‘Celibacy has kept Catholicism green up till now’, wrote Mahatma Gandhi. Celibacy is not required by the nature of the priesthood, it is nevertheless a natural complement to the priestly consecration and a real desire to reciprocate the infinite love of Christ with total human love.
This book brings together in one volume the conviction and experiences of men and women of varied backgrounds. Priestly celibacy is presented under five different and complementary aspects: biblical theological, historical-patristic, topical, medical biological and inculturation.
The valuations and analyses intersect the celibacy questions, as well as the usual common spots that emphasize scandals and infidelities. The convincing argument is “not everyone can accept this”: it is not enough to act priest, one must have the courage to be a priest, being like Christ in order to act like Christ.