So, I recently pointed out:
The Catholic meaning of human sexuality is, if you have sex, you cannot get into the highest tier of heaven. Participation in the creative life-giving power of God makes you ineligible for the highest eternal level of union with God.
An uninformed person replied, "Um. The Church teaches that absolutely nowhere. You shouldn't speak lies or misrepresent doctrine. It just makes you look like a moron.... Scripture does not make the claim you very erroneously ascribe to it. In fact, the height of the spiritual life is the *wedding feast* of the Lamb."
Well, unfortunately for that uninformed person, the Church wrote Scripture, Scripture is inerrant, and the Church absolutely DOES teach in Scripture that virginity is greater.
"...he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better" (1 Cor 7:38)
Or read Rev 14:4:
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
There is also the commentary from the Catholic Encyclopedia on Virginity:
"The Church, following this teaching of St. Paul, has always considered the state of virginity or celibacy preferable in itself to the state of marriage, and the Council of Trent (Sess. XXIV, Can. 10) pronounces an anathema against the opposite doctrine....
This perfect integrity of body, enhanced by a purpose of perpetual chastity, produces a special likeness to Christ, and creates a title to one of the three "aureolæ", which theologians mention. According to the teaching of St. Thomas (Supplement, 96) these "aureolæ" are particular rewards added to the essential happiness of eternity [emphasis added], and are like so many laurel wreaths, crowning three conspicuous victories, and three special points of resemblance to Christ: the victory over the flesh in virginity, the victory over the world in martyrdom, and the victory over the devil in the preaching of the truth. The text of St. John (Revelation 14:1-5) is often understood of virgins, and the canticle which they alone may sing before the throne denotes the "aureola" which is given to them alone. It is most probable that the words in the fourth verse, "These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins", are really spoken of virgins, though there are also other interpretations; perhaps, those who "were purchased from among men, the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb: And in their mouth there was found no lie: (loc. cit., 4, 5) are the martyrs; they are declared to be without spot, as in an earlier chapter (vii, 14); they are said to "have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb".
Then we have the CCC pretty much saying the same thing
1620 Both the sacrament of Matrimony and virginity for the Kingdom of God come from the Lord himself. It is he who gives them meaning and grants them the grace which is indispensable for living them out in conformity with his will.117 Esteem of virginity for the sake of the kingdom118 and the Christian understanding of marriage are inseparable, and they reinforce each other:
Whoever denigrates marriage also diminishes the glory of virginity. Whoever praises it makes virginity more admirable and resplendent. What appears good only in comparison with evil would not be truly good. The most excellent good is something even better than what is admitted to be good.119 [emphasis added]
Footnote 119 references "St. John Chrysostom, De virg. 10,1:PG 48,540; Cf. John Paul II, FC 16".
Look up Familiaris Consortio 16 and you'll see Pope St John Paul II say this:
"Virginity or celibacy, by liberating the human heart in a unique way,[40] "so as to make it burn with greater love for God and all humanity,"[41] bears witness that the Kingdom of God and His justice is that pearl of great price which is preferred to every other value no matter how great, and hence must be sought as the only definitive value. It is for this reason that the Church, throughout her history, has always defended the superiority of this charism to that of marriage, by reason of the wholly singular link which it has with the Kingdom of God.[42]" [emphasis added]
Of course, Pope Pius XII said the same thing in Sacra Virginitas:
24. It is first and foremost for the foregoing reasons that, according to the teaching of the Church, holy virginity surpasses marriage in excellence. ...
49 How true is that saying of Chrysostom: "the root, and the flower, too, of virginity is a crucified life."[74] For virginity, according to Ambrose, is as a sacrificial offering, and the virgin "an oblation of modesty, a victim of chastity."[75] Indeed, St. Methodius, Bishop of Olympus, compares virgins to martyrs,[76] and St. Gregory the Great teaches that perfect chastity substitutes for martyrdom: "Now, though the era of persecution is gone, yet our peace has its martyrdom, because though we bend not the neck to the sword, yet with a spiritual weapon we slay fleshly desires in our hearts."[77] Hence a chastity dedicated to God demands strong and noble souls, souls ready to do battle and conquer "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven."[78]
So, the Church ABSOLUTELY teaches that virginity is better than marriage. A charism and discipline (virginity) is better than a FREAKING SACRAMENT (marriage). The divinizing grace of the sacrament is actually a LESSER grace than that of a mere charismatic discipline. Every one of the seven sacraments impart DIVINIZING grace, the sacraments change our natures so that we can share in the One Divine Nature itself:
460 The Word became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature":"For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God." "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God." "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods." [emphasis added]
See that? The sacraments make men into GODS. That's in the Catechism itself. And paragraph 460 is not a one-off. Check out article 1999. Or 1988. Sacraments allow us to live out the promise of 2 Peter 1:4, they allow us to "partake of the divine nature."
But, the sacrament of marriage - which imparts that incredible divinizing, deifying, GOD-MAKING grace to us, the divinizing grace that makes us into gods, according to the CCC - that sacrament is NOT as wonderful as simply not having sex for the sake of the Kingdom. The charism of a simple discipline is superior to EVERY sacrament except, perhaps, the Eucharist itself. Virginity for the sake of the Kingdom is not a sacrament, but it merits you a greater place in heaven than the consummated sacrament of Holy Matrimony. And if you don't consummate Holy Matrimony, you aren't as "firmly" married as the couple that does consummate marriage. It is far, far easier to get an annulment if you haven't had sex than if you have.
IF the Church be correct, a man or woman need only be baptized and celibate, and his or her place is higher in heaven than anyone who receives six, nay, even all seven sacraments, yet was not celibate.
Physical sex is the great destroyer of crowns, as even Pope St. John Paul II, "Father Theology of the Body", attested, for celibacy is a greater charism than marriage, celibacy is greater even than Holy Orders, if the priest be married, as many Eastern priests are.
And herein is a great mystery, that a married priest, although imago Dei by his ordination, is lower in heaven than a baptized virgin, for he cannot carry the three great crowns that the virgin carries. St Peter is lower in heaven than ALL the other popes who remained celibate their whole lives. Peter, the Rock, upon which the Church is founded, cannot sing the special song reserved for the virgin, who has not "defiled himself with women."
But the mere discipline, the mere charism of celibacy, is, according to the infallible Magisterium, greater than all of the sacraments combined, greater even than reception of the Eucharist, in terms of its ability to lift you to the highest paroxysms of glory.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
4 comments:
"...a married priest, although imago Dei by his ordination, is lower in heaven than a baptized virgin, for he cannot carry the three great crowns that the virgin carries"
Well, he would likely carry the crown of the preaching of the truth (that's what priests do) and could potentially carry the crown of martyrdom. Just not the crown of virginity.
If virginity is greater than marriage, that is because it involves a greater sacrifice. To say "simply not having sex for the sake of the Kingdom" makes light of the difficulty of that sacrifice. It's not all that simple, as we have seen from all the priests and nuns who have abandoned their vocations over the past 50+ years. Not to mention the ones who broke their vows, some even abusing minors. Chastity is difficult, lonely, not an easy cross to bear. That's why it's highly rewarded by God, not as a way to denigrate the Sacrament of Matrimony.
Explain how a DEIFYING sacrament, an event that MAKES YOU A GOD, is less efficacious than a mere charism.
There are many saints who left their vows of marriage to join a convent. Point out a saint who left their vows of perpetual virginity in order to receive the sacrament of marriage and raise a family.
There is no one in the latter category. Creating an image of God who will praise God for all eternity is a debilitating act, when it comes to personal holiness.
Presumably, if a celibate person masturbates, that can be confessed, and the slate wiped clean. But if the celibate person allows penis to enter vagina, that sin can never really be forgiven. That person is no longer celibate, and so can no longer sing the Song of the Lamb.
Again, consecrated virginity is superior to marriage as a state in life in that it is a greater sacrifice. Not because it is greater than the Sacrament of Matrimony. There are married people in heaven: Saints Anne and Joachim, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Aquila and Priscilla, Gregory and Nonna, Isadore and Maria, Vincent and Waldetrudis, Gordianus and Silvia, Louis and Zelie Martin, among others. They also received God's grace and lived holy lives.
The Church has a major holy day - All Saints Day - to recognize all the saints in heaven, including those who are not canonized. The Church herself admits that her list of canonized saints does not constitute a complete census count of the Church Triumphant. Indeed, it is likely but a fraction of heaven's population. So even if one cannot find a canonized saint who abandoned the religious life for the married life, that doesn't mean there are none in heaven.
It would have more to do with the canonization process itself. Religious orders will often promote the cause of a founder or other notable member of the order. They're not going to promote the cause of those who leave the order. Since lay people don't often promote the cause of other lay people, we end up with lots of clergy and religious raised to the honor of the altars, but not so many ordinary lay people. Former religious fall into the latter category.
Again, that doesn't mean that there are none in heaven. The closest I can think of to your requirement were Saints Louis and Zelie Martin. Louis wanted to enter religious life but was rejected because he couldn't learn Latin. Zelie wanted to become a nun but chronic health issues caused the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul to reject her. The couple initially attempted a Josephite marriage, but then Zelie felt called to have children, and their priest convinced them to give up their celibacy. They created numerous images of God who will praise Him for all eternity, including St. Therese of the Child Jesus. Their abandonment of celibacy and acts of procreation were not debilitating when it came to their personal holiness, for now they are themselves saints.
>"But if the celibate person allows penis to enter vagina, that sin can never really be forgiven. That person is no longer celibate, and so can no longer sing the Song of the Lamb."
The Church has never taught that abandoning virginity is an unforgivable sin. Only final impenitence. And your interpretation of Revelations 14 is wanting. The 144,000 are not the only ones in heaven, and even Catholic commentaries point out that they may not be literal virgins.
"Not because it is greater than the Sacrament of Matrimony. "
Sorry, but I have already demonstrated that Holy Scripture and the Magisterium both attest that celibacy *IS* greater than the sacrament of Matrimony.
"So even if one cannot find a canonized saint who abandoned the religious life for the married life, that doesn't mean there are none in heaven."
No person who abandoned the religious life is held up for us as a role model. Several people who abandoned matrimony, abandoned their spouse and children, *ARE* held up as role models. That's what formal canonization does. Formal canonization holds people up as role models.
"The Church has never taught that abandoning virginity is an unforgivable sin."
It is unforgiveable in the sense that the person who does this is eternally barred from the highest level of heaven. That's a simple fact, attested to by inerrant Scripture itself.
There's no way to harmonize this and make marriage look good in comparison to celibacy. Several popes have already said you are wrong.
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