Does the Bible Teach Priestly Celibacy?
Short answer
The two verses the Catechism cites for priestly celibacy, Matthew 19:12 and 1 Corinthians 7:32, do not mention priests. The Latin Church requires it under canon 277 of the Code of Canon Law and teaches it in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1579.
The Second Vatican Council wrote that celibacy is not demanded by the very nature of the priesthood. In the Eastern Churches, married men can be ordained as deacons and priests (CCC 1580).
Priests of the Latin Church do not marry, and many readers ask whether the Bible requires it. At Find A Prayer, we read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Code of Canon Law and the Second Vatican Council decree on priests beside the New Testament verses people cite.
The answer depends on which Catholic Church you ask about. Other Christian traditions are outside this comparison.
What Church Law Requires of Latin Priests
The Latin Church asks its priests to remain unmarried for life. CCC 1579 says that ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are normally chosen from men of faith who live a celibate life. They also intend to remain celibate "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven." The Catechism calls celibacy a sign of the new life to which the Church's minister is consecrated and says that, accepted with a joyous heart, it "radiantly proclaims the Reign of God." Canon 277 section 1 of the Code of Canon Law turns that practice into an obligation.
It says clerics must observe "perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" and are therefore bound to celibacy, which the canon calls "a special gift of God." The canon gives a purpose: sacred ministers can "adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart" and serve God and humanity more freely. Two more sections of canon 277 deal with daily life. Section 2 tells clerics to act with due prudence toward people whose company could endanger their continence or cause scandal.
Section 3 lets the diocesan bishop set more specific norms and judge particular cases. Preparation starts earlier. Canon 247 section 1 says seminary students are to be prepared to observe celibacy and to honor it as a special gift of God.
Ordination itself is not a right. CCC 1578 says that no one has a right to receive Holy Orders, and that anyone who thinks he recognizes God's call must humbly submit his desire to the authority of the Church.
What the Bible Says About Priestly Celibacy
The Catechism ties two phrases in CCC 1579 to two verses. The phrase "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" points to Matthew 19:12, and the phrase "the affairs of the Lord" points to 1 Corinthians 7:32. Matthew 19:12 speaks of those who "have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake" and ends with an invitation: "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." The verse before it, Matthew 19:11, has Jesus saying that "All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given." The Gospel text offers celibacy to those who are able. It does not mention priests.
In 1 Corinthians 7:32 to 35, Paul compares the unmarried and the married. The unmarried "careth for the things that belong to the Lord." The married "careth for the things that are of the world." He closes by saying he wants the reader to "attend upon the Lord without distraction." These verses speak of the unmarried and the married in general terms. They do not mention priests either. Two other passages are cited for the practice of the early Church.
Mark 1:30 mentions Simon's wife's mother, so the Gospel text itself shows that Simon had a wife. 1 Timothy 3:2 says a bishop must be "the husband of one wife," and Titus 1:6 uses the same words for a man who is blameless. The Second Vatican Council cites 1 Timothy 3:2 to 5 and Titus 1:6 in the footnote to its sentence on the practice of the early Church.
What the Second Vatican Council Said About Priests and Celibacy
The Second Vatican Council's decree on priests, Presbyterorum Ordinis, takes up the question in section 16, dated 7 December 1965. It calls perpetual continence for the kingdom of heaven "of great value in a special manner for the priestly life." It also says: "Indeed, it is not demanded by the very nature of the priesthood, as is apparent from the practice of the early Church and from the traditions of the Eastern Churches." The decree then describes the Eastern practice. There, "besides those who with all the bishops, by a gift of grace, choose to observe celibacy, there are also married priests of highest merit." The Council states that it "in no way intends to alter that different discipline which legitimately flourishes in the Eastern Churches." It also urges priests who are married to persevere in their vocation and to keep spending themselves for the flock entrusted to them. On the Latin side, the decree gives a short history in one sentence.
Celibacy "first was recommended to priests," and "later in the Latin Church was imposed upon all who were to be promoted to sacred orders." The Council "again approves and confirms" that legislation. It gives its reasons too. Celibacy lets priests adhere to Christ "with an undivided heart." It is also a sign of the world to come, where in the Council's words the children of the resurrection "neither marry nor take wives."
Married Priests in the Eastern Churches
CCC 1580 describes a different practice in the Eastern Churches that "has long been considered legitimate." Bishops are chosen solely from among celibates, while married men can be ordained as deacons and priests, and "these priests exercise a fruitful ministry within their communities." The same paragraph adds that priestly celibacy is "held in great honor" in the East and that many priests have freely chosen it for the sake of the Kingdom of God. One rule is the same in East and West. A man who has already received the sacrament of Holy Orders can no longer marry.
Our Takeaway on Priestly Celibacy
Priestly celibacy in the Latin Church is a requirement of Church law. The Catechism points to Matthew 19:12 and 1 Corinthians 7:32 for it, and neither verse mentions priests. The Eastern Churches follow a second practice, so the rule is not the same everywhere.
This answer describes Catholic practice only. It would change if the Church changed its discipline, and it says nothing about the practice of Orthodox or Protestant churches.
Who This Page Is Not For
A reader looking for help after abuse or misconduct by a priest will not find it here, because this page covers what the Church requires of priests and says nothing about how misconduct is handled. Our guide on healing from church hurt is a better starting point, and a trusted counselor can help with a specific situation. To study priestly celibacy further, read canon 277 and Presbyterorum Ordinis section 16 in full, and ask your parish priest how your diocese applies them.
Key Bible verses
- For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. — Matthew 19:12
- But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord. — 1 Corinthians 7:32
- But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her. — Mark 1:30
- A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach. — 1 Timothy 3:2
Frequently asked questions
Do priests have to be celibate?
Priests of the Latin Church do, under canon 277 section 1 and CCC 1579. In the Eastern Churches, married men can be ordained as deacons and priests (CCC 1580).
Is priest celibacy biblical?
The Catechism cites Matthew 19:12 and 1 Corinthians 7:32 for it, and neither verse mentions priests.
Can a married man become a Catholic priest?
In the Latin Church, normally not. Canon 1042 lists "a man who has a wife" among those simply impeded from receiving orders, unless he is legitimately destined to the permanent diaconate. Canon 1047 section 2 reserves dispensation from that impediment to the Apostolic See.
Can a Catholic priest get married?
Canon 1087 says that those in sacred orders invalidly attempt marriage. CCC 1580 states that in the East as in the West, a man who has received Holy Orders can no longer marry.
Does a priest who leaves the clerical state stop being bound to celibacy?
Canon 291 says that loss of the clerical state does not entail a dispensation from the obligation of celibacy, which only the Roman Pontiff grants. The canon names one exception, the case of an ordination declared invalid.