The Beauty and Mystery of Life and Faith: EDUCATING COOKIE A. LAGUDA-ALICAYA ON WHAT THE WORD OF GOD SAYS ABOUT CELIBACY by Atty. Marwil Llasos

Model of Virgins: Our Lord Jesus Christ was celibate

Friends on Facebook referred to me for comment some of the articles of one Cookie A. Laguda-Alicaya, the author of Walking Away from Rome. Ms. Laguda-Alicaya is also the owner of the blog The Cookie Jar of Clay.[1] A native of Butuan City, Philippines, Ms. Laguda-Alicaya now resides with her husband in Houston, Texas.

Stow-away child: Cookie Laguda-Alicaya, author of "Walking Away from Rome"

Ms. Cookie A. Laguda-Alicaya advertises herself as a “devout Catholic” but was compelled to walk away from the belief system (Catholic) which had been a part of her life for 25 years. Her “sharing” may be found in the book Walking Away from Rome. Since “she walked away from Rome,” Ms. Laguda-Alicaya now bashes the Catholic Church left and right.

In a two-part blog article,[2] Ms. Cookie A. Laguda-Alicaya primarily slams the Catholic Church as a “false teaching religion.” She lists 3 “specifics” that expose the lies of a “false religion” with the Word of God (as she interprets it, of course.).

This article will critique Ms. Laguda-Alicaya’s discussion on the 1^st specific: False teachers devote themselves to demonic practices! I agree that false teachers indeed teach demonic practices. I disagree, however, on how Ms. Laguda-Alicaya falsely characterizes the Catholic Church as practicing demonic practices.

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us" (1 Jn. 2:19).

Ms. Cookie A. Laguda-Alicaya cites 1 Timothy 4:1-2: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars who consciences are seared ... (1 Timothy 4:1-2). She follows it up by citing verses 3-5: “Who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:3-5). I have no problem with these verses from God’s inspired Word. I take exception, however, on how Ms. Laguda-Alicaya mis-applies these verses to suit her misguided attack on the Catholic Church.

Ms. Laguda-Alicaya’s words are in blue. My comments are in black.

Forbidding marriage is one of the main doctrines of the Catholic church for its clergy.

The ignorance of Ms. Cookie A. Laguda-Alicaya’s on the Catholic faith is clearly manifest in this first sentence. Her pretension as a “devout Catholic” has been unmasked. Her gross ignorance of Catholic doctrines is too telling.

First, celibacy is not a doctrine, it is a discipline. This “devout Catholic” fails to distinguish one from the other.

Second, what is Ms. Laguda-Alicaya’s basis in saying that “forbidding marriage is one of the main doctrines of the Catholic Church for its clergy?” She doesn’t cite her sources. How can “forbidding marriage” be a “main” doctrine of the Catholic Church when it is merely a discipline for the clergy of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church? Celibacy for priests does not hold for the Eastern Catholic Churches as well as for converts from the Episcopalian Church. Permanent deacons are married and they are members of the clergy in the Roman Catholic Church. How come Ms. Laguda-Alicaya doesn’t know these facts? So, Ms. Laguda-Alicaya, how “main” is “main”?

Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn, a much better book than Aguda-Alicaya's Walking Away from Rome

They call it "the call of Celibacy."

As the expression suggests, it is a call – a calling from God. A person who is called is absolutely free to heed and embrace the call. No one forces them to embrace the call of celibacy.

They forbid their priests and nuns from getting married.

The Church does not forbid the priests and nuns from getting married. The vow of chastity is an evangelical counsel. It will be well for Ms. Cookie Laguda-Alicaya to check the meaning of counsel in the dictionary.

Priests and nuns voluntarily profess their vows of chastity. Nobody forced them to make their vows. The Church merely accepts their vows. Once the vow is made and accepted, the priests and nuns (Ms. Cookie-Alicaya forgets the religious and other consecrated persons) are of course expected to keep their vows. Unknown to Ms. Laguda-Alicaya, vows are meant to be kept:

“I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people” (Psalm 116:14, 18).

“I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you” (Psalm 56:12, NIV).

In the unfortunate instance that a priest or a nun can no longer be faithful to their vow, the Church can grant dispensation. Once dispensed, they are free to get married. Thus, Ms. Cookie Laguda-Alicaya’s statement that the Catholic Church forbids its priests and nuns from getting married is grossly inaccurate.

The prophet Jeremiah was celibate: "The word of the Lord came also unto me saying, Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place" (Jer. 16:1-2).

This teaching deceivingly becomes presented as a "holy calling" and is taught as allowing the individual to "focus" their devotion on Christ alone. But there is just no way around God's Word.

Indeed, there is just no way around God’s Word. And the Catholic Church does not go around God’s word where chastity or celibacy as a holy calling is concerned. The Church follows God’s Word in this regard, unlike Ms. Cookie Laguda-Alicaya’s newly minted, man-made “church.” Before I comment on celibacy as a “holy calling,” let me first comment on the expression “allowing the individual to ‘focus’ on Christ alone.” What’s Biblically wrong with focusing on Christ alone, Ms. Laguda-Alicaya? Is it not that Paul is warning us against being led astray from our “pure and undivided devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3, NLT). Here, Ms. Cookie Laguda-Alicaya is clearly in deep spiritual blindness. She is clearly deceived, and deceiving.

St. John the Baptist was celibate

Celibacy is a “holy calling” because it is renunciation of marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Ms. Cookie Laguda-Alicaya calls that deceiving. Thus, for Ms. Laguda-Alicaya, it is Christ who is deceiving because it was Him who said –

“Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it” (Mt. 19:12, NAB).

Catholic priests and nuns accept it while Protestant pastors don’t. Revelations 14:4 states-

“These are they which are NOT DEFILED WITH WOMEN; FOR THEY ARE VIRGINS. THESE ARE THEY WHICH FOLLOW THE LAMB WHITHERSOEVER HE GOETH. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb” (KJV).

Ms. Cookie Laguda-Alicaya, who are these virgin males who did not defile their bodies with women? Take your pick: Protestant pastors or Catholic priests?

Paul, the same writer of 1 Timothy 4:1-5 cited by Ms. Cookie Laguda-Alicaya, also wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:31-34 –

“I should like you to be free of anxieties. An UNMARRIED MAN IS ANXIOUS ABOUT THE THINGS OF THE LORD, HOW HE MAY PLEASE THE LORD. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. AN UNMARRIED WOMAN OR A VIRGIN IS ANXIOUS ABOUT THE THINGS OF THE LORD, SO THAT SHE MAY BE HOLY IN BOTH BODY AND SPIRIT. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband” (NAB).

The apostle Paul was celibate and recommends celibacy: "Now to the unmarried and to widows I say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do" (1 Cor. 7:8). What Paul calls a "good thing," Ms. Cookie Laguda-Alicaya calls demonic.

So, to Paul, celibacy or chastity is a “holy calling” because it makes the unmarried virgin “holy in both body and spirit.” How come Ms. Cookie Laguda-Alicaya does not know that? She is clearly Biblically illiterate.

No matter how holy or spiritual or righteous a practice may appear to be, if it is the abomination that the Word of God teaches about, there is really no excuse for the deceiving teachings of following demonic practices as such.

Here, Ms. Cookie Laguda-Alicaya calls renunciation of marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven as a demonic practice. Ms. Laguda-Alicaya clearly blasphemes the Lord Jesus Christ because it was Him who taught renunciation of marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt. 19:12). It appears that to Ms. Laguda-Alicaya, it is the Lord who sanctions demonic practices. What blasphemy!

Catholic priests follow the lifestyle and example of Jesus Christ Himself who offered his body and entire life to the heavenly Father. Since Jesus was celibate, I have some questions to Ms. Laguda-Alicaya: Is it not true that Jesus came to do the will of the Father (Jn. 6:38)? Was it the Father’s will for Jesus not to get married? Did the Father forbid Jesus from getting married? If the Father forbade Him, then the Father sanctioned demonic practices. If the Father did not forbid Him, why then did He not get married?