Can only celibates show that God is alive?

Mauro Cardinal Piacenza recently gave an address on priestly celibacy, drawing on papal teaching from the past century (from Pius XI to Benedict XVI).  An English translation is provided by ZENIT.  The address was brought up in a recent thread on Pray Tell, about German politicians and clergy calling for the ordination of married men to the priesthood.  Bill deHaas had something to say about it, and I was not at all pleased.  Here's the exchange.  My reply is currently awaiting moderation... [No longer moderated: 12:32 PM]

#82 by Bill deHaas on January 29, 2011 - 11:10 am

Mauro Cardinal Piacenza: “…only celibates can show that God is alive…..”

Vita of this Cardinal:

15 September 1944 – Born in Genoa
21 December 1969 [25] – ordained a Priest in Genoa
13 October 2003 [59] – President, Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church
15 November 2003 [59] – Ordained Bishop [extinct Diocese of Victoriana]
28 August 2004 [60] – President, Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology
7 May 2007 [62] – Secretary, Congregation for the Clergy
7 May 2007 [62] – Appointed Archbishop [extinct Diocese of Victoriana]
7 October 2010 [66] – Prefect, Congregation for the Clergy

20 November 2010 [66] – Cardinal
24 January 2011 [66] – Address to Priestly Celibacy Congress in Ars [France] – “Only Celibates can show that God is alive” [Zenit]

Curious about the 30 years between ordination and his elevation to the episcopal ranks. Hopefully, he has a little pastoral experience that can relate to the “average” diocesan or missionary priest in the field. Sorry, his speech truly does resemble a archeological dig into the past 100 years but not much linkage to current reality on the ground. If we are going to quote from popes, can we include the behavior of popes during the Renaissance; for example, Julius III, who made a 15 year old Parma boy found on the streets a cardinal and then secretary of state.

From Teilhard de Chardin, “The Evolution of Chastity”:

“Every unborn and new-born child is a Gift-from-God – “A-Deo-Datus” – the name that Augustine (354-430) gave to his only son (372-389) before they were Christened together in 387.
However `sublimated’ man may be imagined to be – he certainly is NOT a Eunuch. Spirituality comes down NOT upon a MONAD but upon the human DYAD.
First we have the appearance of a Reflective MONAD [individual] and then – to complete it – the formation of the Affective DYAD [loving couple].
There is no future in Celibacy – no earthly future. The Celibate has no personal stake in the Future. On the other hand, we are all called to CHASTITY – Celibate Chastity [unmarried and childless] or Conjugal [Married] Chastity.
Thus we have the Evolution not of Celibacy but of Chastity.”

#83 by Jeffrey Pinyan on January 29, 2011 - 12:06 pm

+JMJ+
Bill, did you read the ZENIT article, or are you simply copying and pasting (without attribution) from the Catholica forum? Or are you “Roch” there?

You put “only celibates can show that God is alive” in quotes and attribute it to Mauro Cardinal Piacenza. That is a blatant false attribution; you should have attributed it to Helen. Piacenza never said that, and you do a disservice to casual readers of this blog who don’t have the time to read Piacenza’s address. They see your sound-bite quote and think he actually said it.

Here’s some of what he did say:

> The essential question, then, is not to direct the debate so much to Celibacy as to the quality of the faith of our communities. Could a community which lacks great esteem for Celibacy, as an “awaiting” for the Kingdom or as a Eucharistic “yearning”, be truly said to be alive?

> [W]e must recuperate the reasoned understanding that our Celibacy offers as a challenge to the world, placing its secularism and agnosticism in profound crisis and crying out, through the centuries, that God is Present and Active!

I challenge you to present evidence from his address that he believes that “only celibates can show that God is alive”, or else to retract the statement entirely.

We'll see what comes of this.

ZENIT's "Spirit of the Liturgy" Series

During the Year for Priests, ZENIT ran a bi-weekly series called The Spirit of the Liturgy.  I had a "Letter to the Editor" about the series published in ZENIT in late 2009:

Spirit of the Liturgy

Article: ZENIT Launches "Spirit of the Liturgy"

It is great to see ZENIT addressing the ways in which the Extraordinary and Ordinary Forms express the same lex credendi. I think this series has the potential of dispelling confusion and of confirming our Catholic heritage and identity (especially in our priests).

As an author preparing a catechetical guide to the priest's prayers in the new English translation of the Mass, I will be looking forward to this series over the next several months!

Jeffrey Pinyan

The series ran from November through July.  A few months later, they started a second series under the same name.  Here are the articles from both the first and the second series:

• The Priesthood and the Mass, Fr. Mauro Gagliardi (Nov. 11, 2009)
• A Silence That Contemplates and Adores, Fr. Gagliardi (Dec. 4, 2009)
• Liturgical Vestments and the Vesting Prayers, Fr. Gagliardi (Dec. 18, 2009)
• Introductory Rites Unite Priest and Congregation, Fr. Paul Gunter, OSB (Jan. 15, 2010)
• The Priest and the Liturgy of the Word at Mass, Fr. Gagliardi (Feb. 5, 2010)
• The Priest in the Offertory of the Mass, Fr. Juan José Silvestre Valór (Feb. 19, 2010)
• The Priest and the Canon of the Mass, Fr. Gagliardi (Mar. 5, 2010)
• The Priest in the Communion Rites, Fr. Gunter (Mar. 19, 2010)
• The Priest and the Paschal Triduum, Fr. Nicola Bux (Mar. 26, 2010)
• The Priest in the Concluding Rites of the Mass, Fr. Gagliardi (Apr. 30, 2010)
• The Priest's Preparation and Thanksgiving for Mass, Fr. Gunter (Jun. 18, 2010)
• Observance of Liturgical Norms and "Ars Celebrandi", Fr. Gagliardi (Jul. 9, 2010)

• Liturgical Formation for the People of God, Fr. Mauro Gagliardi (Nov. 12, 2010)
• The Noble Simplicity of Liturgical Vestments, Fr. Uwe Michael Lang (Nov. 26, 2010)
• Beauty and the Liturgical Rite, Fr. Gagliardi (Dec. 13, 2010)
• Sacred Music at the Service of Truth, Fr. Paul Gunter, OSB (Dec. 24, 2010)
• More Than Words: External Signs of Faith by the Celebrant, Fr. Nicola Bux (Jan. 21, 2011)

I'll continue to update this post as new installments come in.

The need for a new evangelization

From Fr. Longenecker's blog:

We must return to the supernatural realities of the historic faith and evangelize like the Apostles of old. The big difference is that the Apostles knew their targets were pagans and the pagans knew they weren’t Christians. We’re dealing with a huge population of Americans (Catholics and Protestants alike) who are pagan but who think they’re ‘good Christians.’

That's a pretty good exercise in compare-and-contrast!

"Praying the Mass" at Incarnation Catholic Church in Collierville, TN

Here are the four talks (and Q&A session) of my recent parish retreat on "Praying the Mass" at Incarnation Catholic Church in Collierville, TN.

First Talk (33:28)

Second Talk (49:36)

Third Talk (53:10)

Fourth Talk (58:18)

Q&A Session (27:03)

More on Latin from Vatican II

Just thought I'd share yet another quote from Vatican II on the importance of Latin.  This is from Optatam Totius, the decree on priestly training (i.e. the priestly formation of seminarians).

13. Before beginning specifically ecclesiastical subjects, seminarians should be equipped with that humanistic and scientific training which young men in their own countries are wont to have as a foundation for higher studies. Moreover they are to acquire a knowledge of Latin which will enable them to understand and make use of the sources of so many sciences and of the documents of the Church. The study of the liturgical language proper to each rite should be considered necessary; a suitable knowledge of the languages of the Bible and of Tradition should be greatly encouraged.

That's all. Have a blessed Sunday.

Parish Retreat at Church of the Incarnation in Collierville, TN

This Saturday, from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM I will be leading a parish retreat at Incarnation Catholic Church in Collierville, TN.  Through four sessions, I will talk about how the Mass is a prayer that engages the mind, soul, strength, and heart.

My wife and I are driving out there.  The trip from Trenton to Memphis is about 17 hours.  We're driving two days out there and two days back.  So... we'd certainly appreciate prayers for a safe trip and a fruitful retreat!