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Was the first pope married?

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 5:03 pm
by Paidion
Roman Catholics affirm that the apostle Peter was the first pope. However, three of the four gospel writers refer to Peter's mother-in-law:
Matthew 8:14, Mark 1:30, and Luke 4:38. So clearly, Peter was married.

So why do Roman Catholic authorities forbid marriage for priests, bishops, popes, etc.? Do they consider such officials holier, if they refrain from sexual activity? Yet, there is evidence that a large number of popes in history not only had sex, but generated a significant number of offspring.

The Orthodox Church which pre-dated the Roman Catholic Church, has never forbidden marriage for their spiritual leaders.

Any thoughts on this matter?

Re: Was the first pope married?

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2020 7:21 pm
by Homer
Hi Paidion,
So why do Roman Catholic authorities forbid marriage for priests, bishops, popes, etc.? Do they consider such officials holier, if they refrain from sexual activity? Yet, there is evidence that a large number of popes in history not only had sex, but generated a significant number of offspring.
Well, it trickles down. I had a female cousin, much older than I, who was very much a Catholic. I remember when I was a kid hearing her talk favorably about the monsignor who she apparently knew well. When I was grown my older brother told me my cousin was the monsignor's mistress.

Re: Was the first pope married?

Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 1:44 pm
by steve7150
So why do Roman Catholic authorities forbid marriage for priests, bishops, popes, etc.? Do they consider such officials holier, if they refrain from sexual activity? Yet, there is evidence that a large number of popes in history not only had sex, but generated a significant number of offspring.




Refraining from sexual activity doesn't make you holier in of itself as long as the sexual activity is in the context of marriage. The RCC definitively prohibited Priests from marrying in 1139 at the Second Lateran Council.
Perhaps the RCC thought that celibacy gave the impression of being holier & married in effect to God or the Church. There were earlier religions that may have forbade their priests from marriage like the Druids & Aztecs and the RCC was not above borrowing rituals from other religions like the timing of Christmas.

This tradition of celibacy has certainly come back to bite the RCC where it hurts.