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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Celibacy

Fr. David Friel · May 8, 2013

N THIS DATE THREE YEARS AGO, I was ordained a deacon. That day, not only did I receive the grace of Holy Orders, but I also publicly professed several promises. Among them was the promise of celibacy. Fittingly enough, I also spent part of yesterday morning teaching our eighth-grade students about Holy Orders and celibacy, so the topic has been active in my mind lately.

For some reason, progressives seem insistent on challenging and destroying the institution of celibacy among the Roman clergy. Is the ultimate demise of celibacy inevitable? As I observe the third anniversary of my own commitment to the celibate state, I can only respond by saying that I perceive celibacy as an extraordinary gift to me, personally, and an equally marvelous gift to the world.

Of course not all priests in the Catholic Church (or even the Roman Rite) have promised celibacy, but the majority have. Entailed in this promise is the renunciation of marriage, but the reason for this is not because marriage is something bad or sinful or detestable. The Catechism clearly teaches that Holy Matrimony is a beautiful Sacrament, instituted by Christ, that contributes to the sanctity of the People of God.

Yet, celibacy cannot be defined simply as “not getting married.” I do not consider myself single or a bachelor. Every time I fill out a form that questions my marital status, I pause to consider whether I should add a category for “celibate.” Celibacy entails not only the renunciation of marriage, but also the total commitment of one’s life to the Lord and to His Church. Thus, marriage and celibacy differ only in the smallest way. Marriage is a total commitment to one particular person (one’s spouse) for the rest of one’s life; celibacy is a total commitment to Christ and the Church for the rest of one’s life.

Neither marriage nor celibacy is a renunciation of love. They are just two different ways of loving. Marriage is a call to love one person exclusively, whereas celibacy is a call to love all people inclusively.

The world thinks it understands marriage. The world (at least superficially) still perceives marriage, which it often reduces to sex, as a way of loving. But the world cannot understand celibacy. The world refuses to see that celibacy is also a way of loving. Despite what the world thinks, my chosen path is not one of darkness, psychological distortion, and affective immaturity. Is it possible for a celibate priest to become a lonely, miserable, cantankerous, vicious scoundrel? Yes. And it is equally possible for a husband or wife to become the same.

In my experience—admittedly brief, though not negligible—celibacy is a gift. It has brought me joy and opened my heart to deeper love than I previously thought possible.

Are we, as a Church, beyond celibacy? No, because we are not beyond love.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“It is also customary in many lands that a brief but meaningful hymn be sung between the Gospel and the sermon. (I note in passing that this custom also preserves the original and primary function of the medieval congregational hymn, which was to frame the sermon.)”

— Professor László Dobszay (2003)

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