Alright, everyone that reads this blog, with possibly a couple of people, knows of my intention to enter seminary to see if I have a vocation. Part of that includes whether or not I"m supposed to be married. Knowing that I think about this alot, it shouldn't surprise you that I started to work out a problem in my head: is the married priesthood theologically sound. Remember, mine and anyone's feelings on the workability of the idea don't matter, is it theologically sound? Because if it's theologically sound it WILL work, no matter how much you may or may not like it.
First off, what is priesthood? Priesthood is a calling to men who feel that they are called to imitate Christ in the public ministry aspect of His life. The priest's life becomes the go-between of God and the people, in imitation of Christ's actions on the cross and resurrection. The priesthood is the ultimate male calling. The priesthood is for men who wish to embody Christ as much as they're called to.
What is marriage, then? Marriage is a mirror of the inner life of the Trinity, it shows us, in all its workings, what the Inner Life is like, especially in love making. Those wanting to have a taste of what it will be like to be in Heaven take this road.
There are some people (myself included) who think that the married priesthood is a good thing. But people opposed to it bring up the fact that Christ never married, and that that isn't a good imitation of Christ. I disagree profoundly. They ask how can a man be completely married to the church and yet completely married to a woman? It's impossible, it's bigamy! No, it's not. Here's why.
Now Christ isn't married in the physical sense, I'll admit that. He didn't need to be. Think about this. Christ is completely in union with the Trinity, correct? He and the Father and the Spirit are completely One God. No one has ever been closer. But Christ is coming to wed us like a bride! That means He'll be completely in union with us also, it's the same type of union as His union with the Father and Spirit. It's not bigamy, so what is it? Christ destroyed bigamy, He said it could not work, but yet, there He is in two exclusive committments that have a completely different set of "obligations" attached.
But you'll think "But that's completely different. The Trinity is on a completely different level from us!" And thank you for making the rest of my argument for me. A priest called to imitate Christ in that way then has two levels of the same marriage, one level is to the Church and one is to His wife. It's the same thing in the end,he'll be in union with both at the end of time anyway.
"But that isn't practical" comes the next argument. "It could never work" The Resurrection wasn't very practical either. Jeez, why go through all the trouble of reanimating and glorifying dead flesh? More fantastic things than a man being completely dedicated to the Church AND his human wife are accepted as matter of course, but nothing so simple as imitating Christ?
Everything in the Byzantine Catholic Church is done for a reason. Those reasons are always solidly backed theologically, and are there because they must be there. This exists as a viable calling. It's been done for centuries and it can and MUST be done now. Those who say any differently are agreeing with the people who claim that Christianity itself doesn't work in the modern day world. I disagree with both counts. And sooner or later, hopefully by God's grace, I will be living proof of it.
