The Financial Benefit of Clerical Celibacy

Since Pope Francis, unlike his predecessors, seems to be allowing a real discussion of the possibility of a non-celibate priesthood, many are considering the practical consequences of married priests.

Some have felt that the Church was hanging onto celibacy simply because it has had a deep-seated tendency, in spite of its protests to the contrary,  to consider sex as evil. And in fact, such maybe the case considering the Church's irrational position on the use of contraceptives. Their position on contraceptives makes sense only if one argues that sex in and of itself is wrong, unless it is directed toward procreation. In other words, sex without the possibility of procreation is evil.

Granted that Catholicism, or at least institutional Catholicism, is nervous about human sexuality, there may be another factor, according to some,  in the priestly celibacy issue.

And it has little to do with sex itself.

It is, they speculate, about money. Most Catholic priests could not afford to be married and raise a family on what they are paid at the present time. The Church, to its credit,  has been an advocate of a "fair wage," and would therefore have to increase the salary of married priests in order for them to support a spouse and raise a family.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. the 2011 median salary for for US clergy was $48,490 per year. On the other hand, the median salary for Catholic priests was $33,100.* At that rate, a dedicated married priest may find himself applying for food stamps.

The question then becomes: can the Catholic Church in the United States afford married priests? Of course, it can; but it may choose not to do so. It has become so fascinated with flexing it's political muscle that it may be reluctant to divert some of that campaign money to its priests.

Parish priests are the face of the Church for most Catholics. Those priests are the ones who serve the needs of their congregations. They make Catholicism work. Certainly the Church could invest more of its assets in its clergy, married or not. The priests deserve better.

Let's hope that the leaders of the Catholic Church are not clinging to celibacy merely in an effort to save money.   

*as reported on "Chron" Houston Chronicle, Dana Severson.