do catholic priests have to be abstinent? Do bishops still exist?
459322
The Catholic faith is one of few if not the only faith where a minister is not allowed to have a wife. I see all of these holier than thou people answering yes, but you should go back and ask them if they have been abstaining. Anstinence is hard if not darn near impossible. Sex is a physiological need. Such as eating, drinking and sleeping. I believe Catholic priests should be allowed to haves. If this change is made I guarantee you the cases of child molestation, which coincidentally involves young boys not females, because they Catholic faith teaches them to abstain from sex with females and hadn't addressed homosexuality, would decrease. The answer to the second question is yes. There are not only bishops in the Catholic faith but other faiths as well such as Baptist, Apostiolic etc.
994294
[insert louche reference to "celibate" clergy and choirboys here]
260126
I most certainly thirecognizee a priesthood Vatican 111 there are so many problems within our church that drasticawomeneed Ironing out 1.Should Priests be allowed to marry I say Yes, this is a man made law not God's\n2.Should a married man be able to be Pope? No because the day to day working load of the pope would take up all 0f his or her time  this also goes for Bishops.\n4. Should we ordain women to the preisthood? Yes we are so drastically short of priests world wide certainly call womwn to be priests\n3 Should the church recognise homosexuals, Yes God made each and everyone of us in his own likeness, People do not PICK TO BE Homosexuals they are truly born this way, we must learn to love respect and welcome them all as friends, I love my Lord and God and do not agree that he would turn his back on these people, Do you know any they are usually nice patient loving souls.
300504
This error you are making is called donatism - the idea that priests have to be perfect.\n\nAnd St. Augustine answered this challenge of yours 1600 years ago.\n\nhttp://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1408.htm
400242
the best explanation i can give is episcopal is described as catholic light. they aren't as strict on their doctrine as the catholics. you don't have to become a catholic to get married in their church but the last time i checked you will have to promise to raise your children catholic. this might of changed since the last time i checked. your best source to get the answer you need is to contact your local catholic church.
941758
Be very careful about "web" priests. Anyone can pretend to be one.\n\nI suggest you walk down to your local parish and have a friendly chat with one in person.\n\nWith love in Christ.
402879
very witty.......\n\ncant understand the whole priest thing myself. its unnatural not to have sex
653832
Catholics use a Bible that has added books that aren't put into a protestant version. Catholics pray to Mother Mary and use rosary which protestants don;t usually. Catholic priests usually can't marry legally and father children. Priests hear the congregations confession. There are many other ones, but this is a start
352964
Most simply - the clue is in the question:\n\nAll Priests are men; and all Priestesses are women. :)\n\nBut seriously, it tends to be only the Roman Catholic Church who ordanes that all of its priests are celibate men.  Anglicans are willing to accept women priests (see the BBC's "Vicar of Dibley").
737381
Yes, most definitely they can.  Ask any Catholic priest.
95486
As a Catholic, it is forbidden. I chose to be a Catholic, so I'm going to obey its laws. Religious reasons aside, sex IS NOT MEANT TO BE A CONTACT SPORT, solely to satisfy sexual urges.This is my opinion only , and I'm sure that there are a lot who are frowning upon my answer to this question.
10967
Yes.  The current ban on marrage for priests stems from when individual priests held important political power in there local communities, and also held the right to land owned by the church.  This power and wealth would often find its way to his wife and children.\n\nToday this is not much of a issue in major christian based faiths.
328792
I think it is possible, but really difficult.\n\nPaul told Christians not to marry if they could avoid it, but I think it was mostly because of the coming persecution.\n\nI don't see any Biblical basis for having a celibate priesthood.  Peter was married.  Jesus healed his wife's mother.  Matthew 8:14
1180487
If priests had been allowed to marry,maybe so many young boys would not have been molested by "some" of the priests.\nIf a priest molests a boy since they are are both males...does that mean the priest is gay? Just a thought... maybe that's why they don't want to marry?
1175022
Well if you're looking to become a priest it might get really complicated. Plus if you were to go to a convent it would get even more confusing. \n\nCatholic priests are not supposed to have a wife and children (no Christian is supposed to divorce, if the priest knows a person has been divorced he can not give them Communion). As for just a part of the basic clergy like an usher or a minister I'm not so sure on the rules but if you're looking to be a priest or have some position like it in the church it's probably not going to happen if you're Catholic.\n\nAs for what you should actually do, I'd say continue on with your basic life with your wife and kids. You can volenteer for lots of stuff at your church since there should be a lot of things going on (this is just from thoughts of my own church) and volenteers are always welcome. So basically I think you can fulfill this "calling" simply by keeping your basic life and just volenteering. I know you're sitting there saying "Wait, this looks too simple." Well in theory it's enough since service to God is a service that He will never forget no matter how much that service is.
801868
no because even when a Priest reaches retirement age he is still a Priest and can still on occasion carry out his Priestly duties, and as there is a chronic shortage in the Priesthood today, more and more of them are still practicing their ministry well into their eighties, celibacy is for the whole life of the Catholic Priest.
437717
Celibacy and abstinance.