Question About Celibacy

[BarbTherese]

What does "celibacy" actually mean in Church terms? is the long and short of it all:

We are all called to chastity according to our state in life. Unmarried lay people are also called to celibate chastity (I thought) until or if they marry and in marriage are called to marital chastity. When I checked on the Catholic Dictionary (Father Hardon SJ) definition (see below), I noticed with interest that "[u][b]in Church usage, of one who has never been married[/b][/u] " and yet widowed men who become priests are called to celibacy, as are married deacons who become widows, and the same for widows or those with annulments who enter religious life and those who may undertake as a widow or with an annulment after marriage, a private vow to celibate chastity. Hope I haven't missed anyone out! These have all been married at some point.
Celibacy I thought simply that state in life which asks celibate chastity or that state in life outside of marriage, which could mean those who had been married at some point. HELP!
Father Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary is quoted on all Catholic sites that I have consulted anyway.

[u][b]Catholic Dictionary[/b][/u]:
[url="http://www.therealpresence.org/dictionary/adict.htm"]http://www.therealpr...onary/adict.htm[/url]
[b]CELIBACY.[/b] The state of being unmarried and, in Church usage, of [u][b]one who has never been married[/b][/u]. Catholicism distinguishes between lay and ecclesiastical celibacy, and in both cases a person freely chooses for religious reasons to remain celibate.

Lay celibacy was practiced already in the early Church. The men were called "the continent" ([i]continentes[/i]) and women "virgins" ([i]virgines[/i]). They were also known as ascetics who were encouraged to follow this form of life by St. Paul. According to the Apostle, "An unmarried man can devote himself to the Lord's affairs, all he need worry about is pleasing the Lord . . . In the same way an unmarried woman, like a young girl, can devote herself to the Lord's affairs; all she need worry about is being holy in body and spirit" (I Corinthians 7:32, 34). Throughout history the Church has fostered a celibate life in the lay state. Towering among the means of sanctity available to the laity, declared the Second Vatican Council, "is that precious gift of divine grace given to some by the Father to devote themselves to God alone more easily with an undivided heart in virginity or celibacy. This perfect continence for love of the kingdom of heaven has always been held in high esteem by the Church as a sign and stimulus of love, and as a singular source of spiritual fertility in the world" ([i]Constitution on the Church[/i], 42).

Ecclesiastical celibacy was a logical development of Christ's teaching about continence (Matthew 19:10-12). The first beginnings of religious life were seen in the self-imposed practice of celibacy among men and women who wished to devote themselves to a lifetime following Christ in the practice of the evangelical counsels. Celibacy was one of the features of the earliest hermits and a requirement of the first monastic foundations under St. Pachomius (c. 290-346). Over the centuries religious celibacy has been the subject of the Church's frequent legislation. The Second Vatican Council named chastity first among the evangelical counsels to be practiced by religious and said that "it is a special symbol of heavenly benefits, and for religious it is a most effective means of dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to the divine service and the works of the apostolate" ([i]Decree on the Up-to-date Renewal of Religious Life[/i], 12). (Etym. Latin [i]caelibatus[/i], single life, celibacy.)

[cappie]

In my understanding: Celibacy is not virginity. Virginity is the state of NEVER having had sex. Celibacy is just a period of abstinence from sex, whether permanent or temporary. Some celibates might also happen to be virgins, but it's not required. This post makes the same point.

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