Sioux City Sooth

The blogger at Sioux City Deacon Formation suggests that the clerical obligations of perpetual continence and celibacy stated in Canon 277 are equivalent and unified: one single obligation. Whether he would agree or not, I see this inference as equivalent to the logical argument advanced in a letter to Homiletic and Pastoral Review (last letter in thread). See also here. That is, if perpetual continence implies celibacy, celibacy requires perpetual continence. And non-celibacy therefore implies the possibility of non-continence, with moral law additionally requiring continence outside of marriage.