Celibacy vow is made to God, not the Church

To opt for Catholic priesthood and a life of celibacy is a vocation freely and independently chosen.

Celibacy is chosen freely as a gift for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

No doubt, the vow involves an honest and sustained attempt to live without sexual gratification in order to serve others.

No one is coerced or forced to become a Catholic priest. That’s why formation and training of a priest is normally a long journey of personal discernment and prayer.

A person in formation has the option for an alternative way of life if he discovers priesthood is not his vocation. An individual, however, reaches this decision through the assistance of a personal spiritual director or through self-examination and prayer.

Rebellious priests

Rebellious Catholic priests lack sincerity and honesty and are confusing the public. They have already given up the struggle by breaking their celibacy vow and are no longer interested in the discipline of life that calls for total surrender and sacrifice in imitating Jesus Christ.

Celibate life guarantees a priest more freedom and flexibility in the pastoral ministry than when a person is married and with a family.

The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, wrote that unmarried men would be less distracted in their service to God.

"...the unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world and how to please his wife..."

Without a life rooted in regular prayer, it is impossible for one to live up to the challenges of celibacy. The words of Christ clearly come to mind: "Without me, you can do nothing".

One’s commitment to celibacy is made to God and not the Church or the Bishop. For one to think otherwise is to miss the point and to live a life of deception and sin.

{James Gatiti, Embu}

It is difficult to understand the direction the Church has taken nowadays.

As a believer, it is beyond comprehension how someone who took vows to serve God could defile a child.

We live in a cursed world and these are surely the final days. Our children are under assault now that the devil appears to have taken over the Church.

Shame on those involved in such hellish acts. They are wicked.

{Esther Kungu, Nyeri}