Church of Rome and Celibacy

The work critiques the Roman Catholic Church's celibacy requirement for clergy, arguing that it is a significant moral and social detriment. The author posits that the focus of Protestant criticism should shift from doctrinal disputes to the practical implications of celibacy. The assertion is made that if the Papacy were dismantled and priests allowed to marry, many doctrinal issues would diminish in significance, as they would revert to mere rhetorical constructs rather than core beliefs. The text highlights the negative societal perceptions surrounding clerical marriage, suggesting that even progressive individuals in predominantly Catholic nations view the marriage of clergy as tainted. This perception, the author argues, adversely affects the general view of marriage, leading to broader moral implications in societies like Spain, Italy, and France. The author categorizes the Papal Church into three distinct phases: anti-Caesarean, extra-national, and anti-Christian, indicating a historical evolution that has contributed to its current state. The critique emphasizes that the celibacy of clergy has not only harmed the institution of marriage but has also fostered a culture of moral ambiguity and social decay within these communities. The work calls for a reevaluation of the celibacy doctrine as a means to restore moral integrity and improve societal views on marriage.

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge · First published 1830 · Genre: Theological Critique, Philosophical Essay, Historical Analysis · 290 words

First lines

In my judgment, Protestants lose a great deal of time in a false attack when they labour to convict the Romanists of false doctrines. Destroy the _Papacy_, and help the priests to wives, and I am much mistaken if the doctrinal errors, such as there really are, would not very soon pass away. They might remain _in terminis_, but they would lose their sting and body, and lapse back into figures of rhetoric and warm devotion, from which they, most of them, -- such as transubstantiation, and prayers for the dead and to saints, -- originally sprang. But, so long as the Bishop of Rome remains Pope, and has an army of Mamelukes all over the world, we shall do very little by fulminating against mere doctrinal errors. In the Milanese, and elsewhere in the north of Italy, I am told there is a powerful feeling abroad against the Papacy. That district seems to be something in the state of England in the reign of our Henry the Eighth.

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Church of Rome and Celibacy is listed on Textopian as an essay by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, dated 1830 CE.

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• Work type: Essay
• Author: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• Date: 1830 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Theological Critique, Philosophical Essay, Historical Analysis, Sociological Commentary, Religious Criticism
• Length: 290 words
• Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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Similar titles

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Genres

• Theological Critique — The work critiques the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly focusing on celibacy and its moral implications.
• Philosophical Essay — The text engages in philosophical discussions about morality, social purity, and the implications of clerical celibacy.
• Historical Analysis — It references historical contexts, such as the state of England during Henry the Eighth's reign, to analyze the evolution of the Papacy and its influence.
• Sociological Commentary — The work examines the social effects of clerical celibacy on marriage and morality in various cultures.

Tags

Church of Rome · Celibacy · Samuel Taylor Coleridge · Protestantism · Roman Catholicism · Papacy · Clerical Marriage · Doctrinal Errors · Moral Purity · Social Issues · Religious Critique · Historical Context

More by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

• Expostulation and Reply (1817)
• The Tables Turned (1798)
• Animal Tranquillity and Decay (1816)
• Goody Blake and Harry Gill (1798)
• The Last of the Flock (1815)
• Lines Left Upon a Seat in a Yew-Tree, which Stands Near the Lake of Estwaithe, on a Desolate Part of the Shore, Yet Commanding a Beautiful Prospect (1818)
• The Foster-Mother's Tale (1815)
• The Thorn (1798)
• All works by Samuel Taylor Coleridge