Skip to main content
I saw a couple things on Facebook that got me thinking today: One of my friends noted that she will have been "with child" for about half the time she's been married. Wow. Someone give her a hand! I mean, help her out! How To Tell You're An Actual Catholic: Your first reaction to this story is, "No way they're artificially contracepting, and that's great!" (Her husband was my neighbor in college; they're quite devout Protestants.) I hope if I am called to marriage that I learn to put my wife's needs before my desires, because there is no selfish sex, properly speaking, and blessings definitely come! Both possible states fill me with unmitigated terror, but I would much prefer the terror shared with a mate than consecrated celibacy terror. Consecrated celibacy terror also comes with the, "I don't even like these people" terror, the "Dude, seriously, more school" terror, and the "Pretty robes, captive audience, and they still ignore me" terror. I have been told I'd be a great addition to the clergy, and this may be true. However, so proud a man as me should be nowhere near a title of any consequence. Moreover, most people who say this must not have heard me say that I need celibacy like I need a hole in my head. Go on, laugh. I'm serious. No one is less equipped for this than me. I think, Catholic Church, that we're so sinful that we often tell every young with actual faith to become a priest, maybe to feel less bad about ourselves. Don't feel too bad; the separated brethren do the same thing to their young men. [But at least we don't require celibacy of ours.--ed.] True enough. But let me be honest here: Looking back on it, I went to seminary as a Protestant on the strength of pride; first, someone else's, then my own. I may well have gifts of preaching or teaching and the like, but that's not enough.
Secondly, I saw a guy that had argued vehemently in defense of the HHS mandate (and abortion) post another adorable picture of a kitty that was likely to meet its doom if we didn't hurry up and adopt him. That's like the 10th one this month. At the risk of snark, this is rich. I love cats. And dogs. And most other creatures. BUT I LOVE PEOPLE infinitely more. As well I (and everybody else) should. Even if people have all kinds of sex in morally dubious circumstances, every life is precious and important. Even if those two people don't see it or care. This is why the "What if the situation is horrible" arguments are stupid: it's always better to exist than not. Duh. This is why suicide is wrong; the value of a life is not subjectively, qualitatively determined. The goodness of a life is not determined by the absence of suffering. If it is, I've had a really, really, bad life. I'm not even special in that; I'm just saying. Cue the Reagan.

Comments

Timothy R. Butler said…
You're editor speaks such wisdom. ;-)
11:46 PM
Jason said…
It is worth noting that the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church is unlikely to change its rules on this, given the theology and practicalities of the case. (And that Eastern Catholic acceptance of married priests is overstated.)
12:50 AM
Timothy R. Butler said…
Eastern Orthodox all the way, my friend. I still say that scandal would be reduced in the church if they eliminated this rule -- good men who simply do not feel called to a celibate life are forced to either ignore a call to ministry or live under a rule they have not been gifted by God to labor under.
6:03 PM
Timothy R. Butler said…
Oh, and I meant "your" in my first post. Autocorrect must have corrected it while I was typing on my iPad and switched it.
6:04 PM
Jason said…
It comforts me to know you were Auto-"corrected," Comrade. There's no good reason to go Eastern Orthodox for me; respectfully, I'm in the Church. Besides, if I sense a call to the priesthood, that call would be much more important than my desires. I'd keep the discipline, even if I personally would change it.
9:44 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Thoughts On The Harrison Butker Commencement Speech

Update: I read the whole thing. I’m sorry, but what a weirdo. I thought you [Tom Darrow, of Denver, CO] made a trenchant case for why lockdowns are bad, and I definitely appreciated it. But a graduation speech is *not* the place for that. Secondly, this is an august event. It always is. I would never address the President of the United States in this manner. Never. Even the previous president, though he deserves it, if anyone does. Thirdly, the affirmations of Catholic identity should be more general. He has no authority to propound with specificity on all matters of great consequence. It has all the hallmarks of a culture war broadside, and again, a layman shouldn’t speak like this. The respect and reverence due the clergy is *always due,* even if they are weak, and outright wrong. We just don’t brush them aside like corrupt Mafia dons, to make a point. Fourthly, I don’t know where anyone gets the idea that the TLM is how God demands to be worshipped. The Church doesn’t teach that. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dear Alyse

 Today, you’re 35. Or at least you would be, in this place. You probably know this, but we’re OK. Not great, but OK. We know you wouldn’t want us moping around and weeping all the time. We try not to. Actually, I guess part of the problem is that you didn’t know how much we loved you. And that you didn’t know how to love yourself. I hope you have gotten to Love by now. Not a place, but fills everything in every way. I’m not Him, but he probably said, “Dear daughter/sister, you have been terribly hard on yourself. Rest now, and be at peace.” Anyway, teaching is going well, and I tell the kids all about you. They all say you are pretty. I usually can keep the boys from saying something gross for a few seconds. Mom and I are going to the game tonight. And like 6 more times, before I go back to South Carolina. I have seen Nicky twice, but I myself haven’t seen your younger kids. Bob took pictures of the day we said goodbye, and we did a family picture at the Abbey. I literally almost a...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Friend I Once Had, And The Dogmatic Principle

 I once had a friend, a dear friend, who helped me with personal care needs in college. Reformed Presbyterian to the core. When I was a Reformed Presbyterian, I visited their church many times. We were close. I still consider his siblings my friends. (And siblings in the Lord.) Nevertheless, when I began to consider the claims of the Catholic Church to be the Church Christ founded, he took me out to breakfast. He implied--but never quite stated--that we would not be brothers, if I sought full communion with the Catholic Church. That came true; a couple years later, I called him on his birthday, as I'd done every year for close to ten of them. He didn't recognize my number, and it was the most strained, awkward phone call I have ever had. We haven't spoken since. We were close enough that I attended the rehearsal dinner for his wedding. His wife's uncle is a Catholic priest. I remember reading a blog post of theirs, that early in their relationship, she told him of the p...
Post a Comment
Read more