An Oblong Media Unlimited Viewpoint.
At Oblong Media Unlimited, we deeply respect the Catholic Church as one of the oldest and most influential institutions in Christendom. Many people today are proud, staunch Catholics who hold firmly to the faith of their fathers. However, their loyalty to the Church does not mean they must remain silent about its shortcomings, especially when those shortcomings have far-reaching moral and social consequences.
One such issue is the mandatory celibacy imposed on priests and reverend sisters in the Roman Catholic Church. Celibacy, as it stands, is not a divine commandment but a man-made ecclesiastical law that the Church in Rome continues to enforce, even though other branches of the Catholic faith, like the Orthodox Catholic Church in America, do not impose celibacy on their clergy.
The reality of human sexuality cannot be denied. Even in old age, men naturally experience sexual urges; how much more the young, vibrant men in their 20s and 30s who enter the priesthood? To expect them to completely suppress these desires for life is both unrealistic and potentially harmful. The same applies to young women who take vows as reverend sisters, they too are human, with natural emotions and desires.
Sadly, the Church’s rigid stance has contributed to numerous scandals and quiet compromises that are often swept under the carpet. We know of real cases, like that of a late Reverend Father who secretly had two children, whose existence only became known at his burial when their mother surfaced with them. Such stories, whether we admit it or not, bring mockery and disrepute to the Church.
It is time for the Roman Catholic Church to confront this issue with honesty, compassion, and courage. Jesus Christ, whose example priests have been indoctrinated to strive to emulate, was supposedly divine and not bound by ordinary human frailty. Expecting us ordinary men to meet that same standard in this most human aspect of life is both unfair and impractical.
Celibacy should be a choice, not a compulsory requirement. There is nothing inherently unholy about a priest or sister who is married and raising a family while faithfully serving God. In fact, allowing clergy to marry could strengthen pastoral ministry, reduce hypocrisy, and create a healthier moral climate within the Church.
As an influential voice for truth and reform, Oblong Media Unlimited believes the time has come for the Church to rethink mandatory celibacy. The Church must not ignore the reality of human nature, nor continue to uphold a man-made law at the expense of transparency, integrity, and the spiritual well-being of its clergy and faithful.
The world is watching, and so are millions of Catholics who long for a Church that is not afraid to reform when reform becomes necessary.
OBLONG MEDIA UNLIMITED 
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