Marriage And Ministry
by Bill Gilbert, Ottawa, ON
To a friendly observer such as myself
the continuing refusal of the Roman Catholic leadership to permit
a married priesthood seems both puzzling and destructive. There are
admittedly no decisive theological reasons to deny it. In places it
is strongly endorsed by the laity. In other Christian churches it
has proved to be a commendable lifestyle over time for the majority
of their ordained ministers. It might reverse the serious downturn
in RC priestly vocations of recent years.
One should hasten to add that a married clergy is no panacea. It brings
its own set of problems and issues. If loneliness, alcoholism and
other abuses are problems for a celibate clergy then spousal and familial
neglect are high on the list for the married. It is said that a priest's
work is never done. There is solid truth behind the contention that
celibacy allows the priest to give more of himself to his vocation.
For the married priest the temptation is to give too much of his time
to it.
There are other things to consider on both sides. What is the role
of the spouse? The clergy wife who runs the parish is a well known
character in both fiction and life. Can celibacy be a healthy expectation
for more than a minority who have a legitimate call to priestly ministry?
Now that most non-Roman churches have female clergy practical questions
such as the freedom of bishops to move their priests come to the fore.
Should the church still provide residences for their clergy or housing
allowances so they can buy their own homes? What to do in the occasional
instance when both the husband and wife are priests?
My wife Ann died from cancer a few years ago at age fifty-eight. Her
father had been a parish priest. She did not wish to play any role
in the parish other than that of a regular worshipper and occasional
Sunday School teacher. She considered motherhood to be her primary
calling and she was wise and faithful and loving in living it out.
We raised three children, of whom we were and are proud, and who now
themselves are involved in raising young families. Ann also made significant
contributions to the wider community as a Girl Guide leader and, in
later years, as a life skills trainer in a group home.
Like celibacy the call to marriage and parenthood is a Christian vocation
which I believe should be open to those who are also called to priesthood.
The Rev. Canon Bill Gilbert is a retired priest of the Anglican Diocese
of Ottawa. His ministry included postings as parish priest, diocesan
Christian Education advisor, Director of Programme for the Diocese,
and Public Education Consultant for the Anglican Provincial Synod
of Ontario.
