# so, why can't priests marry? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2000, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826 "2000-10-05T18:57:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826/21 "2000-10-07T05:55:06Z")
I find it difficult to find fault in the idea of a celebate clergy. I think my feelings on this have something to do with natural selection. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826/22 "2000-10-07T06:07:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Any person may, in cases of emergency, validly confer the sacrament of baptism. _Anyone???_ Could I, as a non-Christian, presumably reading from the appropriate book, administer this rite? I don’t see how this would be meaningful. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826/23 "2000-10-07T13:51:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunspace \* > Any person may, in cases of emergency, validly confer the sacrament of baptism. \* > > **Anyone???** > > Could I, as a non-Christian, presumably reading from the appropriate book, administer this rite? I don’t see how this would be meaningful. The Code of Canon Law provides as follows: > [@](#): > > Can. 861 §1 The ordinary minister of baptism is a Bishop, a priest or a deacon, without prejudice to the provision of can. 530, n. 1. > > §2 If the ordinary minister is absent or impeded, a catechist or some other person deputed to this office by the local Ordinary, may lawfully confer baptism; indeed, in a case of necessity, any person who has the requisite intention may do so. Pastors of souls, especially parish priests, are to be diligent in ensuring that Christ’s faithful are taught the correct way to baptise. The key is having the requisite intention. If you believe, in other words, that baptism is mumbo-jumbo, then I agree it would not be meaningful and you could not confer the sacrament, since your intent would not be to confer the sacrament, but some other purpose - placating a worried parent’s superstitition in a case of an infant near death, perhaps. - Rick ---
**Author:** ![jamesglewisf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a5b964/32.png) [@jamesglewisf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jamesglewisf)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826/24 "2000-10-07T13:57:06Z")
By the way, as long as a priest can find a woman who wants to marry him, he **can** marry. He just doesn’t have permission from the Catholic church to do so. Therefore, he **may not** marry and remain a priest. He is still able to marry, however. LOL! Just a little English lesson. My grandmother drilled that one into me for years. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826/25 "2000-10-07T15:43:31Z")
James, At the risk of sounding Clintonian, it all depends on what is meant by the word ‘marry.’ A priest cannot marry within the Catholic church without permission from the Pope, as I described above; the sacrament of Holy Orders creates an impediment to the sacrament of marriage. A priest cannot, then, decide on his own to leave the priesthood and marry. Moreover, the sacrament of Holy Orders, once received, creates an indelible mark on the soul - once conferred, it cannot be removed. Of course, a priest could quit the church and obtain a civil marriage if he so chose. But since the context of the OP was marriage within the rules of the Roman Catholic Church, I would contend that even your grandmother would agree that ‘can’ and ‘cannot’ are accurate here, rather than ‘may’ and ‘may not.’ - Rick ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826/26 "2000-10-07T15:43:49Z")
Any old schlum can baptize a baby who is near death. When a cousin of mine almost died from pneumonia last year, all his neonatal nurse had to do was sprinkle some water on him and say “I baptize you in the name of the father, son, holy spirit”, etc. He survived and at his “official” baptism, the nurse was his godmother. I think this was instituted because people find the idea of infant damnation rather disturbing. THe things people believe… _tsk tsk_ ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826/27 "2000-10-07T17:11:48Z")
Regarding infant baptism, one priest summed up the RCC position this way, “The teaching about limbo is sort of in limbo right now.” The RCC does baptize infants, but it is now several months after birth. Parents are required to attend classes and it’s a much bigger deal now and usually done with other babies during a regular Sunday Mass. Exceptions are made of course. I believe I was baptized about 2 weeks after I was born. My nephew and two nieces were all baptized about four months after they were born. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826/28 "2000-10-07T17:42:47Z")
As a devout Episcopalian, I need to interject the point that priests are quite able to marry and carry on with their priestly duties – except in the Roman Rite of the RCC unless they get dispensation to do so. Our rector (=pastor) is married; her husband is her assistant. ---
**Author:** ![Fillet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Fillet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fillet)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826/29 "2000-10-07T18:10:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Donovan \* > \*\ ***Shodan** said: > > To add my little bit to this (be it true or not), I was also told way back when by a history professor (at a Jesuit college) that the church was also losing land to priests who would take land ceded to them by the church and give it to their offspring rather than back to the RCC… \*\* I recall hearing something to this effect, as well (also at a Jesuit-run school). I suspect that something along these lines is closer to the truth, than merely worrying about the priest’s ability to minister to his parish if he has a wife and family. IMHO, a married priest might be better equipped to counsel the married members of his parish if he knew where they were coming from. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826/30 "2000-10-07T18:34:57Z")
> [@](#): > > To add my little bit to this (be it true or not), I was also told way back when by a history professor (at a Jesuit college) that the church was also losing land to priests who would take land ceded to them by the church and give it to their offspring rather than back to the RCC… \*\* Though I’m wondering, why didn’t the Church simply stop ceding land to priests? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-priests-marry/35826.md?page=1)