“Celibacy” is a curious word. Etymologically, it is derived from Latin words. The primary word is “caelebs” which means unmarried and, related to it, “caelibatus” meaning the state of being unmarried.
However, it also later came to be associated with the notion of abstention from sexual relations—probably because at that time it was presumed that only within marriage were sexual relations appropriate.
This led to celibacy being identified with chastity or the state of being chaste, words derived from the Latin adjective “castus” meaning to be clean, pure, or chaste.
The main Gospel reference to celibacy in the teachings of Jesus is Matthew, 19:11-12:
The disciples said to him, “If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is advisable not to marry.” But he replied, “It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is given. There are eunuchs born so from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by human agency and there are eunuchs who made themselves so for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
A eunuch is a castrated man. In some cultures (e.g. the Roman empire) a eunuch was a man of trust not only in the sense that, if he were a harem guard, he wouldn’t take advantage of the women in his care but also that, if he were a military leader, he wouldn’t seek the throne for his progeny.
Jesus himself, of course, was no eunuch; as a matter of fact, he never married, although he certainly was a man who loved and was deeply loved.
Jesus spoke of an ideal of men committing themselves, as though they were eunuchs, to the service of the kingdom of God, and his life displayed this kind of generosity and strength of purpose.
The selflessness of the eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven is above all their renunciation of their giving themselves entirely to self-aggrandizement and that of their family—the renunciation of progeny, and, consequently, of seeking prosperity, prestige, privilege, and power for them.
For the first centuries of Christianity and while it was established as the imperial state religion, its officials, its deacons, priests, and bishops, were not necessarily required to be celibate men at all.
It was years later that the Western church, not the Eastern churches, gradually restricted the selection of all clergy from among men vowed to a life of celibacy.
There were many other influences that led to this development—especially martyrdom, radical renunciation (e.g., the desert ascetics), the development of monasticism and later religious life, and, it must be confessed, concern for the control of church property that might be contested by heirs.
Even though the Western or Roman Catholic Church adopted clerical celibacy as a matter of canon law, its practice and discipline can change, has changed occasionally, and may continue to change more in the future.
For instance, already in the post-Vatican II church, by way of exception, there are married priests of other Christian churches who have been accepted into the Roman Catholic church and remain married.
Presently the tradition is being critically examined, and there probably will be other even more extensive changes in the future.
27 February 2022
[See also the reflection, The Obligation of Celibacy, and the article, How Priests Came to Be Celibate: An Oversimplification]