Lo sviluppo della norma celibataria e la sua prima legislazione nella Chiesa universale

Abstract

The article analyses at first the biblical fragments. The Old Testament connects a marriage with the blessing of God, highlights the meaning of fertility, when infertility understood as well as sexual abstinence is related with shame. In the case of priests there is not mentioned anything about celibacy, but there are some conditions for marriage. In the New Testament the notion of celibacy is clearer: the celibacy opens a person for gaining the possibility of fatherhood in spiritual perspective. The references to celibacy are treated as a special charisma but not connected with pastoral service. The centre of argumentation is the example of Jesus, but not law or legal act. Priest celibacy is the tradition of Church. In the first centuries of Church there are a lot of references to the celibacy. The clergy included married men. Synod in Elvira introduced a novelty: a total demand for the sexual abstinence for bishops, priests and deacons and all clergymen involved in alter service. The teaching of popes (Siricius, Pope Innocent I, Pope Leo I, Pope Gregory I) proves this practise as the following Jesus and the necessity of retaining chastity for alter servants and full availability for God and Church. The last element is the matter of possession which appeared late and had the practical character.