why no married priests

[mckitterick]

Some interesting things about priests:

1) Apparently, once upon a time, priests would build power and pass it down to their children. This is why the church instituted the celibacy rule. EDIT: Actually, like most things, it's more complicated than that. See comments below.

2) For 1200 years, women priests were part of the Catholic Church. Not sure why they outlawed that one.

3) "An unjust law is no law at all." - St. Augustine.


Click the image to go to the Up to Date story.

Just some notes from the current Up to Date show on NPR.

Best,
Chris

Comments

[auroraceleste.livejournal.com]

I think the danger involved to the woman had something to do with it, too. Although, for the longest time, the church defined pregnancy as "quickening", when the mother could feel the baby move. Abortion was only abortion, and miscarriage only miscarriage, after the baby could be felt (around month 4-5). That made miscarriages less devastating for women who, by society's standards, were only alive to produce babies and had troubles doing it.

[chernobylred.livejournal.com]

That made miscarriages less devastating for women who, by society's standards, were only alive to produce babies and had troubles doing it.

How very generous of them.

Seriously, though, that's fascinating. I'd never heard that before.

[auroraceleste.livejournal.com]

It's St. Augustine. I'll look up the reference after finals if you remind me.

[chernobylred.livejournal.com]

Nah, that's ok. It's one of those things that's nice to go "huh!" over, but I don't want the depression/simmering irritation that goes along with researching it in depth. =D

[auroraceleste.livejournal.com]

One of the most interesting aspects is that until it was changed in the Victorian era, this ruling gave the woman the power to decide what was an abortion and what was not. After all, from conception until about month 7 only a woman could define whether or not the baby inside her womb had "quickened". It was only when male Victorian doctors decided they could tell conception from a heartbeat that things were changed.