People of God,

as seen in history, is on a jour-

ney toward its true homeland

(Phil. 3, 20), where the divine

sonship of the redeemed (

1

John 3, 2) will be fully re-

vealed and where its splendor

will be definitively attained by

the transformed loveliness of

the Spouse of the Lamb of God.

(18)

Celibacy as a Sign of

Heavenly Treasures

34.

Our Lord and Master has

said that “in the resurrection

they neither marry nor are giv-

en in marriage, but are like

angels in heaven” (Matt. 22,

30). In the world of man, so

deeply involved in earthly con-

cerns and too often enslaved by

the desires of the flesh (cf. 1

John 2, 16), the precious divine

gift of perfect continence for

the kingdom of heaven stands

out precisely as “a singular sign

of the blessings of heaven,”

(19) it proclaims the presence

on earth of the final stages of

salvation (cf. 1 Cor. 7, 29-31)

with the arrival of a new world,

and in a way it anticipates the

fulfillment of the kingdom as it

sets forth its supreme values

which will one day shine forth

14



in all the children of God. This

continence, therefore, stands as

a testimony to the necessary

progress of the People of God

toward the final goal of their

earthly pilgrimage, and as a

stimulus for all to raise their

eyes to the things above, where

Christ sits at the right hand of

the Father and where our life

is hidden in Christ with God

until He appears in glory (Col.

3, 1-4).

II. Celibacy in the

Life of the Church

Antiquity

35. Although it would be too

long, still it would be quite in-

structive to study the historical

documents on ecclesiastical celi-

bacy. Let the following indica-

tion suffice. In Christian antiq-

uity the Fathers and ecclesi-

astical writers testify to the

spread through the East and the

West of the voluntary practice

of celibacy by sacred ministers

(20) because of its profound

suitability for their total dedi-

cation to the service of Christ

and of His Church.

The Church of the West

36. The Church of the West,

from the beginning of the

fourth century, strengthened,

spread, and approved this prac-

tice by means of various pro-

vincial councils and through

the Supreme Pontiffs. (21)
More than any others, the su-

preme pastors and teachers of

the Church of God, the guard-

ians and interpreters of the

patrimony of the faith and of

holy Christian practices, pro-

moted, defended, and restored

ecclesiastical celibacy in succes-

sive eras of history, even when

they met opposition from the

clergy itself and when the prac-

tices of a decadent society did

not favor the heroic demands

of virtue. The obligation of cel-

ibacy was then solemnly sanc-

tioned by the Sacred Ecumeni-

cal Council of Trent (22) and

finally included in the Code of

Canon Law (can. 132 #1).

The Most Recent Papal

Teaching

37.

The most recent Sover-

eign Pontiffs who preceded us,

making use of their doctrinal

knowledge, and spurred on by

ardent zeal, strove to enlighten

the clergy on this matter, and to

urge them to its observance.

(23) And we do not wish to
fail to pay homage to their

revered memory, especially to

that of our well-beloved im-

mediate predecessor which is

still fresh in the hearts of men

all over the world. During the

Roman Synod, with the sincere

approval of all the clergy of the

city, he spoke as follows: “It

deeply hurts us that . . . anyone

can dream that the Church will

deliberately or even suitably re-

nounce what from time im-

memorial has been, and still re-

mains, one of the purest and

noblest glories of her priest-

15



hood. The law of ecclesiastical

celibacy and the efforts neces-

sary to preserve it always re-

call to mind the struggles of

the heroic times when the

Church of Christ had to fight

for and succeeded in obtaining

her threefold glory, always an

emblem of victory, that is, the

Church of Christ, free, chaste

and catholic”. (24)

The Church of the East

38. If the legislation of the

Eastern Church is different in

the matter of discipline with

regard to clerical celibacy, as

was finally established by the

Council Trullo held in the year

692, (25) and which has been

clearly recognized by the Sec-

ond Vatican Council, (26) this

is due to the different histori-

cal background of that most

noble part of the Church, a

situation which the Holy Spirit

has providentially and super-

naturally influenced.

We ourselves take this oppor-
tunity to express our esteem

and our respect for all the cler-

gy of the Oriental Churches,

and to recognize in them exam-

ples of fidelity and zeal which

make them worthy of sincere

veneration.

The Voice of the Oriental

Fathers

39. We find further comfort-
ing reasons for continuing to

adhere to the observance of the

discipline of clerical celibacy

in the exaltation of virginity by

the Oriental Fathers. We hear

within us, for example, the

voice of St. Gregory of Nyssa,

reminding us that, “the life of

virginity is the image of the

blessedness that awaits us in

the life to come”. (27) We are
no less assured by the treatment

of the priesthood by St. John

Chrysostom, which is still a

fruitful subject for reflection.

Intent on throwing light on the

harmony which must exist be-

tween the private life of him

who ministers at the altar and
the dignity of the order to

which his sacred duties belong

he affirmed, “. . . it is becoming

that he who accepts the priest-
hood be as pure as if he were

in heaven”. (28)

Significant Signs in Eastern

Tradition

40. Further, it is by no means

futile to observe that in the East

only celibate priests are or-

dained bishops, and the priests

themselves cannot contract

marriage after their ordination

to the priesthood. This indicates

that these venerable Churches

also possess to a certain extent

the principle of a celibate

priesthood. It shows too that

there is a certain appropriate-

ness for the Christian priest-

hood, of which the bishops pos-

sess the summit and the full-

ness, of the observance of celi-

bacy. (29)

The Faithfulness of the

Church of the West

to Her Own Tradition
41. In any case, the Church of

16



the West cannot weaken her

faithful observance of her own

tradition. And it is unthinkable
that for centuries she has fol-

lowed a path which, instead of

favoring the spiritual richness

of individual souls and of the

People of God, has in some way

compromised it, or that she has

with arbitrary juridical pre-

scriptions stifled the free ex-

pansion of the most profound

realities of nature and of grace.

Particular Cases

42.

In virtue of the funda-

mental norm of the government

of the Catholic Church, to

which we alluded above (#15),
while, on the one hand, the

law requiring a freely chosen

and perpetual celibacy of those

who are admitted to Holy Or-
ders remains unchanged, on the

other hand, a study may be al-
lowed of the particular circum-

stances of married sacred min-

isters of Churches or other

Christian communities separat-

ed from the Catholic commun-

ion, and of the possibility of ad-

mitting to priestly functions

those who desire to adhere to
the fullness of this communion

and to continue to exercise the

sacred ministry. The circum-

stances must be such, however,

as not to prejudice the existing

discipline regarding the celi-

bacy.

And that the authority of the
Church may not hesitate to ex-
ercise her power in this matter

can be seen from the recent

Ecumenimal Council which

foresaw the possibility of con-

ferring holy diaconate on men
of mature age who are already
married. (30)

Confirmation

43. All this, however, does

not signify a relaxation of the

existing law, and must not be

interpreted as a prelude to its

abolition. There are better

things to do beside promoting

this hypothesis, which tears

down that vigor and love in
which celibacy finds security

and happiness, and which ob-

scures the true doctrine that

justifies its existence and exalts

its splendor. It would be much

better to promote serious

studies in defense of the spirit-

ual meaning and moral value

of virginity and celibacy. (31)

Confidence of the Church

44. Holy virginity is a very

special gift. Nevertheless, the

whole present-day Church, sol-

emnly and universally repre-

sented by the pastors responsi-

ble for her welfare (with due

respect, as we have said, for the

discipline of the Eastern

Churches) manifested her ab-

solute .faith in the Spirit “that

the gift of celibacy so helpful

for the priesthood of the New
Testament, will be liberally

granted by the Father, on con-

dition that those who partici-

pate in Christ’s priesthood

through the sacrament of Or-

ders, and indeed the whole

17



Church, humbly and persever-

ingly ask for it.” (32)

The Prayer of the

People of God

45. We wholeheartedly call
on the entire People of God to

do their duty in bringing about

an increase in priestly voca-

tions. (33) We ask them fer-
vently to beg the Father of all,

the divine Spouse of the

Church, and the Holy Spirit,

her principle of life, through

the intercession of the Blessed

Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ

and of His Church, to pour out,

especially at present, this divine

gift, which the Father certain-

ly does not wish to give stint-

ingly. They should also fervent-

ly pray, in like manner, that

souls may dispose themselves

to receive it by a profound

faith and a generous love. In

this way, in our world, which

needs God’s glory (cf. Rom. 3,

23), priests, ever more perfect-

ly conformed to the one and

supreme Priest, will be a real

glory to Christ (2 Cor. 8, 23),

and, through them, “the glory

of the grace” of God will be

magnified in the world of to-

day (cf. Eph. 1, 6).

The World of Today and

Consecrated Celibacy

46. Yes, venerable and well-

beloved brothers in the priest-

hood, whom we cherish “with
the affection of Christ Jesus”

(Phil. 1, 8), it is truly

this world in which we live, tor-

mented by the pains of growth

and change, justly proud of its

human values and human con-

quests, which urgently needs

the witness of lives consecrated

to the highest and most sacred

spiritual values. This witness is

necessary in order that the re-

fined and incomparable light,

radiating from the most sublime

virtues of the spirit, may not

be wanting to our times.

The Numerical

Scarcity of Priests

47.

Our Lord Jesus Christ did

not hesitate to confide the for-

midable task of evangelizing the

world, as it was then known,

to a handful of men to all ap-

pearances lacking in number

and quality. He bade this “lit-

tle flock” not to lose heart

(Luke 12, 32), for, thanks to

His constant assistance (Matt.

28, 20), through Him and with

Him, they would overcome the

world (John 16, 33). Jesus has

taught us also that the Kingdom

of God has an intrinsic and un-

observable dynamism which en-

ables it to grow without man’s

awareness of it (Mark 4, 26-

29). The harvest of God’s King-

dom is great, but the laborers,

as in the beginning, are few.

Actually, they have never been

as numerous as human stand-

ards would have judged suf-

ficient. But the Lord of the

Kingdom demands prayers, that

it may be He, the Lord of the

harvest. Who will send out
laborers into His harvest (Matt.

18



9, 37-38). The counsels and pru-

dence of man cannot supersede

the hidden wisdom of Him who,

in the history of salvation, has

challenged man’s wisdom and

power by His own foolishness

and weakness (1 Cor. 1, 20-31).

The Courage of Faith

48. We appeal to the courage
of faith to express the Church’s

deepest conviction that a more

energetic and generous answer

to grace, a more explicit and

substantiated hope, a more com-

plete and open witness to the

mystery of Christ, will never

be the cause of her failing in

her salvific mission to all man-

kind. It is necessary for us to

learn to do all things in Him
who alone gives strength to

souls (Phil. 4, 13) and increase

to His Church (1 Cor. 3, 6-7).

The Root of the Problem

49. It is simply not possible to

believe that the abolition of ec-

clesiastical celibacy would con-

siderably increase the number

of priestly vocations: the con-

temporary experience of those

Churches and ecclesial com-

munities which allow their min-

isters to marry seems to prove

the contrary. The cause of the

decrease in vocations to the

priesthood is to be found else-

where, especially for example,

in the fact that individuals and

families have lost their sense of

God and of all that is holy, their

esteem for the Church as the

institution of salvation through

faith and sacraments, the insti-

tution which must study the

true roots of the problem.

III. Celibacy and

Human Values

Celibacy and Love

50. As we said above (cf. #

10), the Church is not unaware

that the choice of consecrated

celibacy, since it involves a se-

ries of hard renunciations which

affect the very depths of a man,

presents also grave difficulties

and problems to which the men

of today are particularly sensi-

tive. In fact, it might seem that

celibacy conflicts with the sol-

emn recognition of human val-

ues by the Church in the re-

cent council. And yet a more

careful consideration reveals

that the sacrifice of human love

as experienced in a family and

as offered by the priest for the

love of Christ, is really a singu-

lar tribute paid to that superior

love. Indeed, it is universally

recognized that man has always

offered to God what is worthy

of both the giver and the re-

ceiver.

Grace and Nature

51. On the other hand, the

Church cannot and should not

set aside the fact that the choice

of celibacy—provided that it is
made with human and Christian

prudence and responsibility—is
governed by grace which, far

from destroying or doing vio-

lence to nature, elevates it and

19



imparts to it supernatural pow-

ers and vigor. God, who has

created and redeemed man,

knows what He can ask of him

and gives him everything nec-

essary to be able to do what

his Creator and Redeemer asks

of him. St. Augustine, who had

fully and painfully experienced

in himself the nature of man,

exclaimed: “Grant what You

command, and command what

You will.” (34)

The Real Weight of the

Difficulties

52. A true knowledge of the
real difficulties of celibacy is

very useful, even necessary, for

the priest, so that he may be

fully aware of what his celibacy

requires to be genuine and ben-

eficial. But with equal fidelity

to the truth, these difficulties

must not be given greater value

or weight than they actually

have in the human or religious

sphere, or declared impossible

of solution.

Celibacy is Not

Contrary to Nature

53. After what science has

now ascertained, it is not just

to continue repeating (cf. #10)
that celibacy is against nature

because it runs counter to law-

ful physical, psychological and

affective needs or to claim that

a completely mature human

personality demands fulfillment

of these needs. Man, created to

God’s image and likeness (Gen.

1, 26-27), is not just flesh and

blood; the sexual instinct is not

all that he has; man is also,
and preeminently, understand-

ing, choice, freedom, and thanks

to these powers he is, and must

remain, superior to the rest of

creation; they give him mastery

over his physical, psychological

and affective appetites.

The Deep Reason for Celibacy

54. The true, deep reason for

dedicated celibacy is, as we have

said, the choice of a closer and

more complete relationship with

the mystery of Christ and the

Church for the good of all man-

kind: in this choice there is no

doubt, that those highest hu-

man values are able to find

their fullest expression.

Celibacy as an

Exaltation of Man

55. The choice of celibacy

does not connote ignorance, or

the despisal of the sexual in-

stinct and affectivity. That

would certainly do damage to

the physical and psychological

balance. On the contrary it de-

mands clear understanding,

careful self-control and a wise

sublimation of the psychological

life on a higher plane. In this

way celibacy sets the whole

man on a higher level and

makes an effective contribution

to his own perfection.

Celibacy and the Development

of Personality

56. The natural and lawful

desire a man has to love a wom-

20



an and to raise a family are

renounced by celibacy, but mar-

riage and the family are not

said to be the only way for

fully developing the human per-

son. In the priest’s heart love is

by no means extinct. His charity

is drawn from the purest source

(cf. 1 John 4, 8-16), practiced

in the imitation of God and

Christ, and no less than any

other genuine love is demand-

ing and real (cf. 1 John 3, 16-

18). It gives the priest a limit-

less horizon, deepens and gives

breadth to his sense of responsi-

bility—a sign of mature per-
sonality—and inculcates in him
as a sign of a higher and greater

fatherhood, a generosity and re-

finement of heart (35) which

offer a superlative enrichment.

Consecrated Celibacy

and Marriage

57. All of God’s People must

give testimony to the mystery

of Christ and His Kingdom but

this witnessing does not take

the same form for all. The

Church leaves to her married

children the function of giving

the necessary testimony of a

genuinely and fully Christian

married and family life. She

entrusts to her priests the testi-

mony of a life wholly dedicated

to the ever new, absorbing real-

ities of God’s Kingdom.

If this means that the priest

is without a direct personal ex-

perience of married life, he will

by his training, his ministry and

the grace of his office, certainly

not lack a knowledge, perhaps

a deeper knowledge, of the hu-

man heart. This will allow him

to meet those problems at their

source and give solid support by

his advice and assistance to mar-

ried persons and Christian fam-

ilies (cf. 1 Cor. 2, 15). The pres-

ence in the Christian family of

the priest who is living his life

of celibacy to the full will un-

derscore the spiritual dimension

of every love worthy of the

name, and his personal sacrifice

will merit for the faithful united

in the holy bond of matrimony

the grace of a true union.

The Solitude of the

Celibate Priest

58. The priest by reason of

his celibacy is a solitary: that

is true, but his solitude is not

emptiness because it is filled

with God and the brimming

riches of His Kingdom. More-

over, for this solitude, which

should be an internal and ex-

ternal plenitude of charity, he

has prepared himself, if he has

chosen it with full understand-

ing, and not through any proud

desire to be different from the

rest of men, or to withdraw

himself from common respon-

sibilities, or to alienate himself

from his brothers, or to show

contempt for the world. Though

set apart from the world, the

priest is not separated from the

People of God, because he has

been appointed to act on behalf

of men (Heb. 5, 1), since he is

consecrated completely to char-

21



ity (cf. 1 Cor. 14, 4 ff.) and to

the work for which the Lord

has chosen him. (36)

Christ and the

Loneliness of the Priest

59. At times loneliness will

weigh heavily on the priest, but

not for that reason will he re-

gret having generously chosen

it. Christ, too, in the most tragic

hours of His life was alone

—

abandoned by the very ones

whom He had chosen as wit-
nesses to, and companions of,

His life, and whom He had loved
unto the end (John 13, 1), but

He stated, “I am not alone, for
the Father is with me” (John

16, 32). He who has chosen to

belong completely to Christ will

find, above all, in intimacy with

Him and in His grace, the pow-

er of spirit necessary to ban-

ish sadness and regret and to

triumph over discouragement.

He will not be lacking the pro-

tection of the Virgin Mother of

Jesus nor the motherly solici-

tude of the Church, to whom he
his given himself in service. He

will not be without the kindly

care of his father in Christ, his

bishop; nor will the fraternal

companionship of his fellow

priests and the comfort of the

entire People of God be lacking

to him. And if hostility, lack of

confidence and the indifference

of his fellowmen make his soli-

tude quite painful, he will thus

be able to share, with dramatic

clarity, the very experience of

Christ, as an apostle who is not

above Him by whom he has
been sent (cf. John 13, 16; 14,

18), as a friend admitted to the

most painful and most glorious

secret of his divine Friend who

has chosen him to bring forth

the mysterious fruit of life in

his own life, which is only ap-

parently one of death (cf. John

15, 15-16, 20).

22



Part II

I. Priestly Formation

An Adequate Formation

60. Our reflection on the

beauty, importance and inti-

mate fittingness of holy virgin-

ity for the ministers of Christ

and His Church makes it in-

cumbent on the Teacher and

Pastor of that Church to assure

and promote its positive ob-

servance, from the first moment

of preparation to receive such

a precious gift.

In fact, the difficulties and

problems which make the ob-

servance of chastity very pain-

ful or quite impossible for some,

spring, not infrequently, from a

type of priestly formation

which, given the great changes

of these last years is no longer

completely adequate for the

formation of a personality wor-

thy of a man of God (1 Tim. 6,
11 ).

The Execution of the

Norms of the Council

61. The Second Vatican Coun-

cil has already indicated wise

criteria and guidelines to this

end. They are in conformity

with the progress of psychology

and pedagogy as well as with

the changed conditions of man-

kind and of contemporary so-

ciety. (37) It is our will that

apposite instructions be drawn

up with the help of truly quali-

fied men treating with all nec-

essary detail the theme of chas-

tity. They should be sent out as

soon as possible to provide those

who, within the Church, have

the great responsibility of pre-

paring future priests, with com-

petent and timely assistance.

Personal Response to the

Divine Vocation

62.

The priesthood is a min-

istry instituted by Christ for the

service of His Mystical Body

which is the Church. To her be-

longs the authority to admit to

that priesthood those whom she
judges, qualified: that is, those

to whom God has given, along
with other signs of an ecclesi-

astical vocation, the gift of a

consecrated celibacy (cf. #15).

In virtue of such a gift, cor-

roborated by canon law, the in-

dividual is called to respond

with free judgment and total

23



dedication, subordinating his

own ego to the will of God who

calls him. Concretely, this di-

vine calling manifests itself in

a given individual with his own

definite personality structure

which under normal circum-

stances, is not violently mas-

tered by grace. In the candidates

for the priesthood, therefore,

the sense of receiving this di-

vine gift should be cultivated;

so too a sense of responsibility

in their meeting with God, with

the highest importance given to

supernatural means.

The Plane of Grace and the

Plane of Nature

63. It is likewise necessary

that exact account be taken of

the biological and psychological

state of the candidate in order

to guide and orient him toward

the priestly ideal; so a truly

adequate formation should co-

ordinate harmoniously grace

and nature in the man in whom
one clearly sees the objective

conditions and effective capa-

bilities of receiving the gift of

chastity. These conditions should

be ascertained as soon as signs

of his holy vocation are first

indicated; not hastily or super-

ficially, but carefully, with the

assistance and aid of a doctor

and of a competent psychologist.

A serious investigation of he-
reditary factors should not be

omitted.

The Unfit

64. Those who are discovered

to be unfit—either for physical,
psychological or moral reasons

—should be quickly removed
from the path to the priesthood.

Let educators appreciate that

this is one of their very grave

duties. Let them not abandon

themselves to false hopes and to

dangerous illusions and let them

not permit the candidate to

nourish these hopes in any way,

with resultant damage either to

himself or to the Church. The

life of the celibate priest, which

engages the whole man so to-
tally and so delicately, excludes

in fact those of insufficient psy-

cho-physical and moral balance.

Nor should anyone pretend that

grace supplies for the defects

of nature in such a man.

Development of the Personality

65. After the capability of a

man has been ascertained and
he has been admitted to the

course of studies leading to the

goal of the priesthood, care

should be taken for the pro-

gressive development of his per-

sonality through the means of

physical, intellectual and moral

education directed toward the

control and personal dominion

of his instincts, sentiments and

passions.

The Necessity of Discipline

66. This will be proved by the

firmness of the spirit with

which he accepts the personal

and community type of disci-

pline demanded by the priestly

life. Such a regime, the lack or

24



deficiency of which is to be de-

plored because it exposes the

candidate to grave dangers,

should not be borne only as an

imposition from without. It

should be interiorized and im-

planted within the context of

the spiritual life as an indispen-

sable component.

Personal Initiative

67. The educator should skill-

fully stimulate the young man

to that totally evangelical virtue

of sincerity (cf. Matt. 5, 37) and

to spontaneity by approving of

every good personal initiative,

so that he will come to know,

and properly evaluate himself,

assume wisely his own respon-

sibilities, and train himself to

that self-control which is of

such importance in the priestly

education.

The Exercise of Authority

68. The exercise of authority,

the principle of which ought to

be held to firmly, will be ani-

mated by wise moderation and

by a pastoral attitude. It will

be used in a climate or dialogue

and will be implemented in a

gradual way which will afford

the educator an ever deepening

understanding of the psychology

of the young man, and will ap-

peal to personal conviction.

Conscious Choice

69. The complete education of

the candidate to the priesthood

ought to be directed to help him

acquire a tranquil, convinced

and free choice of the grave re-

sponsibilities which he must as-

sume in conscience before God

and the Church. Ardor and gen-

erosity are marvelous qualities

of youth; illuminated and sup-

ported, they merit, along with

the blessing of the Lord, the ad-

miration and confidence of the

whole Church as well as of all

men. None of the real personal

and social difficulties which

their choice will bring in its

train should remain hidden to

the young men so that their en-

thusiasm will not be superficial

and illusory. At the same time

it will be right to highlight with

at least equal truth and clarity

the sublimity of their choice,

which on the one hand leads to

a certain physical and psychic

void, but on the other, brings

with it an interior richness ca-

pable of elevating the person

most profoundly.

An Asceticism for the
Maturation of the Personality

70.

The young candidates for

the priesthood should convince

themselves that they are not

able to follow their difficult

way without a special type of

asceticism more demanding than

that which is asked of all the

other faithful, which is proper

to themselves. It will be a de-

manding asceticism but not a

suffocating one which consists

in the deliberate and assiduous

practice of those virtues which

make a man a priest: self-denial
in the highest degree—an es-

25



sential condition if one would

follow Christ (Matt. 16, 24;

John 12, 25), humility and

obedience as expressions of in-

ternal truth and of a guided

liberty; prudence, justice, cour-

age and temperance, virtues

without which it is impossible

for true and profound religious

life to exist; a sense of respon-

sibility, of fidelity and of con-

templation and action; detach-

ment and a spirit of poverty

which will give tone and vigor

to evangelical freedom; chastity,

the result of a persevering

struggle, harmonized with all

the other natural and supernat-

ural virtues; a serene and se-

cure contact with the world for

the service of which the young

man will dedicate himself for
Christ and for His Kingdom.

In such a way the aspirant to

the priesthood will acquire,

wuth the help of divine grace,

a balanced personality, strong

and mature, a combination of

inherited and acquired qualities,

harmony of all of his powers

in the light of the faith and in

intimate union with Christ,

whom he has chosen for him-
self and for the ministry of sal-

vation to the world.

Periods of Experimentation

71. However, to judge with

better certainty the fitness of

the young man for the priest-
hood and to have successive

proofs of his attained maturity

on both the human and super-

natural levels, in consideration

of the fact that “It is more dif-

ficult to conduct oneself correct-

ly in the service of souls be-

cause of dangers coming from

outside” (38), it will be ad-

visable to have the obligation of

holy celibacy observed during

specified periods of experimen-

tation before it becomes some-

thing stable and definitive with

the priesthood. (39)

The Choice of Celibacy

as of a Gift

72. Once moral certainty has

been obtained that the maturity

of the candidate is sufficiently

guaranteed, he will be in a posi-

tion to take on himself the

heavy and sweet burden of

sacerdotal chastity as a total

gift of himself to the Lord and

to His Church.

In his way, the obligation of

celibacy, which the Church adds

as an objective condition to

Holy Orders, becomes the con-

didate’s own accepted personal

obligation under the influence

of divine grace and with full

reflection and liberty, and evi-

dently not without the wise and

prudent advice of competent

spiritual directors who are con-

cerned not to impose the choice,

but rather to dispose the candi-

date to become more conscious

in his choice. Hence, in that

solemn moment when the can-

didate will decide once and for

his whole life, he will not feel

the weight of an imposition

from outside, but rather the in-

terior joy that accompanies a

26



choice made for the love of

Christ.

II. The Priestly Life

An Unending Conquest

73. The priest must not think

that ordination makes every-

thing easy for him and screens

him once for all from every

temptation or danger. Chastity

is not acquired all at once but

results from a laborious con-

quest and daily affirmation. Our

world today stresses the posi-

tive values of love between the

sexes but has also multiplied

the difficulties and risks in this

sphere. In order to safeguard

his chastity with all care and af-

firm its sublime meaning, the

priest must consider clearly and

calmly his position as a man ex-

posed to spiritual warfare

against the seductions of the

flesh in himself and in the

world, continually renewing his

resolution to give an ever in-

creasing and ever better perfec-

tion to the irrevocable offering

of himself which obliges him to

a fidelity that is complete, loyal

and real.

Supernatural Means

74. Christ’s priest will receive

new strength and joy daily as
he deepens in his meditation

and prayer the motives for his

gift and the conviction that he

has chosen the better part. He
will ask humbly and persever-

ingly for the grace of fidelity,

never denied to those who ask

it sincerely. At the same time

he will use the natural and su-

pernatural means at his disposal.

In particular he will not dis-

regard those ascetical norms,

guaranteed by the Church’s ex-

perience and no less necessary

in modern circumstances than

in former times. (40)

Intense Spiritual Life

75. The priest should apply

himself above all else to de-

veloping with all the love grace

inspires in him, his close rela-

tionship with Christ searching

the inexhaustible and enriching

mystery; he should also acquire

an ever deeper sense of the

mystery of the Church. There

would be the risk of his state

of life seeming unreasonable

and unfounded if seen apart

from this mystery.

Priestly piety, nourished at

the table of God’s Word and

the Holy Eucharist, lived with-

in the cycle of the liturgical

year, inspired by a warm and
enlightened devotion to the Vir-

gin Mother of the Supreme and

Eternal High Priest and Queen

of the Apostles (41), will bring

him to the source of a true spir-

itual life which alone provides

a solid foundation for the ob-

servance of celibacy.

The Spirit of the Priestly

Ministry

76. In this way the priest with

grace and peace in his heart

will face with generosity the

manifold tasks of his life and

27



ministry. If he performs these

with faith and zeal he will find

in them new occasions to show

he belongs entirely to Christ

and His Mystical Body, for his

own sanctification and the sanc-

tification of others. The charity

of Christ which urges him on

(2 Cor. 5, 14) will help him not

to renounce his higher feelings

but to elevate and deepen them

in a spirit of consecration in

imitation of Christ the High

Priest, who shared intimately

in the life of mankind, loved

and suffered for them (Heb. 4,

15), and of Paul the Apostle

who shared in the cares of all

(1 Cor. 9, 22; 2 Cor. 11, 29), in

order to bring the light and

power of the Gospel of God’s

grace to shine in the world

(Acts 20, 24).

Defense against Dangers

77. Rightly jealous of his full

self-giving to the Lord, the

priest should know how to

guard against sentimental tend-

encies which imperil an effec-

tivity not sufficiently enlight-

ened or guided by the Spirit.

He should beware of looking

for spiritual or apostolic pre-

texts for what are in fact dan-

gerous inclinations of the heart.

Virile Asceticism

78. The priestly life certainly

requires an authentic spiritual

intensity in order to live by the

Spirit and to conform to the

Spirit (Gal. 5, 25); it requires a

truly virile asceticism both in-

terior and exterior in one who,

belonging in a special way to
Christ, has in Him and through
Him crucified the flesh with its
passions and desires (Gal. 5,

24), not hesitating to face ardu-

ous and lengthy trials in order

to do so (cf. 1 Cor. 9, 26-27).

In this way Christ’s minister

will be the better able to show

to the world the fruits of the

Spirit which are “love, joy,

peace, patience, kindness, good-

ness, long-suffering, mildness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-

control, chastity” (Gal. 5, 22-

23).

The Brotherhood of Priests

79.

Moreover, priestly chas-

tity is increased, guarded and

defended by a way of life, sur-

roundings and activity suited

to a minister of God. For this

reason the “close sacramental

brotherhood” (42) which all

priests enjoy in virtue of their

ordination must be fostered to

the utmost. Our Lord Jesus

Christ has taught the urgency

of the new commandment of

charity. He gave a wonderful

example of it when He insti-

tuted the sacrament of the

Eucharist and the Catholic

priesthood (John 13, 15, and

34-35), and prayed to His Heav-

enly Father that the love the

Father bore for Him from all

eternity should be in His min-

isters and that He too should

be in them (John 17, 26).

28



Unity of Priests in

Spirit and Life

80. So the unity of spirit

among priests should be perfect

and they should be active in

their prayers, friendship and

help of all kind for one another.

One cannot sufficiently recom-

mend to priests a life lived in

common and directed entirely

toward their sacred ministry;

the practice of having frequent

meetings with a fraternal ex-

change of ideas, counsel and ex-

perience with their brother

priests; the movement to form

associations which encourage

priestly holiness.

Charity for Fellow

Priests in Danger

81. Priests should reflect on

the advice of the council (43)

which reminds them of their

common sharing in the priest-

hood so that they may feel a

lively responsibility for fellow

priests troubled by difficulties

which gravely endanger the di-

vine gift they have. They should

have a burning charity for those

who have greater need of love,

understanding and prayer, who

have need of prudent but effec-

tive help, and who have a claim

on their unbounded charity as

those who are, and should be,

their truest friends.

Renewal of the Choice

82. Venerable brothers in the

episcopacy, priests and ministers

of the altar, by way of complet-
ing and leaving a remembrance

of this written conversation

with you, we should like to sug-

gest this resolution to you: that

on the anniversary of his ordi-

nation, or on Holy Thursday

when all are united in spirit

commemorating the mystery of

the institution of the priesthood,

each one should renew his total

gift of himself to Christ Our

Lord, reviving in this way the

awareness that He has chosen

you for His divine service, and

repeating at the same time,

humbly and courageously, the

promise you have of unswerv-

ing faithfulness to His love

alone in your offering of per-

fect chastity (cf. 12, 1).

III. Lamentable

Defections

True Responsibility

83.

Now with fatherly love
and affection, our heart turns

anxiously and with deep sorrow

to those unfortunate priests who

always remain our dearly be-

loved brothers and whose mis-

fortune we keenly regret: those

who, retaining the sacred char-

acter conferred by their priestly

ordination, have been or are un-

fortunately unfaithful to the

obligations they accepted when

they were ordained.

Their sad state and its con-

sequences to priests and to oth-

ers move some to wonder if

celibacy is not in some way re-

sponsible for such dramatic oc-

currences and for the scandals

they inflict on God’s People. In

fact the responsibility falls not

29



on consecrated celibacy in it-

self but on a judgment of the

fitness of the candidate for the

priesthood which was not al-

ways adequate or prudent at

the proper time, or else it falls

on the way in which sacred

ministers live their life of total

consecration.

Reasons for Dispensations

84. The Church is very con-

scious of the sad state of these

sons of hers and judges it nec-

essary to make every effort to

avert or to remedy the wounds

she suffers by their defection.

Following the example of our

immediate predecessors of holy

memory we also have, in cases
concerning ordination to the

priesthood, been prepared to al-

low inquiry to extend beyond

the provisions of the present

canon law (cf. C.I.C. can. 214)

to other very grave reasons

which give ground for really

solid doubts regarding the full

freedom and responsibility of

the candidate for the priesthood

and his fitness for the priestly

state. This has been done to

free those who, on careful ju-

dicial consideration of their

case, are seen to be really un-

suited.

The Church’s Justice

and Charity

85. The dispensations which

are granted after such consider-

ation—a minimal percentage
when they are compared with

the great number of good, wor-

thy priests—provide in justice
for the spiritual salvation of the

individual and show at the same

time the Church’s concern to

safeguard celibacy and the com-

plete fidelity of all her minis-

ters. In granting such dispensa-

tions the Church always acts

with heartfelt regret, especially

in the particularly lamentable

cases in which refusal to bear

worthily this sweet yoke of

Christ results from crises in

faith, or moral weakness, and

is thus frequently a failure in

responsibility and a scandal.

A Heartrending Appeal

86. If these priests knew how

much sorrow, dishonor and un-

rest they bring to the holy

Church of God; if they reflected

on the seriousness and beauty

of their obligations and on the

dangers to which they are ex-

posed in this life and in the

next, there would be greater

care and reflection in their de-

cisions, they would pray more

assiduously, and would show

greater courage and logic in

forestalling the causes of their

spiritual and moral collapse.

The Church’s Motherly Care

87. The Church has particular

interest in those young priests

who are on the threshold of

their ministry and full of zeal

and enthusiasm. Because of the

tensions to which their priestly

obligations are subject, is it not

to be expected that they will ex-

perience moments of diffidence.

30



doubt, passion, folly? Hence, it

is the wish of the Church that

every persuasive means avail-

able be used to lead them from

this wavering state to one of

calm, trust, penance, recovery.

It is only when no other solu-

tion can be found for a priest in

this unhappy condition that he

should be relieved of his office.

The Granting of Dispensations

88. There are some whose

priesthood cannot be saved, but

whose serious dispositions nev-

ertheless give promise of their

being able to live as good Chris-

tian lay people. To these the

Holy See, having studied all the

circumstances with their bish-

ops or with their religious su-

periors, sometimes grants a dis-

pensation, thus letting love con-

quer sorrow. In order, however,

that her unhappy but always

dear son may have a salutary
sign of her maternal grief and

a keener remembrance of the

universal need of God’s mercy,

in these cases she imposes some

works of piety and reparation.

Encouragement and Warnings

89. Inspiring this discipline,

which is at once severe and

merciful, are justice and truth,

prudence and reserve. It is

without doubt a discipline

which will confirm good priests

in their determination to live

lives of purity and holiness. At

the same time it will be a warn-

ing to those aspiring to the

priesthood. These, guided by

the wisdom of those who edu-

cate them, will approach their

priesthood fully aware of its ob-

ligations, disinterested and re-

sponding generously to divine

grace and the will of Christ and

His Church.

Consolations

90. Finally and with deep joy,

we thank Our Lord because

many priests who for a time had

been unfaithful to their obliga-

tions, have with the grace of

the High Priest found again the

path and given joy to all by be-

coming anew exemplary pastors.

With admirable good will, they

used all the means which were

helpful to ensure their return,

especially an intense life of

prayer, humility, persevering

effort sustained by regular re-

ception of the Sacrament of

Penance.

IV. The Bishop’s

Fatherliiiess

The Bishop and His Priests

91. There is an irreplaceable

and very effective means to en-

sure for our dear priests an

easier and happier way of be-

ing faithful to their obligations,

and it is one which they have

the right and duty to find in

you. Venerable Brother Bishops.

It was you who called them and

destined them to be priests; it

was you who placed your hands

on their heads; with you they

are one in sharing the honor of

31



the priesthood by virtue of the

sacrament of Orders; it is you

whom they make present in the
community of the faithful; with

you they are united in a spirit

of trust and magnanimity since,

in as far as is compatible with

their order, they take upon

themselves your duties and care.

(44) In choosing a life dedicated

to celibacy they follow the an-

cient examples of the prelates

of the East and the West; this

provides a new motive for union

between bishop and priest and a

sound hope that they will live

together more closely.

Responsibility and*

Pastoral Love

92.

The affection which Jesus

had made for His Apostles

showed itself very clearly when

He made them ministers of His

real and Mystical Body (cf.

John 13-17); and even you in

whose person “Our Lord Jesus

Christ, the Supreme High Priest,

is present in the midst of those

who believe” (45) know that

you owe the best part of your

hearts and pastoral care to your

priests and to the young men

preparing to be priests. (46)

In no other way can you better

show this conviction than in the

conscious responsibility and sin-

cere and unconquerable love

with which you preside over

the education of your seminar-

ians, and help in every way pos-

sible your priests to remain

faithful to their vocation and

their duties.

A Bishop’s Kindness

93. It is your fraternal and

kindly presence and deeds that

must fill up in advance the hu-

man loneliness of the priest,
which is so often the cause of

his discouragement and tempta-

tions. (47) Before being the su-

periors and judges of your

priests, be their masters, fathers,

friends, their good and kind

brothers always ready to un-

derstand, to sympathize and to

help. In every possible way en-

courage your priests to be your

personal friends and to be very

open with you. This will not

weaken the relationship of ju-

ridical obedience; rather it will

transform it into pastoral love

so that they will obey more

willingly, sincerely and secure-

ly. If they are your devoted

friends and if they have a filial

trust in you, your priests will

be able in time to open up their

souls and to confide in you their

difficulties in the certainty that

they can rely on your kindness

to be protected from eventual

defeat, without a servile fear

of punishment, but in the filial

expectation of correction, par-

don and help, which will in-

spire them to resume their dif-

ficult journey with a new con-

fidence.

Authority and Fatherliness

94. Venerable Brothers, all of

you are certainly convinced that

to restore to the soul of a priest

joy in and enthusiasm for his

vocation, interior peace and sal-

32



vation, is an urgent and glorious

ministry which has an incalcul-

able influence on a multitude of

souls. There will be times when

you must exercise your author-

ity by showing a just severity

towards those few who, after

having resisted your kindness,

by their conduct cause scandal

to the People of God; but you

will take the necessary precau-

tions to ensure their seeing the

error of their ways. Following

the example of Our Lord Jesus,

the Pastor and Bishop of our

souls (1 Pet. 2, 25), do not

crush the bruised reed nor

quench the smoking flax (Matt.

12, 20); like Jesus, heal their

wounds (cf. 9, 12), save what

was lost (cf. Matt. 18, 11), with

eagerness and love go in search

of the lost sheep and bring him

back to the warmth of the

sheepfold (cf. Luke 15, 4 ff.)

and, like Him, try until the end

(cf. Luke 22, 48), to call back

the unfaithful friend.

Teaching and Vigilance

95. We are certain. Venerable
Brothers, that you will leave

nothing undone to foster, by

your teaching, prudence and

pastoral zeal, the ideal of con-

secrated celibacy among your

clergy. We are sure too that you
will never neglect those priests

who have strayed from the
house of God, their true home,

no matter where their painful

odyssey has led them, since they

still remain your sons.

V. Role of

the Faithful

Responsibility of the Entire

People of God

96. Priestly virtue is a treas-

ure that belongs to the whole

Church. It is an enrichment and

a splendor above the ordinary,

which redounds to the building

up and the profit of the entire

People of God. We wish there-
fore to address to all the faith-

ful, our children in Christ, an

affectionate and urgent exhor-

tation. We wish that they too
feel responsible for the virtue

of those brothers of theirs who

have undertaken the mission of

serving them in the priesthood

for the salvation of their souls.

They should pray and work for

priestly vocations; they should

help priests wholeheartedly,

with filial love and ready col-

laboration; they should have the

firm intention of offering them

the consolation of a joyous re-

sponse to their pastoral labors.

They should encourage these,

their fathers in Christ, to over-

come the difficulties of every

sort which they encounter as

they fulfill their duties with

entire faithfulness, to the edi-

fication of all. They should fos-

ter in a spirit of faith and of

Christian love a deep respect

and a delicate reserve in their

dealings with priests, on account

of their condition as men entire-

ly consecrated to Christ and to

the Church.

33



Invitation to the Laity

97. Our invitation goes out es-

pecially to those lay people who

seek God with greater earnest-

ness and intensity, and strive

after Christian perfection while

living in the midst of their fel-

low men. By their devoted and

warm friendship they can be of
great assistance to the Church’s

ministers since it is the laity,

occupied with temporal affairs

while at the same time aiming

at a more generous and more

perfect response to their bap-

tismal vocation, who are in a

position, in many cases, to en-

lighten and encourage the priest.

Moreover, the perfect response

to a vocation that plunges him

into the mystery of Christ and

the Church can suffer harm

from various circumstances and

from contamination with a cer-

tain kind of worldliness. In this

way the whole People of God

will honor Christ Our Lord in

those who represent Him and of

whom He has said: “He who
receives you receives me, and

he who receives me receives
Him Who sent me” (Matt. 10,

40), promising an assured re-

ward to whoever in any way

shows charity toward those

whom He has sent (ibid. v. 42).

Conclusion

Mary’s Intercession

98. Venerable Brothers, pas-

tors of God’s flock throughout

the world, and Dearly Beloved

Priests, our sons and brothers:

as we come to the end of this

letter which we have addressed

to you, we invite you, with a

soul responsive to Christ’s great

love, to turn your eyes and

heart with renewed confidence

and filial hope to the most lov-

ing Mother of Jesus and Mother

of the Church, and to invoke

for the Catholic priesthood her

powerful and maternal inter-

cession. In her the People of God

admire and venerate the image

of the Church, and model of

faith, charity and perfect union

with Him. May Mary, Virgin

and Mother, obtain for the

Church, which also is hailed as

virgin and mother, (48) to re-

joice always, though with due

humhlity, in the faithfulness of

her priests to the sublime gift

they have received of holy vir-

ginity, and to see it flourishing

and appreciated ever more and

more in every walk of life, so

that the army of those who fol-

low the divine Lamb wherever
He goes (cf. Apoc. 14, 4) may

increase throughout the earth.

Confident Hope of the Church

99.

The Church proclaims her

hope in Christ; she is conscious

of the critical shortage of priests

when compared with the spir-

itual necessities of the world’s

population; but she is confident

in her expectation which is

founded on the infinite and

mysterious power of grace, that

the high spiritual quality of her

ministers will bring about an

increase also in their numbers.

34



for everything is possible to God

(cf. 10, 27; Luke 1, 37).

In this faith and in this hope,

may the apostolic blessing which

we impart with all our heart be

for all a pledge of heavenly

graces and the testimony of our

fatherly affection.

Rome, at St. Peter’s June 24,

1967, feast of St. John the Bap-

tist, fifth year of our Pontificate*

Pope Paul VI

Notes

(1) Letter of Oct. 10, 1965 to

H. E. Card. E. Tisserant, read in

the 146th General Congregation on

Oct. 11.

(2) Second Vatican Ecumenical

Council, Decree Christus Dominus,

n. 35; Apostolicam actuositatem, n.

1; Presbyterorum Ordinis, nn. 10,

11; Ad Gentes, nn. 19, 38.

(3) Second Vatican Ecumenical

Council, Constitution Gaudium et

Spes, n. 62.

(4) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 16.

(5) Second Vatican Ecumenical

Council, Dogmatic Constitution Dei

Verbum, n. 8.

(6) Second Vatican Ecumenical

Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lu-

men Gentium, n. 28; Decree Pres-

byter. Ordinis, n. 2.

(7) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 16.

(8) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

16.

(9) Constitution Lumen Genti-
um. n. 42.

(10) Cf. Dogmatic Constitution

Lumen Gentium, n. 42; Decree

Presbyter. Ordinis, n. 16.

(11) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 14.

(12) Cf. Decree Presbyter. Ordi-

nis, n. 13.

(13) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 5.

(14) Decree Optatam totius, n.

10 .

(15) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 16.

(16) Pastoral Constitution Gau-

dium et Spes, n. 39.

(17) Dogmatic Constitution Lu-

men Gentium, n. 5.

(18) Dogmatic Constitution Lu-

men Gentium, n. 48.

(19) Second Vatican Ecumenical

Council, Decree Perfectae caritatis,

n. 12.

(20) Cf. Tertullian, De exhort,

castitatis, 13: PL 2, 930; St. Epiph-
anius, Adv. haer. II, 48, 9 and 59,

4: PG 41, 869, 1025; St. Ephrem,
Carmina nisibena, XVIII, XIX, ed.

G. Bickell, Leipzig, 1866, p. 122;

Eusebius of Caesarea, Demonstr,

evang. 1, 9; PG 22, 81; St. Cyril of
Jerusalem, Catech. 12, 25: PG 33,
757; St. Ambrose, De offic. ministr.

1, 50: PL 16, 97 ff.; St. Augustine,
De moribus Eccl. cathol. 1, 32: PL

32, E399; St. Jerome, Adv. Vigil-

ant. 2: PL 23, 340-41; Sinesius,
Bishop of Ptolemais, Epist. 105:

PG 66, 1485.
(21) The first time in the Coun-

cil of Elvira in Spain (c. a. 300),

c. 33: Mansi II, 11.

(22) Session XXIV, can. 9-10.

(23) St. Pius X, Exhortation

Haerent animo, Aug. 4, 1908: AAS
41, 1908, pp. 555-577; Benedict XV,

35



Letter to F. Kordac, Archbishop of

Prague, Jan. 29, 1920: AAS 12,
1920, p. 57 f.; Consist. Alloc. Dec.

16, 1920: AAS 12, 1920, pp. 585-
588; Pius XI, Encyclical Ad catho-
lic! sacerdotii, Dec. 20, 1935: AAS
28, 1936, pp. 24-30; Pius XII, Apos-

tolic Exhortation Menti Nostrae,

Sept. 23, 1950: AAS 42, 1950, pp.
657-702; Encyclical Sacra virgini-

tas, March 25, 1954: AAS 46, 1954,
pp. 161-191; John XXIII, Encycli-

cal Sacerdotii Nostri primordia,

Aug. 1, 1959: AAS 51, pp. 554-556.
(24) Second Allocution to the

Roman Synod. Jan. 26, 1960: AAS
52, 1960, pp. 235-236 (Latin text p.

226).

(25) Can. 6, 12, 13, 48: Mansi

XI, 944-948, 965.

(26) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 16.

(27) Decree De Virginitate, 13:

PG 46, 381-382.

(28) De Sacerdotio, 1. Ill, 4: PG

48, 642.

(29) Dogmatic Constitution Lu-

men Gentium, nn. 21, 28, 64.

(30) Constitution cit., n. 29.

(31) Constitution cit., n. 49.

(32) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 16.

(33) Decree Optatam totius, n.

2; Presbyter. Ordinis, n. 11.

(34) Confess. X, 29, 40: PL 32,
796.

(35) Cf. 1 Th. 2, 11; 1 Cor. 4,

15; 2 Cor. 6, 13; Gal. 4, 19; 1 Tim.

5, 1-2.

(36) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 3.

(37) Decree Optatam totius, nn.

3-11; cf. Prefectae caritatis, n. 12.

(38) St. Thomas Aquinas, Sum-

ma th. ID-Ipe^ q 134 a. 8 c.

(39) Decree Optatam totius, n.

12 .

(40) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

nn. 16, 18.

(41) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 18.

(42) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 8.

(43) Decree cit., ibid.

(44) Dogmatic Constitution Lu-

men Gentium, n. 28.

(45) Dogmatic Constitution Lu-

men Gentium, n. 21.

(46) Decree Presbyter. Ordinis,

n. 7.

(47) Decree cit., ibid.

(48) Dogmatic Constitution Lu-

men Gentium, nn. 63, 64.

36



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