In his book, Clowning in Rome, the famous priest-psychologist Henri Nouwen, author of about forty books on psycho-spiritual topics, has this to say about the link between celibacy and poverty: “A rich celibate is like a fat sprinter—a contradiction in terms.”
Just as I cannot be fat and paunchy, and expect to be the fastest sprinter, I cannot be rich and claim to be celibate. I can be a rich bachelor or spinster—not a rich celibate. Why?
Jesus did not mention celibacy as a condition for discipleship. In fact, as we know, the one He chose to head his followers was a married man—Peter. Marriage was never mentioned in the New Testament as an obstacle for following Jesus. What was mentioned as the root of all evil—by Paul, in one of his letters to the early Christians—was love of money.
Jesus had said that we cannot serve God and mammon. We cannot be true followers of Jesus if love of money drives us.
The choice of a celibate way of life is not for teaching economics or mathematics, or for writing accounts for the provincial, or being principal or administrator. None of these jobs requires celibacy. If we are recruiting young people mostly or mainly to staff our institutions, and call it “vocation promotion,” it is a huge misnomer.
Joe Mannath SDB
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