Are Catholic Priests allowed to marry?
When a man is ordained to the priesthood he takes a vow of celibacy. This means he does not get married. The celibacy is “for the sake of the kingdom” (1 Cor 7:32). According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, priests are “called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to the Lord and to ‘the affairs of the Lord’, they give themselves entirely to God and to men. Celibacy is a sign of this new life to the service of which the Church’s minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God.” (CCC, 1579) Pope Benedict XVI recently affirmed this in his Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist, Sacramentum Caritatis: “The Synod Fathers wished to emphasize that the ministerial priesthood, through ordination, calls for complete configuration to Christ. While respecting the different practice and tradition of the Eastern Churches, there is a need to reaffirm the profound meaning of priestly celibacy, which is rightly considered a priceless
