I applaud Kevin Timms's steadfastness in his ideals concerning priesthood and matrimony. He presents his argument in a clear, effective way and his viewpoint is to be well acknowledged. However, because I disagree with his main points, I could not help but to try my hand at my own argument.

Mr. Timms' key claim is that priests and clergy help their relationship with God thrive by sacrificing the sacrament of marriage. He states that without the priority of spousal and family relationships, clergy can devote all of their attention to what matters most: God and His people. This may be the popular consensus among many staunch believers (especially priests), but I have a hard time believing this claim.

For example, without someone to completely share my life with (someone tangible) I think I would become even more distracted from my life as a servant of God because I would be constantly trying to fight emotional attraction.

Although the clergy who can do this are often seen as admirable for their willpower, I would much rather have someone who was secure in his sexuality as well as his religious beliefs to help me through any kind of holy crisis. Besides, from what I hear, sharing your spiritual beliefs with someone else (especially your husband or wife) doubles the intensity of what you may feel spiritually.

Don't you think it would be nice for these priests to have someone to bounce their homilies off of, get a different perspective on their ideas and belief systems? In a sense, being religious is like writing: I do much better when I have someone else help me to examine it, to help me to explore it from every angle possible.

Truthfully, I feel a marriage would only strengthen my faith in the Lord because I would have that much more for which to be grateful and that much more by which to be amazed. A marriage and a family would help me to remember that God is present in my life every day, and that it is my duty to share that with others.

Along with this (and I know this is clich??), I can't help but wonder how these priests and clergy who are not married handle things like marriage counseling if they have not been blessed with a husband or a wife with which to share experiences. Granted, I have never been to Catholic marriage counseling, but I think I would be much more open to the idea if I could visit with someone who might have already experienced what I was going through, and who could help me from an empathetic point of view.

Think about it: You wouldn't ask advice from a dentist about neurosurgery.

Although he has experienced some sort of medical schooling, it is definitely the wrong type for what you need. Similarly, although priests are capable of unconditional love, they have not been able to take it to the level a married couple might need to discuss. Although you might claim that the level of marriage is not as important as the level of the love of God, that poor married couple still needs to work out their problems, be they domestic, sexual, or whatever. They can quote the Bible and cite miracles all they want, but until those priests have experienced marital problems firsthand, I don't think I could trust them with the intricate problems being in a romantic relationship yields.

I do appreciate the commitment priests and clergy make to the Church and to God. But I also appreciate the idea of multitasking, and the idea that experiences promote understanding, compassion, and a higher form of love. Kevin Timms has it right, but only halfway. Who knows what higher good priests would be able to accomplish if they were permitted to have even more loving, sacred relationships in their lives?

Steph Frey
Senior
English