10 July 2019

Fr. Patrick Briscoe, O.P., on Priestly Celibacy

"Since the days of Christ's public ministry, when Our Lord conspicuously chose not to marry, the world has looked askance at priestly celibacy. Today, popular tropes routinely cast aspersion on this longstanding discipline of the Western Church, blaming it for everything from the recent clerical abuse scandal to regional scarcities of priestly vocations.

"Disoriented by these accusations, we can forget to reflect on the positive and transcendent reasons why priests in the West remain unmarried, and what their celibate lives say to the world.

"To those afraid of commitment, the priest's life can seem alien, even threatening. His celibacy speaks of total commitment. In a 2015 address to Dartmouth College graduates, New York Times columnist David Brooks urged his audience to make commitments."

In a recent commentary, Father Patrick Briscoe, O.P., reflected on some of the many good reasons for priestly celibacy.

To access Fr Patrick's complete post, please visit:

Aleteia: Fr. Patrick Briscoe, OP: A priest explains celibacy (7 JUL 19)

Editor's note: Myrna and I are parishioners at Saint Pius V Parish, where Fr. Patrick is currently serving.

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