Men of God
In the beginning, when the world was unpopulated, humankind was urged to “go forth and multiply.” So God equipped man with the necessary tools to satisfy that end. Woman was structured to submit to her husband, to be the receptacle of his libido, to gratify his sexual passions, and thus fulfill the divine plan of procreation.
As an instrument of motivation, God endowed man with raging hormones, to enhance his fervor and desire for the act of lovemaking. Hence, men are innately wired morphologically as well as physiologically to ensure that the principal reason of his being would be satisfied.
We can thus say that man is an entity with a predilection for sexual fulfillment blueprinted into his psychological makeup. As man matured, he became aware of the great responsibility in the use of his tool for reasons other than pleasure. Consequently, his choices became more civilized, so that he has attempted to use his passions in a way befitting a man of culture.
However, still innate in him is his need for the release and fulfillment of his psychic energies. This remains part and parcel of his nature, so that denying him a basic necessity by imposing on him a state of celibacy can be perceived as cruel and inhuman, for it goes against his God-given nature. The rite of ordination into the priesthood does not in any way remove or diminish this human need, and a reliance on his ability to squelch his passions as a form of sacrifice would be unrealistic for most. A more humanistic approach, it seems, is the castration of those ordained, so that a sexless life becomes attainable without the agony attendant to a life of celibacy. But morally speaking, this is unthinkable for it is likewise an act against nature.
I am in no way condoning the acts of members of the clergy accused of various sexual crimes. Indeed, these acts have to be addressed—and punished accordingly. But there is a possibility that some cases have to be tempered with understanding and empathy, for the condition imposed on them by an unenlightened hierarchy has forced them to resort to acts unbefitting men of the cloth. In such cases, the torment of guilt becomes punishment in itself and would prove more agonizing than any other form of chastisement.
I suspect that most, if not all, of God’s ordained have in some way or another relieved themselves of the burden of their sexual tensions by their lonesome selves, or otherwise.
Oftentimes much is asked of man in the name of God. But God is aware of man’s limitations and because of God’s love for him, he does not ask much if much is not within man’s power to give. My God is patient and tolerant and does not require suffering as a prerequisite to a privileged place in his kingdom. The emphasis on suffering is no longer credible in our time for it has become a given in everyone’s life, so that a deliberate act to add to the load will be ridiculous and will not serve any purpose other than to make one’s life more miserable.
The Church has ever been very articulate about its stand against homosexuality, birth control, same-sex marriage, and abortion for the reason that these are unnatural and go against God’s law. This stand has the makings of a dogma, absolute and unchangeable. Isn’t it strange, then, that the state of celibacy—which, for me, is in itself a most unnatural condition and, by the same token, a sin against nature because it inhibits the functioning of one of God’s most precious and divine gifts to man—is imposed by the Church on its clergy under a vow of chastity, with its accompanying retributions should the vow be compromised in some way?
Perhaps there are practical reasons for the requirement of celibacy in the religious life. But the repercussions in terms of sexual abuse are becoming more and more evident today, and far outweigh whatever the initial value of its imposition holds. To aggravate the situation, the Church has been very discreet in dealing with the offenders, so that justice is denied to the offended.
The problem needs addressing, and soon, or the Church will lose its credibility (if it hasn’t already) and many of its followers. Indeed, the situation has reached a point where many of the members of the laity are praying that the new Pope will be open to the idea of removing the demand of celibacy for the ordained men of God.
The work of good and dedicated priests is not easy, and for this kind of ministers I pray wholeheartedly that God will give them the grace to pursue their mission according to his divine intentions. I pray that they will not be lured by the sordid attractions of the modern world to a life opposed to what is just and good for humankind. God is good, and I totally trust that he will do whatever is needed for humankind’s happiness and salvation.
Carmelita Roxas Natividad describes herself as a retired mother and active grandmother who likes to write, garden and bake, in that order.
