Say we don’t want sex

‘German priests’ petition satanic’

By DESMOND MGBOH, Kano; VINCENT KALU, Lagos; NOAH EBIJE, Kaduna; GEOFFERY ANYANWU, Awka ; LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin; CHUKS ONUOHA, Umuahia; JEFF AMECHI AGBODO, Onitsha; ALOYSIUS ATTAH, Onitsha; LINUS OOTA, Lafia; GYANG BEERE, Jos; ROSE EJEMBI, Makurdi; OBINNA ODOGWU, Ekwulobia; JOHN ADAMS, Minna

Spinsters who find themselves on the campus of the Saint Peters and Paul Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, will find it difficult not to ogle and filled with amorous desire at the number of handsome and intelligent young men there. Tall, short, lanky or robust, fair-skinned or ebony black, the seminarians walk the grounds singly or in groups in their immaculate, long apparels discussing philosophical and ecumenical issues and giving polite bows and short greetings to strangers.

Their neat dresses, subdued glee and humble, but friendly smiles and mien all charm visitors who they cannot but envy and love them. Indeed, Roman Catholic seminaries and other local parishes of the church superintended by priests across the nation are veritable fishing ponds for spinsterhood-bored girls and women.

But the female parishioners and visitors have to look elsewhere, often with a sense of frustration, as their objects of fancy cannot be had! By the church’s tradition and oath they take when being ordained, Catholic priests are forbidden to have sex or marry wives.

Push for permission to have women, sex

But, lately, there has been a push to have this century-old order revoked. The move is being spearheaded by a group of 11 retired high ranking Catholic priests, already causing vocational drama across Germany with a request to the Vatican to abolish priestly celibacy.

In an open letter, written in review of their 50 years as clergy, the clerics who were anointed in 1967 in Cologne, a city considered both a Catholic stronghold and one of Germany’s most progressive and gay-friendly cities called for liberalism on the old tradition, asking the church leadership to end the celibacy rule (act of abstaining from women). They are of the opinion that every man should have the right to choose to take the vow or not as other Protestant and Orthodox Church pastors have.

One of them, Franz Decker, who for over a decade led the Catholic Relief Service in Cologne said: “We believe that requiring that every man who becomes a priest to remain celibate is not acceptable. We think, every Catholic should be allowed to choose if he would rather be celibate or not, regardless of whether he wants to work as a priest or not – just like in the evangelical Church or the Orthodox Church, really, every church but the Catholic Church.

What moves us is the experience of loneliness, as elderly people who are unmarried because our office required this from us, we feel it vividly on some days after 50 years on the job… We agreed to this life because of our jobs, but we didn’t choose it.’

To Decker and his friends, celibacy causes many modern priests to suffer from seclusion and believe the men have little to gain from church-imposed solitude.

They also gave a number of suggestions as to how the Catholic Church could “modernise”, including allowing women to join the clergy.

About the same time, German priest Stefan Hartmann, who secretly fathered a daughter in 1989, eight years after he took his vow of celibacy, also sent a personal petition to Pope Francis asking him to waive his vow of celibacy, which he posted on his Facebook page. In the letter, Hartmann asked to be released from the traditional oath “in acknowledgement of my weaknesses and failures, with all due humility and after long consideration of my conscience and personal situation.”

In another post about priestly celibacy, Hartmann argues that allowing Catholic priests to remain ordained outside celibacy vows would “bring solutions and relief in many cases. “There is a human right to partnership, marriage and parenthood, even if you can forego it willingly for religious reasons,” he said.  Hartmann also believes that abolishing the requirement for priestly celibacy could encourage more young Catholics to enter the priesthood, at a time when numbers are flagging.

As Francis continues his leadership of the Catholic Church, many have wondered whether there will be a change in the requirement of priestly celibacy, a practice that has gone on for hundreds of years.

Vatican is yet to formally respond to the agitation. But Pope Francis reportedly seemed open to the idea of discussing a change in the policy during a recent conversation with a bishop from Brazil,

Austrian-born Erwin Krautler. Krautler’s diocese faces a shortage of priests, with just 27 meeting the needs of 700,000 Catholics.

According to Krautler, “The pope explained that he could not take everything in hand personally from Rome. We local bishops, who are best acquainted with the needs of our faithful, should be ‘Cora judos,’ that is ‘courageous’ in Spanish, and make concrete suggestions.”

Nigerian priests kick

However, Catholic priests in Nigeria would not be party to the clamour, which they describe as an abomination and a desecration of the spirituality and unique essence of the church that distinguishes it from other denominations.

From Kano to Anambra and Anambra to Ibadan in the south west, their voices rose in condemnation of the “selfish and parochial” idea, which, they canvassed should not be allowed to supercede institutional sovereignty and integrity of the church.

The Education Secretary of Kano Diocese of the Catholic Church noted that the move for optional celibacy was not entirely new, but that the church had always said, “No!”

He recalled that, “Celibacy has always been a part of the Church from the Apostolic time, but it was not compulsory. The Apostolic Church had optional celibacy- some of the apostles were married before they met Christ. But they left their families to follow Jesus, which was an option they took”.

On the issue of celibacy and priesthood, he held that, “virtue lies at the middle,” explaining that, “When the Apostle asked Jesus if it was good for everybody not to marry, he said no. Those who cannot marry should stay celibate and those who cannot stay celibate, should marry”.

He maintained that the most important factor is to serve God and his people even as he pointed out that there was no special heaven for celibate, “It is just one heaven”

He explained that the agitation for optional celibacy was growing “because of the kind of world we live in”, adding that, “It is a world bombarded by sexuality. Everywhere you go, you see things ……. “

He also acknowledged that, “before now , priests live somehow away from the people; but today we live in their midst……we meet people of all sexes and you know that a majority of the people in the Church are women and the contact is increasing, especially in the developed world”.

He, however, held that, “there is one thing you must always note as a man of God, the call would always clash with marriage. Those who are married cannot take the gospel to places that those who are not married can take it. For example, the Anglican Church came to Nigeria before the Catholic Church, but the Catholic Church overtook it in numbers. This is because the places where the Catholic priest, who is celibate, can easily go and evangelize; the married Anglican priest would be thinking of his family and children and may not be able to go”.

To their counterparts in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, the German priests’ controversial petition is a non-issue. At the St. Joseph Catholic Church Taiqo Isale, Ilorin, an official, who said he was merely making personal comment, said: “Well, it is their right to do so, but the church is not bound to act on it because in Roman Catholic, they were not forced to take the oath of celibacy and if they think they are tired they know the best thing to do, resign to satisfy their heart desires.” He advised the petitioners not to waste the church’s time or distract the church from its chosen focus.

Rev. Father Adeoye  of Oloje Catholic said the church should let them go and fulfill their carnal desires, but not give in to their request.

At Holy Family Catholic Church Gaa Akanbi, Ilorin, Rev. Fathers Koney and Clatheny believe few priests should not force their opinion on the majority.

The G-11 acting on selfish basis

A Reverend Father, who is an official of the Catholic Archdiocese, Ibadan, who spoke to Saturday Sun on the condition that his name would not be mentioned in print, opined that the request and agitation by the group of German priests had no place in Catholicism, but was borne out of personal concerns and interests of those concerned, which, he noted, could not aggregate to institutional interest.

According to him, those behind the letter to the Pope took the action based of issues they had individually with respect to the subject of their complaint, saying a probe of these personalities’ identities and history, would reveal the reason behind their outbursts.

He, however, insisted that the premise of their argument and demand held no water, remarking: “You need to ask what’s responsible for this request at this time. That gays are prevalent in the society, for instance, does not mean there is no standard again, or why has kidnapping, which has become rampant also not been legalized?

On why the Church cannot be dynamic with its policy on marriage and sex, the priest said: “Marriage is not a standard rule for wholesomeness, fulfillment and satisfaction for man. It isn’t and shouldn’t be a measure of good life. Sex doesn’t bring fulfillment, or satisfaction.”

He observed that marriage has not solved the problem of infidelity, stressing that it was therefore not too much for anyone who chose to devote his life to serving God to forego these things.

On why virile and intelligent young men sacrificed sex and marriage for priesthood, he remarked that Apostle Paul, who was reported in the Bible to have had, perhaps, the greatest evangelistic exploits was a man of high intellect and pious spirit. “Will it be too much to give my entire life to God?” he asked.

For the Director for Social Communication of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, Rev Fr. George Nwachukwu, those petitioning Rome for permission to have sex or marry cannot have the rules bent or broken to suit their own purpose.

According to him,” the laws of the Catholic Church on clerical celibacy has been there since the medieval times and anybody who is intending to become a priest of the Catholic Church already knows and it is not forced on anybody.

He added, now if you want to play football for instance there are rules guiding the game. Now you cannot apply the rules of tennis or that of hockey to that of football, because there would be problem; it is the same for the Catholic priest. Some of our separated brethrens allow their clergy to marry and even ordain women priests, but it is not so for Catholic Church. So the honest advice for those who can no longer lead celibate life as Catholic priests is to leave the church to go and marry.

Idea not an option

Rev. Fr. Cyriacus Uzochukwu of Orlu Catholic Diocese said: “the issue of whether Catholic priests should be allowed  to marry is not an option because the rules are very clear and no traditionalists would be part of that call. However, those who could no longer live with that have the option of quitting the priesthood to satisfy their flesh.

In Anambra State, a cross section of the Catholic priests who spoke was against the proposal. One of them was Rev. Fr. Jude Ini-Abasi Barnaby of St. Joseph De Worker Chaplaincy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. He is vehemently opposed to the proposal. His words: “Looking at what is happening in other churches, many problems the ministers have, come from their spouses and their children because the image of the minister is tied to the image of their wife and children.

Sometimes the wife or children can do something and people will begin to point fingers at the minister. If these kids are accepted in the Catholic Church, these anomalies will then come up as problem.

Talking about finances, it is easier to take care of a single person than to take care of a whole family. It would become a burden to take care of the priest, his wife, and then the children…

“No one is forced into the priesthood. The long number of years it takes to train a priest attests to this. And before anyone is ordained, he must apply in writing in that regard. Even before you enter the minor ministries, you must apply. No one is forced. So if one checks himself and sees that he will not be able to bear the burden of celibacy, he declines. Anyone who goes into it knows the implication and accepts every condition that is tied to it.”

Also, the Chaplain of St. Joseph De Worker, UNIZIK, Rev. Fr. Christian Umeojilinnaka, also objected to the idea, which he said would be a great distraction from spiritual work.

“The kind of work we do as priests require that we disengage from the entanglement of families which might make us so selfish. My attention would be divided. This way, when I am gone I won’t be bothered about those that would mourn me. So, if priests are allowed to get married, there will be serious distractions. In fact, there might be union of clergymen’s wives. They would form their own pressure group and before you know it the pressure will be on the church.”

Fr. Umeojilinnaka further said that the burden of supporting the family might force some to deep their hands into the coffers of the church. “Again, one might be forced to use the money of the church to train their kids abroad, take care of my wife, in-laws, and other relatives. And if I don’t get it, I may steal it. So these are the things that might push us to abandon our main work of evangelism.”

In his opinion, Rev. Fr. Basil Ucheonye of the same chaplaincy, rather saw the move as an affront on the authority of the bishops, the authority of the “holy father”. As priests, we are not allowed to do things without the bishops’ approval. They went against the code by saying such stuff. This should have been discussed by their bishops and not by them. So they did the wrong thing” he concluded.

KadunaAssistant Priest, Saint John Catholic Church, Tafawa Balewa Way, Kaduna, Reverend Father Joseph Yakubu said sex had no place in Catholic priesthood since the primary focus was to work and win souls for God.

In his own view, the Diocesan Chancellor, Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Fr. Onuh Ladi Sixtus even the scriptures backed priestly celibacy. He quoted the books of Matthew 19: 10-12, and1 Corinthian 7: 25 which encourage abstenence from marriage among ordained priests in order to concentrate in the vineyard. Onuh described priesthood as a call and vocation from God, which could best achieved by abstaining from marriage. “I want to tell you that the loneliness is part of the sacrifice. If  it is that sweetness of sex, who would love to be a priest? But you have to consider the advantages from Saint Paul quotes saying; “if I was married, I would be entangled with all the issues about marriage, priests are free to be able to do God’s work.”

It’s modernity assault on values

Priests in Anambra promise that nothing would make them break their celibacy vow

Rev. Fr. Benjamin Ogbunuuko of Onitsha Archdiocese noted that the German priests were saying that celibacy vow had become outdated and needed to be reviewed and abolished. “I don’t agree with them, because they are tired of the church that made them to play down on celibacy and many other issues in the church in the name of modernity.

You can see that there are some priests that support controversial issues in the church meaning that the church is having tribulation or temptation which can also mean that devil has seriously penetrated the church of God. It is true that Muslims are being fanatic in their conduct, while they are trying to protect the tenets of their religion …the more their religion becomes stronger.

“For instance the Muslimswomen wear long gown to cover themselves based on their religion which both the uneducated and educated women obey. But, in our own religion Christianity, women want to wear pants to the church in the name of modernity, that we are in 21st century, we are in jet age which is not supposed to be so.

“For me I don’t think celibacy should be removed for the priests.The petitioners came up with the arguments against celibacy that they are old, that it will help them not to be after women for sex and so on. It is true that there is priest that has been involved in sexual abuses, it is also true that there are other married people that are involved in sexual abuses. So those who were involved did it not because they were married or not, they abused sex because they wanted to do it and not because of marriage or no marriage, marriage has nothing to do with it, it is self control. There are also some married men who are involved in the illicit relationship, so someone who has no self control even if you give him 10 women to marry, he will look for the 11th woman because his needs are insatiable.”

Another priest Rev. Fr. Paschal Chigbo of Onitsha Archdiocese was blunt in his condemnation of the Germans call for sex freedom. His words: “The German priests are on their own and should not involve us in their immoral thought. It is not by force. Any priest who feels he is no more interested, to continue with the priesthood…It is true that in Catholic Church once ordained, a priest will remain priest forever, based on the order of Melchizedek. When dispensed to perform the role as a priest, you can marry and bear children in the Catholic Church and can perform a role of priest in an emergency. When a priest is dispensed with, he will stop celebrating mass, conducting confession and giving sacrament, but if there is a dying person and the priest is not around, the dispensed priest can give the dying person a sacrament of penance.

“So, priest who feel they are tired to continue has this other option to explore and not because some old priest are tired, they now want to drag the whole church down. There are married people in the Catholic Church who are deacons who perform all the roles in the church apart from celebration of mass and confession, but they are married and have children. These married deacons are in America, Rome and other parts of Europe, it us not much here, because everybody wants to be a revered father. You can see that there are other areas one can serve in the church other than being a priest”.

Former Cathedral Administrator, St. Patrick Cathedral Awka, Rev. Fr. Patrick Amaobi Chukwuma, said: “The priestly order is one you chose by yourself and on your ordination you agreed to the order and you said yes, once you said yes you have to try to abide by it. Is not a must that you will become a priest, you know the implications, so I am not in support of the said request, I have not heard of it.

“There are difficulties in every vocation even in marriage, so everybody should strive to do the commandment of God and the commandment of God is for everybody both priest and lay people.

“There shouldn’t be such request, and even if they come they cannot be granted.” “How can I support it, it is against the celibacy of the church that is where the holiness of the church lies. Nobody is compelled to become a priest. It is by free choice.it was never forced on people.

It can never be compromised. I am against it because it is against the principles of the church,” That was how Rev Jude Iwunnna retorted to the suggestion, when accosted by Saturday Sun. He added: “Priest having sex will dent the holiness of the church. Priest having sex is highly unholy. Before anyone is made a priest the person must be mature and reasonable. Ordaining a priest is not done in unconsciousness it is done in consciousness. The person must have known the full consequences of his action. It cannot be compromised, nothing on earth can make Vatican change the law.

Jesus didn’t marry, likewise the apostles, so anybody choosing to be a Catholic priest as a way of life, should he ready not to marry and all these were for the sake of the kingdom of God”

Signs of end time

Rev. Obinna , on his part, believes, the ‘rebellious’ agitation was part of signs of end time to test the church’s faith. “The Christian faithful have passed many test is so little a time. But this test that has come to the priesthood is no test at all. The Catholic can’t compromise what makes it unique. What other thing do you have in Catholic church that you don’t have in other churches. It is what makes the church superior. Anybody who is not fit to minister should drop and face another life. There are thousands of ways one can be a Catholic, serve God and yet be married but if one says he wants to be a priest then it is different. Priesthood are the protege of Christ and they must adhere to all that comes with it,” he said.

Rev. Fr. Anokwuru Christian Uche, the Administrator of Madonna Catholic Hospital, of the Catholic Diocese of Umuahia , simply dismissed the idea as ‘satanic’. They (German priests) should not destroy this sacred institution, they should stop spoiling the image of Catholic church, it is a calling. Some people are born eunuchs naturally, while others  take up this eunuch thing for the sake of the

Kingdom of God and this is where we belong, we are not forced into it, we know the implication.

Also speaking,  the Rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary, Ahiake,

Rev.  Fr. (Dr.) Chukwudi  A. said that the issue should not even come up in the Catholic priesthood. “It (celibacy) is one of the noble lives of the priest, it makes him free. You are free to donate yourselves and you are free also to say no I am no longer interested and you go.”

A Catholic Priest, Rev Fr Joseph Atue of Lafia Diocese said: “When a priest takes his vows, he consecrates his life completely to God and forsakes all earthly attachments.”

Father Thaddeus Aba of Uke Catholic Church, Karu Local Government Area of the state spoke in similar vein, observing that Catholic priests cannot have sex or get married because they will completely be distracted from Christ and priesthood. “A man cannot serve two masters and it would be far too easy to follow a wife’s wishes over God’s.” he said.

Also Fr. David Tom of Masaka Catholic Church, Karu Local Government area of Nasarawa State said priestly celibacy does not encourage sexual predation. “We cannot be allowed to have sex or marry; priests are fully committed to God and their priesthood, without the distraction of sex or wife and family.

Petition, fornication against God

Catholic Priests in Jos, are reluctant to speak with the press on the issue, except authorized by the Archbishop. But one of them who would not disclose his name, said Catholic doctrine did not permit. Rev. Fathers to marry or have sex, adding that the act was contrary to the oath taken during ordination.

He described the petition of the German priests as abomination  and fornication before God, which would attract sanction, adding that it was their philosophical instinct that moved them into action.

Commenting on the controversy generated by the letter to the Pope, the Episcopal Vicar in charge of Dunukofia Region, Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, Rev. Fr. Theophilus Odukwe, told Saturday Sun that a committed Catholic Priest was too busy to feel lonely, as alleged by the petitioners.

The cleric who was ordained 30 years ago  said the law governing the Catholic Church made it clear on what celibacy entailed and there was no contemplation of even changing the order in the nearest future.

“The Cannon Law has 19 codes on celibacy and celibacy is an act that is not repudiating marriage, but opting not to marry not because marriage is bad or evil, but opting not to marry for something higher, for the sake of faith and for the sake of kingdom of heaven. The Church raised that as the highest means of attainment of sanctity.

Celibacy actually according to the teaching of the church is not restricted to priests only. Lay people are also encouraged to live celibate lives while the lay people can also opt to live celibate lives for the sake of the kingdom of God.

“For those who said they should be allowed to be having sex, the Pope has no authority to regulate on that. The commandment of God is clear on that and the Pope has no right to change the commandment of God.

The commandment of God did not say you must have sex the way you want. Sex is restricted within the context of marriage and anyone who teaches otherwise is contravening God’s commandment and also teaching what is not true. Therefore, to go and ask the Pope to change the system is the same thing as asking the Pope to disobey God.”

Agitation is evil

The Bishop of Minna Diocese, Most Revd. Martins Uzoukwu, described as evil the agitation in Germany. He noted that any Catholic priest who went through the seminary should not dream of such a thing, “because they know the rules and they are clearly stated.”

The Bishop questioned the identity of those behind the agitation, stressing that the Catholic community should not allow itself to be dragged into any controversy.

For Fr. Oliver Ortese, Catholic Diocese, Makurdi., the church should be guided by its age-long laws? Any priest who cannot love the celibate life is quite free to leave the priesthood. That is what Canon law says.”

However, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, the Director of Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, sealed the lid on the views of the priests. He said the “Church is very clear about what it requires of its own priests for ordination.  That is, before you are ordained, you take the laws of chastity, obedience and poverty. These are major promises of vows that a priest makes and they are never forced or imposed on him.

The 50 German senior Catholic priests should know these are universal laws, and I think the Pope replied that they should see the church on a wider scale, not within their own immediate community.

In principle when Rome speaks, case closes; so, when Pope speaks, case closes. This is not subject to debate or subject to argument.