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Father Alberto the Man
I have had the opportunity to listen to a lengthy Spanish TV interview with Father Alberto Cutié and was struck by a single phrase of his: "I am a man." Now, this is hardly a revelation to anyone, especially not the clusters of Catholic school teenie-boppers who dubbed the handsome cleric, "Father What-a-Waste." But in the field of theological anthropology, that simple sentence means much more than a defensive deflection of an interviewer's question.
In the current legislation of the Catholic Church, one has to be a man to be a priest. Celibacy is not a virtue if practiced by a person with no sexuality at all. But -- here's the catch -- sexuality as a man is not limited to the physical act of sex. In terms of theological anthropology, sexuality pervades one's whole person and personality. Gender influences how one perceives, thinks, reacts and enjoys. It would be a mistake to confuse legal equality of the sexes with biological uniformity. As the French say, "Viva la difference!" So Father Alberto, rather more conservative in theology than many expect, lived his celibacy out of his male sexuality. It was what gave him TV charisma and made his staple catechetical answers into quotable quotes about the Catholic faith.
There is a current in theological anthropology that applies here. If to be a priest one must be a man, then the full development of the priesthood in psychological terms requires the full development of male sexuality. Falling in love is part of the development of one's sexuality. Therefore, one can only realize the fullness of psychological balance and maturity within the priesthood by experiencing romantic love. That experience may or may not end in sexual relations.
Clearly, this idea of sexuality in distinction to sex may sound strange to those accustomed to flatline theology. However, in his encyclical on love (Deus Caritas Est), Benedict XVI uses academic terminology to distinguish between "eros" or physical love, "phila" or friendship, and "agapé" or the spiritual love we often call "charity." He explicitly states that eros is good: "Purification and growth in maturity are called for; and these also pass through the path of renunciation. Far from rejecting or 'poisoning' eros, they [the other forms of love] heal it and restore its true grandeur (#5)." I doubt that the pope would move from his observations to a decree restoring marriage within the Latin priesthood, but he uses a line of reasoning that permits such a conclusion.
At this writing, it is far from clear what will be the personal outcome for Father Alberto. Yet the pope's encyclical underscores that the issue of priestly celibacy is not to be resolved by denying the importance and centrality of eros to human sexuality. Eros, as the pope reminds us, is part of God's creation.
BY
Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo
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Posted by: elizdelphi | May 19, 2009 2:11 PM
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Nice article, Prof. Stevens-Arroyo. Your little bit about "current legislation" restricting ordination to men is, of course, more than a bit misleading. But your central points, that sexuality isn't simply genital, and that vocation (here, to the priesthood) is lived out by means of one's sexuality, are very well stated. Your use of the Holy Father's encyclical, DCE, was also very thoughtful and sensible, if you will allow me to say so.
That Fr. Cutie took a mistress shouldn't be shocking. These things happen, and aren't unnatural. But something went very wrong in Fr. Cutie's spiritual life before that happened, to lead him away from the promises he made to God and to us, the Church. Of course we all have desires, but what distinguished us from animals is that we can use reason to control our desires and find other healthy ways to express those inappropriate to our situation - like the situation of being under voluntarily contracted promises. I am not here judging Fr. Cutie - I have enough sins of my own. I am just saying that a spade's a spade. He broke his public promises publicly, and that has to be dealt with.
I wish him the best and hope things come together for him. All the best to you, too, Prof. S-A.
Posted by: withouthavingseen | May 17, 2009 4:06 AM
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christianity attributes sonship (jesus)and mothership(marry) to the god ,
on the same breath,
to stay celibate is part of puretanism and pleaseing to the god?????????????
let the man marry
its pleasing to the god ,the man ,the woman and mankind .
Posted by: mono1 | May 14, 2009 5:38 AM
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What a lot of noise without substance.
The question was whether the Catholic Church's insistence of priestly celibacy was a good or bad thing. Stevens-Arroyo ducks that question entirely and instead meanders through some wierd epistimelogical abstractions about what "manhood" and love are about?
As if the Catholic Church would know anything about those issues.
Posted by: besamo805 | May 13, 2009 1:00 PM
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I'm not sure it's accurate to define eros, as used in "Deus Caritas Est" as exactly "physical love." Indeed it's entirely consistent to speak of the "eros" of God, as many Saints have spoken (for instance St. Bernard, St. John of the Cross, and others who wrote of the spiritual interpretation of the Song of Songs), God "in Himself" is spirit and not physical, so this is infinitely far from having to do literally with sexual relations; mystically speaking, it does have to do with the union of the soul with God, and the transformation of the person in Christ. It's been a while since I read "Deus Caritas Est" but I think eros refers to desire and dynamism toward communion and union. And rightly-ordered desire is not bad at all, it's absolutely GOOD and FRUITFUL, be that the chaste love of husband and wife, or the love between the soul of the consecrated person and God, an exclusive love for God and non-exclusive love for all people. Married people too can share in mystical intimacy with God, but some are called to make the relationship with God truly their whole life.