The bishops are not the sole authority on doctrine. [View all]

[olegramps]

The Catholic Church is composed of all its members. I would like to remind the bishops that during the truly orthodox days of the church the bishops were elected by the membership. As the years passed the clergy consolidated their power over the church and the laity were disenfranchised of any voice in the formation of doctrine. This evolution also applies to the power that was consolidated in the papacy. What has evolved in the most recent of years in response to Vatican II that would have expanded the both laity's voice in the church and also the bishops through the principle of First Among Equals was totally rejected by both Paul VI in regard to celibacy and birth control who along with ultra-traditionalists totally ignored the principle of shared responsibility of the formation of doctrine and under the cloak of secrecy and delusion of their superiority attempted to impose their will on the church membership. It is without question that both of these attempts to silence informed opposition has been an unmitigated disaster.

What has evolved from their brazen attempt at impose their will on the entirety of the membership, both the clergy and laity has been that the hierarchy and for that matter also the lower clergy has been that their ranks have increase been filled by only those who accept the most stringent acceptance of the church's so-called doctrines on celibacy, marriage, male only priesthood and the entire realm of humane sexuality that border of the asinine. I have little doubt that entirety of the major issues that plague the modern church can be attributed to the imposition of celibacy on priesthood. I would like to remind our celibate that the very first commandment of God was that children were to cut their ties to the parents and become one flesh with the mates. This such an establish principle that has been held by Jews to be a supreme responsibility of parents. "That is why man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one." Gn 2.24 This teaching is reinforced in regard as to those who would lead the church in Paul's First Letter to Timothy. Under the requirements he stated: "A church leader must be without fault; he must have only one wife...he must be able to manage his own family well and make his children obey him with all respect. For if a man does not know how to manage his family, how can he take care of the church of God." 1 Ti 3.2, 4-5. AS we are aware that there was absolutely no requirement of celibacy until the those such as Augustine, Jerome and their band of heretics began a campaign to condemn marital relations as little more than unbridled lust. As a consequence, I regard that the taking of a vow to never marry as without question to be heretical. I am not saying that very one should marry, but it is a God given right that can not be abandon under the concept of some supposed more holy adventure or sacrifice.