Celibacy: a light that illumines the nuptial dimension of the ordained priesthood and of the eucharist

Abstract

This article deals in a Thomistic vein with the practice of celibacy in the Catholic priesthood in the Roman rite. Central to the discussion is the notion of participation. The article argues that celibacy furnishes the means of being configured to the mode of Christ’s priestly existence in a way that is more perfect than that of the married state, albeit other factors can undermine the realization of this possibility in practice. The article ends with appeal to the nuptial imagery employed at Eph. 5:25-27 in depicting the relationship between Christ and His Church, since the priest, inconfecting the Eucharist, is in some way identified with Christ.