(Sent by a netfriend: although the author is self-taught, not an accredited scholar, I'm including this because of the importance of the subject. Rowland Croucher May 1, 2009).

Since American Catholics first became aware of sex abuse allegations surrounding our priesthood a plethora of books have appeared, most of which question or challenge the efficacy of celibacy and are appalled by the great harm done to our young. This concern had resulted in loss of trust by many average Catholics. Because of this hurt and concern a large majority of Catholics now question the efficacy and origins of mandatory celibacy which is described by apologists as an ancient discipline, a discipline first begun by the Apostles. However, as many Catholics now know, this belief is incorrect. In the beginning all Apostles (priests) were married and most priests remained married for more than a millennium. It is the origin of this discipline, its consequences, and the question of Vatican authority to mandate such a change from our original beliefs that Illicit Celibacy and the Deposit of Faith investigates.

Our first tradition as a Jewish sect, before gentiles were admitted, was based upon Jewish law that commanded marriage for all Christians, including priests and popes. Christianity continued this tradition; St. Peter was a married man who some believe fathered a daughter after the death of Jesus. Today one such as St. Peter is denied priestly ordination; he would be forced to choose between the Sacraments of marriage and the priesthood, both of which he could have received from Jesus. What authority does the Church posses allowing it to deny any of the seven Sacraments which were established by Jesus and taught by the Apostles?

Beginning as a Jewish sect, when all priests were commanded to marry, this book traces the origins of our first Christian priesthood and later developments which led to the imposition of celibacy laws, laws designed to create an all male celibate caste, a priesthood to be set apart from ordinary Christians.

This book examines the near implosion of our priesthood by 1139 AD when celibacy laws were instituted, laws which forever foreclosed priestly marriage for Latin Rite priests. It then goes back to the beginning and traces historical events leading to this change and resulting consequences to the Church over the past 900 years. Finally, infallible declarations from Ecumenical Councils are examined; infallible declarations that are claimed to be rendered null and void by this required vow of celibacy, a vow prohibiting Sacramental marriage for priests as was allowed in the Deposit of Faith. A vow made to man, not to God. This required vow is alleged to be an illicit “doctrinal impediment.”

When one challenges papal authority it is a daunting chore. Today Catholics are besieged with many newly proposed heterodox beliefs advanced by those who would change our history and first traditions. Has the Church done the same, is it even aware of this alleged error, or is this author guilty of affronting legitimate Church teachings handed down from the beginning? But, if these allegations prove to be true, what are the consequences for infallible Church declarations? Readers will be forced to arrive at their own conclusions.

The author bases his conclusions on 30 of years study into Catholic history, tradition, and scripture, all of which he believes supports his position. His conclusions are supported by credentialed Catholic scholars. The author believes a majority of independent Catholic scholars and theologians will agree with this historical and theological presentation of an ancient error which now threatens the Church.

Edgar Davie

DavieBooks[at]Gmail.com

*****

This book is written by a 75 year old layman who has quietly read ancient literature, scripture, and Dogmatic Catholic theology for 30 years, and explains this heresy both historically and theologically. Unknown authors without credentials get little notice. My intriguiging problem seems to be that life-long Catholic scholars are taught to 'think in the box' and have therefore failed to see an error lying in plain view for 900 years. Because this story develops over 2000 years it cannot be reduced to soundbytes. It's really a simple story but must be read.

Edgar Davie

PS: The website is http://www.illicitcelibacy.com and also contains a theological summary.

*****

The Origin Of Child Sex Abuse By Roman Catholic Priests

The Roman Catholic Church is unique and different among all Christian denomination on earth. This unique difference stems from ancient teachings proclaiming Catholicism alone is Divinely anointed to infallibly teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These teachings are to be obeyed Catholics under penalty of mortal sin and condemnation. No other Christian denomination has ever asserted such Divine supremacy, upon which Catholic teaching authority is ultimately based. Should this claim of infallibility be disproved all Catholic teaching authority would collapse.

Today our Catholic Church is also the only Christian denomination suffering world wide scandals arising from pederastic sex abuse by our priests and bishops – it is also the only Church that forbids priests to marry – both of these scandals are now revealed to originate with illicit Church laws denying priestly marriage. Shrouded in a time when all papal edicts were believed infallible, laws forbidding priestly marriage were enacted to gain control over a failing priesthood, a time when all papal edicts were considered to be unchallengeable. Today this ancient papal edict has produced great numbers of sexually dysfunctional priests, resulting in today’s child sex abuse scandal. This scandal is not new, it has repeatedly occurred in Catholic history since mandatory celibacy for priests was first unsuccessfully attempted in 306AD. An account of this ancient story has not before been presented in Catholic literature by one who claims to be a dogmatically faithful Catholic.

How could this story have gone either unrecognized or unacknowledged by Catholic scholars for 900 years? This unacknowledged Church error forbidding priestly marriage is illegitimate, changing the doctrine of Sacramental Matrimony (marriage) as it was taught by Christ – and must therefore be declared heretical – as required in canonical Catholic theology. If this ancient law is illicit, as now alleged, it threatens to disprove Church claims of infallibility along with control over independent Catholic thought. To understand this scandal one must examine the history and reasons for imposing such a law.

Celibacy and Pederasty Begin

Jesus personally selected His apostles and disciples and all were married. Jesus also forbade His priests to abandon their wives but did allow later priests to remain unmarried should they freely choose to do so. Christ required no priest renounce marriage in order to serve Him – this was Jesus’ doctrine of Holy Matrimony. But, today His doctrine has been changed – St. Peter could not become a priest. What brought about this change?

Only during the second century does history reveal Hellenistic converts who had originally followed the non-Christian Gnostic belief that only celibate priests were capable of communing directly with God do we find the entrance of celibate priests, and with them came pederasty and misogyny. Ancient Christian texts, written before the New Testament, addressed the problem of pederasty among celibate converts, stating, “Thou shall not seduce boys.” St. Ignatius of Antioch, a follower of Apostle St. John, expressed grave concerns about the efficacy of celibate priests in 108AD; the Council of Elvira in Spain attempted to mandate celibacy in 306AD but was also aware of this problem, stating, “To defilers of boys, communion is not to be given, even at death.” By 1049AD the priesthood was imploding as a result of failed attempts to force celibacy upon the priesthood. Some priests were forced to live covertly with their wives to prevent them being sold into slavery. By then debauchery among celibates was so rampant St. Peter Damian pleaded with Pope Leo IX to defrock the increasing numbers of priests who were having “incestuous relations with their spiritual children.” The pope refused.

By 1139AD unsuccessful attempts to universally institute mandatory celibacy had failed since no legitimate theological warrant existed for such a change from Jesus’ doctrine. Previous unsuccessful Church attempts to deny priestly marriage were efforts to prevent priests from willing Church properties to their family. In order to stem this loss of Church wealth across the vast Christian empire Pope Innocent II, ignoring Jesus’ doctrine of marriage, illicitly instituted the first universally successful law imposing celibacy. By this time in the Middle Ages no Christian dared challenge such papal edicts. With total control over priests, their lands, and their income from the sale of Sacraments, popes could exert influence over European rulers through control of their Catholic populace. Only later would newly promulgated Church Dogmas that were correctly based on Christ’s teaching unknowingly provide proof of this heresy. Today this ancient injustice is again decimating our pseudo-celibate priesthood.

Unintended Consequences of Infallible Declarations.

Responding to challenges by the Reformers four centuries later the Council of Trent issued divine, unchangeable Dogmas, correctly declaring that all Sacraments, including marriage, were instituted by Jesus and are therefore immutable. Dissenters were to be condemned as heretics. No one seemed to notice that with this decree all previous papal changes were also heretical. Again celibacy remained.

The papal heresy of changing Jesus’ doctrine of Matrimony was again clearly revealed by Vatican Council I in 1870AD with its declaration of ex cathedra papal infallibility. More importantly, it was also infallibly declared that Church infallibility itself has strict limitations, and that successors of St. Peter can neither change the teachings of Jesus nor add “some new doctrine” not left to us by Jesus. Once more, previous changes in Jesus’ doctrine of Holy Matrimony went unnoticed. Today, this error remains with us and Church authorities continue to deny they have changed Jesus’ infallible doctrine of marriage, a doctrine that permitted both married and celibate priests. Today’s Church doctrine of marriage represents “some new doctrine” not left to us by Jesus –including those illicit doctrinal changes issued prior to this infallible declaration. From these two unchangeable Catholic Dogmas the ancient and illegitimate doctrinal error of mandatory celibacy is now revealed and must therefore be recognized by the Church to be heretical, as the Church defines heretical.

Consequences of Sexually Dysfunctional Priests

In an effort to focus the book on erroneous Catholic teaching, statistical information of priestly child abuse is only mentioned in passing. Most media reports dwell on homosexuality, but pederasty is recognized to be a part of same-sex orientation. Today the Church states, “The percentage of homosexually oriented priests is no higher than in the general public.” But a wealth of information contradicting this claim is available. Challenging this Church statement are studies by The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality and the Center for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics that place the general public’s percentage at only 2-3 percent. However, retired Benedictine priest Fr. Richard Sipe and his clinical associates place the number of homosexually oriented priests and bishops between 30-50 percent, 15-25 times the national average. They also reveal that fifty percent of all priests and bishops continue to be sexually active either heterosexually or homosexually. Only ten percent of priests fully live their vow of chastely. Fr. Sipe spent 30 years treating sexually dysfunctional priests and their victims, all referred to him by Church authorities. He also taught at several seminaries over that time. His research and credentials are impeccable.

During the last twenty years we have lost 25 percent of our priests and the number of parishes without resident priests has increased 200 percent. A study commissioned by the Conference of Catholic Bishops reveals 90 percent of these priests left because of mandatory celibacy. This trend is increasing.

“Clericalism”

Today this term is often used to explain the problem of repeated child abuse by priests. Clerical authority is predicated on infallibility, allowing total authority over theological and societal thought by Catholics. While the term has reemerged with the advent of child abuse it first entered Christianity during the fourth century with admittance of gnostically influenced converts who believed only celibate priests were capable of acting as intermediator between God and humanity. Priests were to be set apart from, and above, the laity who must be satisfied with a lesser level of sanctity. Pray and pay. This also led to a misogynistic strain of theology that demeaned women as being incapable of any official Church function and remains with us today. Along with this misogyny, celibate clericalism brought with it sexually dysfunctional priests.

Today, during priestly formation in our seminaries the superiority of celibate priests continues to be imbued into priestly candidates, along with the conviction that the institutional Church must be protected against scandal at all cost, i.e., the organized Church itself is divine. That Jesus Himself may have remained celibate is of no consequence, He did not force celibacy upon His followers. Defending clericalism one priest/apologist decries, “The danger of giving comfort to dissenters who want a revolution in the Church [that] will allow them to choose their own bishops and pastors and make other important decisions…” (Originally Christians selected their priests and bishops). With this indoctrination we find repeated sex offenders moved from parish to parish and diocese to diocese, even out of the country, all to protect dysfunctional priests, not our children. This problem is so wide spread that detailed comment is unnecessary. Some commentators today believe clericalism is a problem that stands alone, it is not. A celibate and often dysfunctional priesthood is the cause. With such a large percentage of sexually active priests who are known to each other, public secrecy is imperative to their remaining priests. A priesthood of married Fathers would quickly recognize and redress these predators.

NOTE: Catholic definition of Heretic – “One who having professed the faith of Christ corrupts its Doctrine.” For information describing Catholic theological errors presented in the book, Illicit Celibacy and the Deposit of Faith, consult http://www.illicitcelibacy.com.

Edgar Davie DavieBooks[at]Gmail.com