The Case for Clerical Celibacy: Its Historical Development and Theological Foundations

In order to arrive at a correct understanding of the much discussed topic of clerical celibacy, this book clarifies the pertinent facts and the discipline found within the Church from its beginnings until the present time, and explores the theological reasons for celibacy. Cardinal Stickler begins with a discussion of the relevant sources and current scholarship to support his conclusions. To understand the historical development of celibacy in the Western and Eastern Churches, this study begins with an analysis of the actual concept of clerical celibacy, providing an outline of the method which a proper treatment of this argument demands, as well as the theological presuppositions and foundations of celibacy.