Our Lady and Priestly Celibacy
May 28, 2019 13:31:18 GMT
Post by Admin on May 28, 2019 13:31:18 GMT
The Angelus - December 2006
The celibacy of the priest and the virginity of the Mother of God are two doctrines which are clearly unpopular, if not outright attacked, at the present day. Even within the Church, celibacy has often been refused or ignored by many during its history because of the difficulty to remain faithful in such a state, but this was due rather to human weakness and not to an outright attack on the doctrine. The doctrine has been denounced because it was too hard to observe, not because it was refused as such. The case is similar for the doctrine concerning the Blessed Virgin. An early,1 and famous, denunciation of the perpetual virginity of St. Mary was done by Helvidius. His doctrine was intimately connected with his ridicule of the religious state and its vow of chastity.
It can be said that the perpetual virginity of the Mother of God and the celibacy of the Christian priesthood are bulwarks and contexts for the central mysteries of the Faith. For a pagan world these doctrines are simply ridiculous; and as the Faith is weakened among Catholics themselves, these teachings become less understood and subsequently are denounced as outdated, unnecessary, and superfluous. But are they?
By her virginity, Mary of Nazareth had been disposed to become the Mother of God. Her chastity was directly related to the Incarnation. Virginity has since become the outstanding mark of Mary of Nazareth. Her virginity is intimately associated with the presence of the Word Incarnate in the world. It can even be said that her virginity was the occasion of this Presence. "Her virginity consists in the total gift of her person which introduces her into a spousal relationship with God."2 Our Lady is both Spouse and Mother of the Divine Word. We can speak of the bridal motherhood of God.3
It was for the redemption of the world that the Incarnation took place, and it is thus that we can say that the virginity of the Mother of God is intimately connected with the redemptive sacrifice of the Christ. For the same reason we see the insistence of the Church, from the beginning, on the consecrated celibacy of her priesthood. Priestly celibacy is also intimately connected with making Christ present in the world; whereas this presence was brought about through the Incarnation in the case of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is through the Sacrifice of the Mass that this is accomplished in the priesthood. In the Eucharist Christ is present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity–really, truly, and substantially. Furthermore, the man himself is also consecrated in persona Christi by the Sacrament of Holy Orders. In fact it is this persona which allows the Sacrifice to be confected and made present. Therefore, Christ is made present in the world both in the Sacraments and in the consecrated individual priest.
The Blessed Virgin is wed to the Divine Logos in her virginity, and the priest is wed to the Body of the Word Incarnate, the Church, in his consecrated celibacy. For this reason Mary of Nazareth remained ever a virgin after the birth of Christ, and so it is that a man once consecrated remained continent, even if he had been married before that date, and remained celibate ever after.
Both the Virginity of Mary and the consecrated celibacy of the priesthood center on the Sacrifice of the Cross. It can be said that the celibacy of the Christian priesthood is for this reason profoundly Marian. She is an exemplar of the singular devotedness required in the priest. She is the example of the perfect detachment and purity which must be present in the man who makes Christ present among those of his generation.
Virginity
Virginity is the reverence for bodily integrity which suggests a virtuous motive. It possesses two elements: a) material–the absence in the past and present of all complete and voluntary delectation, whether from lust or the lawful use of marriage; and b) formal–the firm resolution to abstain forever from sexual pleasure. It must be said that virginity is not a special virtue. It is formally only the intent to preserve perfect chastity. The value of virginity is the practice of the virtue of chastity. When chastity's motive is either religious or apostolic it is then superior; it is ennobled by the superior virtues of charity or religion.4 Therefore physical integrity in itself has no value. It is neutral. The virtues involved give it a superior value. For this reason consecrated virginity and consecrated celibacy are superior to marriage. Though marriage is a state sanctified by the Sacrament of Matrimony, the virtue of religion or apostolic charity makes consecrated celibacy superior. The contrary opinion has been anathematized by the Council of Trent.5
Religious virginity denotes a signal victory over the lower appetites and is an emancipation from worldly and earthly cares.6 This virginity gives a man the liberty to devote himself to the service of God. It also makes him both free and loyal to follow Christ wherever He may go.7 Virginity permits unbridled, free, and complete devotedness to God.
The Virginity of the New Eve
It is Catholic dogma that the Blessed Virgin Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ.10 For our purposes we shall limit ourselves to examining three primary texts: The Protoevangelium of Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14, and the Annunciation as recorded by St. Luke in 1:26-38. These highlight the redemptive conflict, the virginal deliverance, and the virginal fulfillment respectively.
This text forms part of the story of the Fall in the Garden of Eden; it has been referred to as the protoevangelium: it contains, in embryonic form, the announcement of the work of redemption. The words are addressed to Satan. In the form of a serpent he had seduced Eve to the first act of rebellion against God, and she subsequently misled her husband. This act of pride and revolt we have since called "Original Sin," or the "Fall" from the state of Original Justice in which mankind had been created.
The prophecy promises a future conflict between Satan and "the woman." Catholic tradition has seen in one form or another "the woman" as the Blessed Virgin Mary.11 Many hold that "the woman" is literally Eve, and Mary is the typical sense. Other exegetes and theologians hold that "the woman" is literally, and exclusively, Mary. Still others hold that "the woman" stands for both Eve and Mary; for Eve in the imperfect literal sense; for Mary in a perfect or fuller sense.12 Whatever the case may be, it is clear that "the woman" and her "seed" are directly involved in the hostility toward, and crushing of, Satan and his "seed."
The original text itself is debated by exegetes as to whether "she" or "he" shall crush the head of the serpent. The Vulgate uses the feminine form.13 This has led the Latin Church to portray the Immaculate Conception in iconographic form of the Blessed Virgin standing on the head of a serpent with an apple in its mouth. This image is both a reference to this prophecy and a play on the Latin word malum, which can mean both evil and apple. The image is thus read as Mary, conceived without sin, who by this fact confronts and crushes Satan with malum shoved back into the same mouth which had seduced mankind so long ago. Most exegetes, however, seem to be of the opinion that the pronoun actually refers to the "seed" and not to the woman. Therefore the prophecy would indicate that it is the posterity of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent.14 It is clear that both the woman and her posterity are intimately connected in crushing evil, in any case. The serpent will in turn wound the heel of the offspring of the woman, but this injury will not be fatal. The final victory lies thus with the woman and her seed. The promise is made to the human race collectively and not to Adam and Eve individually.15
This text is well known as a quotation at Christmas time, and it must be applied to the Christ: it is interpreted thus by the Evangelist.16 This is one of the clearest texts concerning the prophesied Virgin Birth. In this instance the historical context is important to the interpretation of the prophecy. For our purposes we shall emphasize its "Davidic" aspect.
The prophecy concerns the survival of the House of David for the sake of the coming Messiah, not for any political success in a given war. The House of David was meant to be a source of light for the people and to come to completion with the arrival of the Messiah.17 Therefore, the text is not only important for its clarity concerning the virginal conception of "a Son," but this virginity has also to do with the Messianic Presence. Virginity is thus intimately involved with the fulfillment of the messianic promises made to David. The Virgin becomes the sign of the preservation of the House of David for the sake of its messianic value.
These words were spoken by the prophet Isaiah around the year 732 BC to Achaz, King of Judah. The ancient kingdom of David had long ago divided into Israel in the north and Judah to the south. The line of David continued in Jerusalem, while other dynasties occupied the throne in the north. In this year Judah was being attacked by an alliance from the north: Israel and Syria. This prophecy has little to do with Achaz or his personal welfare, he was in fact an evil king; but it does have to do with the salvation of Jerusalem and the Davidic line of kings, and hence the future Messiah, "the Son of David." The king of Israel was at this time also evil and an usurper: neither legitimate in Israel, nor as a descendent of David. Both leaders were therefore morally corrupt.
This verse must be read in the context of the whole chapter, and in conjunction with the prophecies in 9:1-718 and 11:1-5.19 The chapter begins by telling us that Syria and Israel could not prevail against Judah. Verse 2 already sets the chapter's context referring to "the house of David." This prophecy does not concern firstly the political successes of Achaz, but his dynasty's survival.
When Isaiah is sent to speak to Achaz he is told to take his son, Shear-Yasub.20 The child's name itself is part of the prophecy. It means "a remnant shall return." The presence of this child is therefore already a prophecy itself to the coming deportation and exile into Babylon. The child's presence already indicates to us that what is to be spoken by Isaiah clearly will have to do with the future.
The prophecy has two parts: the sign of deliverance, vv.14-15, and the promise of deliverance fulfilled before the manifestation of the sign.21 Isaiah first tells Achaz that Israel and Syria will be unsuccessful in their campaign against Jerusalem.22 At this point God tells Achaz to ask for a "sign," whatever it may be. This Achaz, from a feigned humility, refuses to do.23 We can only wonder if he refuses because he is incredulous, or simply tired of having the prophet "interfere" in his affairs. In any case, Isaiah speaks to him directly but he addresses him in the plural:24 again, this is a prophecy, not for Achaz alone, but for the House of David. Verse 14 is that which we quoted at the beginning of this section. God Himself will thus give a sign, with or without the Davidic king's request.
There has been much written about the "virgin" who is to bear this foretold child. The Hebrew term is almāh.25 This is the term used for an unmarried woman, who, being unmarried, it is to be presumed that she was still a virgin. This reasoning though, has been contested by some who insist that it simply means "a young woman," as if there would be anything significative that such a one should conceive. In any case, the term is never used for a married woman, and is often translated by "virgin" in the Septuagint.26 In the biblical passages where this term is used virginity in the strict sense is usually implied.27
However, it is true that the term used is not the technical word for "virgin" which is beţulāh. Historically it can be argued that virgin was certainly the understanding by the Jews before Christ. The Greek authoritative translation, the Septuagint, dating from centuries before Christ translated this term by παρθένοσ, a word which clearly indicates virgin as we use the term today. Whatever may be the original meaning of almah, it had been interpreted and translated by Greek-speaking Jews as virgin, an interpretation which was not contested by the Jews of those centuries. It can also be noted here that the Hebrew text does not say that a virgin shall conceive, but more exactly and literally the virgin conceives (is pregnant) and bears a son.28 She retains her virginity while conceiving and bearing her offspring.29
This episode is of course the fulfillment of the prophecies. The conflict foretold in the protoevangelium is to be accomplished by the dominion of this Child, and the House of David is stabilized forever.31 God's promises have been fulfilled.
The Annunciation is the moment when God enters the world Personally. Mary of Nazareth holds both a spousal and a maternal relation to the Divine Word. It is her virginity which allows for both. In her response to the message of the angel she is perfectly and stainlessly faithful. Her supreme docility and reception of the Word puts her in a spousal relation to the Divine Logos. Thus she is the New Eve.
Her Divine Maternity of course brings it about that she also possesses a maternal relation to the Divine Word in His Incarnation. By her fiat she enters into the Hypostatic Order by sharing in the Unique Filiation of the Divine Son. She does not generate the Son in His Person; but the Son born to her is God. Thus she is the Theotokos, the Mother of God.
It is her personal virginity which is the juncture of this new state of virginal-maternity and spousal-virginity. Her personal virginity, as stated in Isaiah, was to be the sign for the coming Child, Emmanuel, Who would bring deliverance. I speak of her personal virginity because this is the identification given by the angel.
When the angel greets the Blessed Virgin Mary he salutes her as κέχαριτωμένη (kécharitôménê). This term is fascinating as it is addressed to her as a personal name. In the Hail Mary we are so used to the term "Mary" as part of the salutation that we forget that it is not actually in the sacred text; rather this other term is used in its place. This single word is what is translated by the phrase, "full of grace." Let us examine its meaning.
Kέχαριτωμένη ( kécharitôménê ) indicates Mary's perfected holiness. It is a form (past perfect participial) of the very rare Greek verb charitoun. It is present only twice in the New Testament: here, and in Ephesians 1:6.32 Both times that it is used the causative form of the verb is employed: it signifies an action which effects something in the object. This verb then indicates that an effect is made in the person or the thing affected. The radical of this verb is of course charis (grace). The verb thus expresses that a change is brought about by grace.
In Ephesians 1:6 it is the Christian population which has been touched and changed by grace. In St. Luke 28 the term is unique in all of Scripture; it is used as her proper name. Its form is the perfect passive participle of the verb. This indicates that transformation has already taken place in Mary. Before the moment of the Annunciation she has already been transformed by grace. She is thus personally "the-one-who-has-received-and-already-been-transformed-by-grace."
The Blessed Virgin Mary had been transformed by grace because she had been sanctified by grace. She had been purified in advance of even the Incarnation. It is God Who had prepared Mary for the Incarnation by inspiring in her the desire of virginity (v. 34). This desire of Our Lady was then for her a result of her personal transforming grace. For this reason St. Bernard has spoken of the "grace of her virginity."
The Celibacy of the Redemptive Priesthood
By his celibacy the priest is fittingly disposed to act in persona Christi. His chastity is directly related to the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
The Church has always had great reverence for consecrated celibacy, consecrated that is for the Kingdom of Heaven.35 The chastity of the priest, however, is different from that of the laity. While both have been honored since the earliest days of the Church, celibacy has always been the ideal of the priest. It has never been the ideal of the layman. Consecrated celibacy is based on Matthew 19 and is further taught to avail the following: 1) detachment from the things of this world; 2) the freedom to follow Our Lord; 3) anticipation of the imminent Day of Judgment; and 4) an example of the eschatological life.36
The chastity of the priest on the other hand is Marian. It includes the reason found in Our Lord's teaching in the Gospel, but it is furthermore messianic. While the religious celibacy of the counsels is directly eschatological,37 the celibacy of the priest is directly, and firstly, ordered to making Christ present in the world. Only secondarily is it an eschatological sign.
The Church in the earliest centuries did not refuse to ordain married men, but they were to abstain from conjugal relations once they had been ordained.38 They remained married, but now wed to the Church, they no longer continued in a conjugal life with their wives. In some instances the women themselves entered the consecrated life of celibacy and in others they continued to live with their husbands, but in a celibate relation. Ordination was therefore only possible with the permission of the wife.
This practice was held to date back to the Apostles. One of our first references to it is from June 16, 390, at a regional council in Carthage. There are other later references but this one shall do for our purposes.39
The council speaks about an even earlier meeting where the rule of continence and chastity had been discussed. It gives now the reason for the insistence on continence. It is because of their consecration that the ministers are under the obligation to observe chastity. It is because they are in the service of the divine Sacraments that they must observe perfect continence. Their chastity is given as the foundation for their prayers to be heard at the altar of God. Those who serve the altar are to keep perfect purity. It is clear from the text that priestly celibacy is due to the holiness of the Sacred Mysteries. Marriage is not condemned, but it is seen as preventing the proper carrying out of the priestly intercessory office.40
The intervention of Bishop Genethlius ends beautifully:
The Eucharistic, Marian, Celibate Catholic Priesthood
Lastly, it can be noted that when listing the kings of Judah in the books of Kings, the mothers of these kings are also listed;42 this is not done with the kings of Israel. The line of David has a special relation with the mothers. We have looked closely at the special and unique name of the last of the mothers in the line of David. Can we not say that this itself is a prophetic action intended ultimately to highlight the position of Mary of Nazareth: true mother of the true Son of David? The Messiah is intimately connected with the Woman through whom He entered the world. He is made present through her. The presence of Christ continues to be manifested through His Priesthood. This priesthood is therefore intimately connected with the office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which it resembles in this.
The forms of chastity in the Church are different. All are held to practice virtue, but not all are required to keep the fullness of it in a celibate life. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the exemplar for all. Her chastity is perfect, untarnished, and virginal. This virginity is directly related to the Messianic promises. The vows which consecrate the religious life are derived from the teachings of Our Lord. This celibacy is grounded on His counsels. But the celibacy of the priest is not the same as that of the religious state, it is higher.
The priest's chastity is directly related to the Sacred Mysteries, especially the Eucharist, of which he is guardian and dispenser. As with the Blessed Virgin Mary, this chastity is centered on the Presence of Christ; for her the Incarnation, for him the Sacraments. For this reason the state of chastity of the priest is higher, and more exigent, than that of the consecrated religious. The religious makes his vows in order to follow personally the counsels of Christ. The apostolic benefit is secondary. The religious seeks first his perfection and then that of his neighbor. The priest, however, is celibate because he is consecrated to the Divine Mysteries. This consecration is for the life of the Church and is necessarily apostolic. His celibacy is for others. The priest must seek firstly to present Christ to the world for the sanctification of his neighbor. His personal perfection is an effect of his priestly consecration and fidelity in the apostolate. It is not the first reason for one to become a priest. A man becomes a religious for himself. A man becomes a priest for others. Thus it is that the bishop, who possesses the fullness of the priesthood, is no longer considered bound firstly by his vows but by his episcopal state.
The priesthood excels the state of perfection of the vows. Outwardly they may have many similarities, but essentially they are quite different. They are two different states of life and two different vocations. The religious state is hidden by definition, though it may be public by its apostolate. The priesthood is public by definition, though a priest may be hidden by his apostolate. The priesthood is in the world for its sanctification. This is its resemblance to the Blessed Mother of God: a married woman living in the world, though obviously "not of it." She was virgin for the Incarnation, not because this was a sanctifying state. Her sanctity moved her to virginity, virginity prepared her for the Incarnation. Her celibacy was for the world's redemption. The priesthood's celibacy is also for the world. Both make Christ present in the world.
St. Paul even gives his celibate state as an example to be imitated, and then he speaks of consecrated virginity. He does not make reference first to the religious vows and the state of perfection as the model, but to his apostolate as an example.43 The Christian priesthood is thus celibate and Marian; it is Christic in its reality and purpose.
Both the Virginity of Mary and the consecrated celibacy of the priesthood center on the Sacrifice of the Cross. It can be said that the celibacy of the Christian priesthood is for this reason also profoundly Marian. She is an exemplar of the singular devotedness required in the priest. She is also the example of the perfect detachment and purity which must be present in the man who makes Christ present among those of his generation. For these reasons the Orthodox are wrong when they oppose obligatory priestly celibacy as confusing two states in life: the monastic and the ecclesiastical. It is not a confusion of states, a type of overlapping; the celibacy of the one is essentially different from that of the other. But even among the Orthodox, the faithful will seek out a celibate when they desire spiritual direction. It is a logical sentiment.
During the crisis now afflicting the Church of God, celibacy is attacked. Certainly there is in this an attack against the virtue of chastity, but its main cause is an ignorance and lack of faith in the Eucharist. Because people do not know or understand the sublimity of the Christian Mysteries they cannot fathom why the ministers of these same Mysteries must be separated from the world of family and relations. No one need be celibate to preside over an assembly. Therefore, it can be said that the reform of the Liturgy has been a major cause of this hostility, at least indirectly. Only when the sense of the sacred is restored will we see an appreciation of priestly celibacy return. To the degree that the Sacraments, and especially the Eucharist, are properly respected, treasured, and taught to the faithful, the greater will be the appreciation of the celibacy of the priesthood.
It can be stated, furthermore, that insofar as the Sacrificial Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is acknowledged and honored–the purpose and goal of the redemptive Incarnation–so will the Virginity of Mary and the celibacy of the priesthood be honored. This highlights the importance of teaching clearly the primacy of the Sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist. There can often be an excessive emphasis placed on the Presence while the Sacrifice is eclipsed. After all, Our Lord is substantially present in order to make present His Sacrifice. He does not re-present His Sacrifice in order to be substantially present.
Thus we can conclude, the crisis in the celibacy of the priesthood and the languishing state of devotion to the Blessed Virgin are not the first problems to be resolved; they are symptomatic of the loss of faith in the Holy Eucharist. To the degree that devotion to the Divine Sacrifice is restored so too will be restored the devotion to the Virgin Mother of God and the celibate state of the Catholic priesthood.
Fr. James Doran was ordained for the Society of Saint Pius X in 1988 and is currently the prior of St. Francis de Sales Priory in Geneva, Switzerland. He is the former vice-rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary (Winona, Minnesota) and editor emeritus of Angelus Press.
1 This was at the end of the fourth century during the pontificate of St. Damasus.
2 Avital Wohlmann, as quoted in Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, by Ignace de la Potterie, S.J. (New York: Alba House, 1992), p. xviii.
3 Cf. Mathias Scheeben, Mariology (New York: B. Herder Book Co., 1946).
4 Cf. Mt. 19:11,12 and I Cor. 7:25-40.
5 Sess. 29, Canon 10.
6 The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 15 (New York: The Encyclopedia Press, Inc, 1913), s.v. "Virginity."
7 Apoc. 14:4.
8 There are halos, or robes of glory, which surround certain select souls in heaven. This added glory highlights special aspects of sanctity in these individuals: martyrdom, virginity, or teaching.
9 Suppl. Q. 96.
10 Lateran I, A.D. 649 . St. Martin I: "If anyone does not, in accord with the holy Fathers, acknowledge the holy, ever virgin and immaculate Mary as really and truly the Mother of God, inasmuch as she, in the fullness of time, and without seed, conceived by the Holy Ghost of God the Word Himself, who before all time was born of God the Father, and without loss of integrity brought Him forth, and after His birth preserved her virginity inviolate; let him be anathema." As quoted in Fundamentals of Mariology by Juniper B. Carol, O.F.M. (New York, Benziger Brothers, Inc., 1956), p. 143. Paul IV's Cum Quorundan, August 7, 1555. And of course, the Nicaean and the Apostles' Creeds: "who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary."
11 This is the meaning behind the mysterious use of the term "Woman" by Our Lord when referring to His Mother both at Cana and at Calvary. It is reference to her position as the New Eve, or the Woman, of the prophecies. By beginning His ministry at Cana, and by His Redemptive Death on Calvary, her relation to Him was forever, and profoundly, changed.
12 Carol, Fundamentals of Mariology, pp. 28-29.
13 That this is the actual wording of St. Jerome himself, or a gloss, is itself debated.
14 Dom Bernard Orchard, ed., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1951), pp. 186, 144c.
15 Ibid., pp. 187, 145d. Adam and Eve are the human race at this moment in time.
16 Mt. 1:23.
17 IV Kings 8:19.
18 These verses describe the "Child born to us, and the son given to us."
19 These verses describe both the origin and the strength of the "flower" which comes from out of the "root of Jesse."
20 Is. 7:3.
[Emphasis - The Catacombs]
OUR LADY & PRIESTLY CELIBACY
Fr. James Doran
Fr. James Doran
The celibacy of the priest and the virginity of the Mother of God are two doctrines which are clearly unpopular, if not outright attacked, at the present day. Even within the Church, celibacy has often been refused or ignored by many during its history because of the difficulty to remain faithful in such a state, but this was due rather to human weakness and not to an outright attack on the doctrine. The doctrine has been denounced because it was too hard to observe, not because it was refused as such. The case is similar for the doctrine concerning the Blessed Virgin. An early,1 and famous, denunciation of the perpetual virginity of St. Mary was done by Helvidius. His doctrine was intimately connected with his ridicule of the religious state and its vow of chastity.
It can be said that the perpetual virginity of the Mother of God and the celibacy of the Christian priesthood are bulwarks and contexts for the central mysteries of the Faith. For a pagan world these doctrines are simply ridiculous; and as the Faith is weakened among Catholics themselves, these teachings become less understood and subsequently are denounced as outdated, unnecessary, and superfluous. But are they?
By her virginity, Mary of Nazareth had been disposed to become the Mother of God. Her chastity was directly related to the Incarnation. Virginity has since become the outstanding mark of Mary of Nazareth. Her virginity is intimately associated with the presence of the Word Incarnate in the world. It can even be said that her virginity was the occasion of this Presence. "Her virginity consists in the total gift of her person which introduces her into a spousal relationship with God."2 Our Lady is both Spouse and Mother of the Divine Word. We can speak of the bridal motherhood of God.3
It was for the redemption of the world that the Incarnation took place, and it is thus that we can say that the virginity of the Mother of God is intimately connected with the redemptive sacrifice of the Christ. For the same reason we see the insistence of the Church, from the beginning, on the consecrated celibacy of her priesthood. Priestly celibacy is also intimately connected with making Christ present in the world; whereas this presence was brought about through the Incarnation in the case of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is through the Sacrifice of the Mass that this is accomplished in the priesthood. In the Eucharist Christ is present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity–really, truly, and substantially. Furthermore, the man himself is also consecrated in persona Christi by the Sacrament of Holy Orders. In fact it is this persona which allows the Sacrifice to be confected and made present. Therefore, Christ is made present in the world both in the Sacraments and in the consecrated individual priest.
The Blessed Virgin is wed to the Divine Logos in her virginity, and the priest is wed to the Body of the Word Incarnate, the Church, in his consecrated celibacy. For this reason Mary of Nazareth remained ever a virgin after the birth of Christ, and so it is that a man once consecrated remained continent, even if he had been married before that date, and remained celibate ever after.
Both the Virginity of Mary and the consecrated celibacy of the priesthood center on the Sacrifice of the Cross. It can be said that the celibacy of the Christian priesthood is for this reason profoundly Marian. She is an exemplar of the singular devotedness required in the priest. She is the example of the perfect detachment and purity which must be present in the man who makes Christ present among those of his generation.
We shall first examine briefly what virginity is, then the virginal aspect of St. Mary's participation in the redemption. Thirdly, we shall touch upon the doctrine and history of the consecrated celibacy of the priesthood. And finally, we shall draw a short and practical conclusion based on the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist.
Virginity
Virginity is the reverence for bodily integrity which suggests a virtuous motive. It possesses two elements: a) material–the absence in the past and present of all complete and voluntary delectation, whether from lust or the lawful use of marriage; and b) formal–the firm resolution to abstain forever from sexual pleasure. It must be said that virginity is not a special virtue. It is formally only the intent to preserve perfect chastity. The value of virginity is the practice of the virtue of chastity. When chastity's motive is either religious or apostolic it is then superior; it is ennobled by the superior virtues of charity or religion.4 Therefore physical integrity in itself has no value. It is neutral. The virtues involved give it a superior value. For this reason consecrated virginity and consecrated celibacy are superior to marriage. Though marriage is a state sanctified by the Sacrament of Matrimony, the virtue of religion or apostolic charity makes consecrated celibacy superior. The contrary opinion has been anathematized by the Council of Trent.5
Religious virginity denotes a signal victory over the lower appetites and is an emancipation from worldly and earthly cares.6 This virginity gives a man the liberty to devote himself to the service of God. It also makes him both free and loyal to follow Christ wherever He may go.7 Virginity permits unbridled, free, and complete devotedness to God.
Consecrated virginity allows a man to emulate the purity of the angels who serve before the throne of God eternally. Virginity possesses a special likeness to the Virginal Lamb of God, and for this reason it is taught that virginity, religiously and faithfully kept, merits a special configuration to Christ in Heaven; it is one of the three aureolae8 possessed by certain saints in the Beatific Vision.9
The Virginity of the New Eve
It is Catholic dogma that the Blessed Virgin Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ.10 For our purposes we shall limit ourselves to examining three primary texts: The Protoevangelium of Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14, and the Annunciation as recorded by St. Luke in 1:26-38. These highlight the redemptive conflict, the virginal deliverance, and the virginal fulfillment respectively.
Genesis 3:15: I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed:
she (he) shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.
This text forms part of the story of the Fall in the Garden of Eden; it has been referred to as the protoevangelium: it contains, in embryonic form, the announcement of the work of redemption. The words are addressed to Satan. In the form of a serpent he had seduced Eve to the first act of rebellion against God, and she subsequently misled her husband. This act of pride and revolt we have since called "Original Sin," or the "Fall" from the state of Original Justice in which mankind had been created.
The prophecy promises a future conflict between Satan and "the woman." Catholic tradition has seen in one form or another "the woman" as the Blessed Virgin Mary.11 Many hold that "the woman" is literally Eve, and Mary is the typical sense. Other exegetes and theologians hold that "the woman" is literally, and exclusively, Mary. Still others hold that "the woman" stands for both Eve and Mary; for Eve in the imperfect literal sense; for Mary in a perfect or fuller sense.12 Whatever the case may be, it is clear that "the woman" and her "seed" are directly involved in the hostility toward, and crushing of, Satan and his "seed."
The original text itself is debated by exegetes as to whether "she" or "he" shall crush the head of the serpent. The Vulgate uses the feminine form.13 This has led the Latin Church to portray the Immaculate Conception in iconographic form of the Blessed Virgin standing on the head of a serpent with an apple in its mouth. This image is both a reference to this prophecy and a play on the Latin word malum, which can mean both evil and apple. The image is thus read as Mary, conceived without sin, who by this fact confronts and crushes Satan with malum shoved back into the same mouth which had seduced mankind so long ago. Most exegetes, however, seem to be of the opinion that the pronoun actually refers to the "seed" and not to the woman. Therefore the prophecy would indicate that it is the posterity of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent.14 It is clear that both the woman and her posterity are intimately connected in crushing evil, in any case. The serpent will in turn wound the heel of the offspring of the woman, but this injury will not be fatal. The final victory lies thus with the woman and her seed. The promise is made to the human race collectively and not to Adam and Eve individually.15
The last consideration is the term used: "her seed." This is a unique reference in the Old Testament. Many times offspring are referred to by the term "seed," but it is always the seed of a man. This reference to the "seed" of a woman seems to be unique. It clearly refers to offspring, and yet offspring which is directly from a woman "her seed." The woman will produce offspring alone. This clearly indicates, if not directly foretelling, that "the woman" will produce her offspring alone, without a man, and therefore virginally.
Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and his name shall be called Emmanuel.
This text is well known as a quotation at Christmas time, and it must be applied to the Christ: it is interpreted thus by the Evangelist.16 This is one of the clearest texts concerning the prophesied Virgin Birth. In this instance the historical context is important to the interpretation of the prophecy. For our purposes we shall emphasize its "Davidic" aspect.
The prophecy concerns the survival of the House of David for the sake of the coming Messiah, not for any political success in a given war. The House of David was meant to be a source of light for the people and to come to completion with the arrival of the Messiah.17 Therefore, the text is not only important for its clarity concerning the virginal conception of "a Son," but this virginity has also to do with the Messianic Presence. Virginity is thus intimately involved with the fulfillment of the messianic promises made to David. The Virgin becomes the sign of the preservation of the House of David for the sake of its messianic value.
These words were spoken by the prophet Isaiah around the year 732 BC to Achaz, King of Judah. The ancient kingdom of David had long ago divided into Israel in the north and Judah to the south. The line of David continued in Jerusalem, while other dynasties occupied the throne in the north. In this year Judah was being attacked by an alliance from the north: Israel and Syria. This prophecy has little to do with Achaz or his personal welfare, he was in fact an evil king; but it does have to do with the salvation of Jerusalem and the Davidic line of kings, and hence the future Messiah, "the Son of David." The king of Israel was at this time also evil and an usurper: neither legitimate in Israel, nor as a descendent of David. Both leaders were therefore morally corrupt.
This verse must be read in the context of the whole chapter, and in conjunction with the prophecies in 9:1-718 and 11:1-5.19 The chapter begins by telling us that Syria and Israel could not prevail against Judah. Verse 2 already sets the chapter's context referring to "the house of David." This prophecy does not concern firstly the political successes of Achaz, but his dynasty's survival.
When Isaiah is sent to speak to Achaz he is told to take his son, Shear-Yasub.20 The child's name itself is part of the prophecy. It means "a remnant shall return." The presence of this child is therefore already a prophecy itself to the coming deportation and exile into Babylon. The child's presence already indicates to us that what is to be spoken by Isaiah clearly will have to do with the future.
The prophecy has two parts: the sign of deliverance, vv.14-15, and the promise of deliverance fulfilled before the manifestation of the sign.21 Isaiah first tells Achaz that Israel and Syria will be unsuccessful in their campaign against Jerusalem.22 At this point God tells Achaz to ask for a "sign," whatever it may be. This Achaz, from a feigned humility, refuses to do.23 We can only wonder if he refuses because he is incredulous, or simply tired of having the prophet "interfere" in his affairs. In any case, Isaiah speaks to him directly but he addresses him in the plural:24 again, this is a prophecy, not for Achaz alone, but for the House of David. Verse 14 is that which we quoted at the beginning of this section. God Himself will thus give a sign, with or without the Davidic king's request.
There has been much written about the "virgin" who is to bear this foretold child. The Hebrew term is almāh.25 This is the term used for an unmarried woman, who, being unmarried, it is to be presumed that she was still a virgin. This reasoning though, has been contested by some who insist that it simply means "a young woman," as if there would be anything significative that such a one should conceive. In any case, the term is never used for a married woman, and is often translated by "virgin" in the Septuagint.26 In the biblical passages where this term is used virginity in the strict sense is usually implied.27
However, it is true that the term used is not the technical word for "virgin" which is beţulāh. Historically it can be argued that virgin was certainly the understanding by the Jews before Christ. The Greek authoritative translation, the Septuagint, dating from centuries before Christ translated this term by παρθένοσ, a word which clearly indicates virgin as we use the term today. Whatever may be the original meaning of almah, it had been interpreted and translated by Greek-speaking Jews as virgin, an interpretation which was not contested by the Jews of those centuries. It can also be noted here that the Hebrew text does not say that a virgin shall conceive, but more exactly and literally the virgin conceives (is pregnant) and bears a son.28 She retains her virginity while conceiving and bearing her offspring.29
A further singularity of this birth is that it will be the woman who names the child. This is a confirmation of the presumption that the text indicates a virginal conception. The name of course is highly symbolic: Emmanuel, "God-with-us." It indicates God's omnipotent and subsequent deliverance.30 Therefore virginity will be the sign of the ultimate security of the House of David and the deliverance of the people to come.
St. Luke 1:27-38: (27)...and the virgin's name was Mary. (28) And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women....(30) And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. (31) Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus....(34) And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? (35)...the power of the most High shall overshadow thee....(37) Because no word shall be impossible with God. (38) And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
This episode is of course the fulfillment of the prophecies. The conflict foretold in the protoevangelium is to be accomplished by the dominion of this Child, and the House of David is stabilized forever.31 God's promises have been fulfilled.
The Annunciation is the moment when God enters the world Personally. Mary of Nazareth holds both a spousal and a maternal relation to the Divine Word. It is her virginity which allows for both. In her response to the message of the angel she is perfectly and stainlessly faithful. Her supreme docility and reception of the Word puts her in a spousal relation to the Divine Logos. Thus she is the New Eve.
Her Divine Maternity of course brings it about that she also possesses a maternal relation to the Divine Word in His Incarnation. By her fiat she enters into the Hypostatic Order by sharing in the Unique Filiation of the Divine Son. She does not generate the Son in His Person; but the Son born to her is God. Thus she is the Theotokos, the Mother of God.
It is her personal virginity which is the juncture of this new state of virginal-maternity and spousal-virginity. Her personal virginity, as stated in Isaiah, was to be the sign for the coming Child, Emmanuel, Who would bring deliverance. I speak of her personal virginity because this is the identification given by the angel.
When the angel greets the Blessed Virgin Mary he salutes her as κέχαριτωμένη (kécharitôménê). This term is fascinating as it is addressed to her as a personal name. In the Hail Mary we are so used to the term "Mary" as part of the salutation that we forget that it is not actually in the sacred text; rather this other term is used in its place. This single word is what is translated by the phrase, "full of grace." Let us examine its meaning.
Kέχαριτωμένη ( kécharitôménê ) indicates Mary's perfected holiness. It is a form (past perfect participial) of the very rare Greek verb charitoun. It is present only twice in the New Testament: here, and in Ephesians 1:6.32 Both times that it is used the causative form of the verb is employed: it signifies an action which effects something in the object. This verb then indicates that an effect is made in the person or the thing affected. The radical of this verb is of course charis (grace). The verb thus expresses that a change is brought about by grace.
In Ephesians 1:6 it is the Christian population which has been touched and changed by grace. In St. Luke 28 the term is unique in all of Scripture; it is used as her proper name. Its form is the perfect passive participle of the verb. This indicates that transformation has already taken place in Mary. Before the moment of the Annunciation she has already been transformed by grace. She is thus personally "the-one-who-has-received-and-already-been-transformed-by-grace."
The Blessed Virgin Mary had been transformed by grace because she had been sanctified by grace. She had been purified in advance of even the Incarnation. It is God Who had prepared Mary for the Incarnation by inspiring in her the desire of virginity (v. 34). This desire of Our Lady was then for her a result of her personal transforming grace. For this reason St. Bernard has spoken of the "grace of her virginity."
As this woman is saluted in such a manner we can conclude that it is her sanctified and transformed virginity which disposes her to her vocation of maternal-spouse of God.33 Her virginity opens her wholly and unconditionally toward God. It permits the most complete, loving, and mutual surrender between her and the Divine Word, Who in turn gives Himself in the Redemptive Incarnation.34 It is thus that she has come to be known simply as "The Virgin." It is her personal identification.
The Celibacy of the Redemptive Priesthood
By his celibacy the priest is fittingly disposed to act in persona Christi. His chastity is directly related to the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
The Church has always had great reverence for consecrated celibacy, consecrated that is for the Kingdom of Heaven.35 The chastity of the priest, however, is different from that of the laity. While both have been honored since the earliest days of the Church, celibacy has always been the ideal of the priest. It has never been the ideal of the layman. Consecrated celibacy is based on Matthew 19 and is further taught to avail the following: 1) detachment from the things of this world; 2) the freedom to follow Our Lord; 3) anticipation of the imminent Day of Judgment; and 4) an example of the eschatological life.36
The chastity of the priest on the other hand is Marian. It includes the reason found in Our Lord's teaching in the Gospel, but it is furthermore messianic. While the religious celibacy of the counsels is directly eschatological,37 the celibacy of the priest is directly, and firstly, ordered to making Christ present in the world. Only secondarily is it an eschatological sign.
The Church in the earliest centuries did not refuse to ordain married men, but they were to abstain from conjugal relations once they had been ordained.38 They remained married, but now wed to the Church, they no longer continued in a conjugal life with their wives. In some instances the women themselves entered the consecrated life of celibacy and in others they continued to live with their husbands, but in a celibate relation. Ordination was therefore only possible with the permission of the wife.
This practice was held to date back to the Apostles. One of our first references to it is from June 16, 390, at a regional council in Carthage. There are other later references but this one shall do for our purposes.39
The council speaks about an even earlier meeting where the rule of continence and chastity had been discussed. It gives now the reason for the insistence on continence. It is because of their consecration that the ministers are under the obligation to observe chastity. It is because they are in the service of the divine Sacraments that they must observe perfect continence. Their chastity is given as the foundation for their prayers to be heard at the altar of God. Those who serve the altar are to keep perfect purity. It is clear from the text that priestly celibacy is due to the holiness of the Sacred Mysteries. Marriage is not condemned, but it is seen as preventing the proper carrying out of the priestly intercessory office.40
The intervention of Bishop Genethlius ends beautifully:
What the apostles taught and what antiquity itself observed, let us also endeavor to keep.–What the apostles taught and what antiquity itself observed, let us also endeavor to keep.–
The Virginity of the Mother of God is presented as one of the key prophecies of the Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 entails the preservation of the House of David, the messianic branch, and presents the "virgin" as conceiving and naming Emmanuel. This virginity is both a preparation and the occasion of the presence of "God with us." The Catholic priesthood is likewise messianic. It makes Christ present, "God with us," both personally through the Sacrament of Holy Orders41 and substantially through the confection of the Sacraments, especially that of the Holy Eucharist.
The Eucharistic, Marian, Celibate Catholic Priesthood
Lastly, it can be noted that when listing the kings of Judah in the books of Kings, the mothers of these kings are also listed;42 this is not done with the kings of Israel. The line of David has a special relation with the mothers. We have looked closely at the special and unique name of the last of the mothers in the line of David. Can we not say that this itself is a prophetic action intended ultimately to highlight the position of Mary of Nazareth: true mother of the true Son of David? The Messiah is intimately connected with the Woman through whom He entered the world. He is made present through her. The presence of Christ continues to be manifested through His Priesthood. This priesthood is therefore intimately connected with the office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which it resembles in this.
The forms of chastity in the Church are different. All are held to practice virtue, but not all are required to keep the fullness of it in a celibate life. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the exemplar for all. Her chastity is perfect, untarnished, and virginal. This virginity is directly related to the Messianic promises. The vows which consecrate the religious life are derived from the teachings of Our Lord. This celibacy is grounded on His counsels. But the celibacy of the priest is not the same as that of the religious state, it is higher.
The priest's chastity is directly related to the Sacred Mysteries, especially the Eucharist, of which he is guardian and dispenser. As with the Blessed Virgin Mary, this chastity is centered on the Presence of Christ; for her the Incarnation, for him the Sacraments. For this reason the state of chastity of the priest is higher, and more exigent, than that of the consecrated religious. The religious makes his vows in order to follow personally the counsels of Christ. The apostolic benefit is secondary. The religious seeks first his perfection and then that of his neighbor. The priest, however, is celibate because he is consecrated to the Divine Mysteries. This consecration is for the life of the Church and is necessarily apostolic. His celibacy is for others. The priest must seek firstly to present Christ to the world for the sanctification of his neighbor. His personal perfection is an effect of his priestly consecration and fidelity in the apostolate. It is not the first reason for one to become a priest. A man becomes a religious for himself. A man becomes a priest for others. Thus it is that the bishop, who possesses the fullness of the priesthood, is no longer considered bound firstly by his vows but by his episcopal state.
The priesthood excels the state of perfection of the vows. Outwardly they may have many similarities, but essentially they are quite different. They are two different states of life and two different vocations. The religious state is hidden by definition, though it may be public by its apostolate. The priesthood is public by definition, though a priest may be hidden by his apostolate. The priesthood is in the world for its sanctification. This is its resemblance to the Blessed Mother of God: a married woman living in the world, though obviously "not of it." She was virgin for the Incarnation, not because this was a sanctifying state. Her sanctity moved her to virginity, virginity prepared her for the Incarnation. Her celibacy was for the world's redemption. The priesthood's celibacy is also for the world. Both make Christ present in the world.
St. Paul even gives his celibate state as an example to be imitated, and then he speaks of consecrated virginity. He does not make reference first to the religious vows and the state of perfection as the model, but to his apostolate as an example.43 The Christian priesthood is thus celibate and Marian; it is Christic in its reality and purpose.
Both the Virginity of Mary and the consecrated celibacy of the priesthood center on the Sacrifice of the Cross. It can be said that the celibacy of the Christian priesthood is for this reason also profoundly Marian. She is an exemplar of the singular devotedness required in the priest. She is also the example of the perfect detachment and purity which must be present in the man who makes Christ present among those of his generation. For these reasons the Orthodox are wrong when they oppose obligatory priestly celibacy as confusing two states in life: the monastic and the ecclesiastical. It is not a confusion of states, a type of overlapping; the celibacy of the one is essentially different from that of the other. But even among the Orthodox, the faithful will seek out a celibate when they desire spiritual direction. It is a logical sentiment.
During the crisis now afflicting the Church of God, celibacy is attacked. Certainly there is in this an attack against the virtue of chastity, but its main cause is an ignorance and lack of faith in the Eucharist. Because people do not know or understand the sublimity of the Christian Mysteries they cannot fathom why the ministers of these same Mysteries must be separated from the world of family and relations. No one need be celibate to preside over an assembly. Therefore, it can be said that the reform of the Liturgy has been a major cause of this hostility, at least indirectly. Only when the sense of the sacred is restored will we see an appreciation of priestly celibacy return. To the degree that the Sacraments, and especially the Eucharist, are properly respected, treasured, and taught to the faithful, the greater will be the appreciation of the celibacy of the priesthood.
It can be stated, furthermore, that insofar as the Sacrificial Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is acknowledged and honored–the purpose and goal of the redemptive Incarnation–so will the Virginity of Mary and the celibacy of the priesthood be honored. This highlights the importance of teaching clearly the primacy of the Sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist. There can often be an excessive emphasis placed on the Presence while the Sacrifice is eclipsed. After all, Our Lord is substantially present in order to make present His Sacrifice. He does not re-present His Sacrifice in order to be substantially present.
Thus we can conclude, the crisis in the celibacy of the priesthood and the languishing state of devotion to the Blessed Virgin are not the first problems to be resolved; they are symptomatic of the loss of faith in the Holy Eucharist. To the degree that devotion to the Divine Sacrifice is restored so too will be restored the devotion to the Virgin Mother of God and the celibate state of the Catholic priesthood.
Fr. James Doran was ordained for the Society of Saint Pius X in 1988 and is currently the prior of St. Francis de Sales Priory in Geneva, Switzerland. He is the former vice-rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary (Winona, Minnesota) and editor emeritus of Angelus Press.
1 This was at the end of the fourth century during the pontificate of St. Damasus.
2 Avital Wohlmann, as quoted in Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, by Ignace de la Potterie, S.J. (New York: Alba House, 1992), p. xviii.
3 Cf. Mathias Scheeben, Mariology (New York: B. Herder Book Co., 1946).
4 Cf. Mt. 19:11,12 and I Cor. 7:25-40.
5 Sess. 29, Canon 10.
6 The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 15 (New York: The Encyclopedia Press, Inc, 1913), s.v. "Virginity."
7 Apoc. 14:4.
8 There are halos, or robes of glory, which surround certain select souls in heaven. This added glory highlights special aspects of sanctity in these individuals: martyrdom, virginity, or teaching.
9 Suppl. Q. 96.
10 Lateran I, A.D. 649 . St. Martin I: "If anyone does not, in accord with the holy Fathers, acknowledge the holy, ever virgin and immaculate Mary as really and truly the Mother of God, inasmuch as she, in the fullness of time, and without seed, conceived by the Holy Ghost of God the Word Himself, who before all time was born of God the Father, and without loss of integrity brought Him forth, and after His birth preserved her virginity inviolate; let him be anathema." As quoted in Fundamentals of Mariology by Juniper B. Carol, O.F.M. (New York, Benziger Brothers, Inc., 1956), p. 143. Paul IV's Cum Quorundan, August 7, 1555. And of course, the Nicaean and the Apostles' Creeds: "who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary."
11 This is the meaning behind the mysterious use of the term "Woman" by Our Lord when referring to His Mother both at Cana and at Calvary. It is reference to her position as the New Eve, or the Woman, of the prophecies. By beginning His ministry at Cana, and by His Redemptive Death on Calvary, her relation to Him was forever, and profoundly, changed.
12 Carol, Fundamentals of Mariology, pp. 28-29.
13 That this is the actual wording of St. Jerome himself, or a gloss, is itself debated.
14 Dom Bernard Orchard, ed., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1951), pp. 186, 144c.
15 Ibid., pp. 187, 145d. Adam and Eve are the human race at this moment in time.
16 Mt. 1:23.
17 IV Kings 8:19.
18 These verses describe the "Child born to us, and the son given to us."
19 These verses describe both the origin and the strength of the "flower" which comes from out of the "root of Jesse."
20 Is. 7:3.
[Emphasis - The Catacombs]