www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Married Priesthood

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Does anyone know of the official laws of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), or of any of the Byzantine Catholic Churches in general, regarding married men and ordination to the priesthood SPECIFICALLY outside the traditional land (i.e. Ukraine, or other)?

I have in mind countries such as the United States of America, Canada, Great Britain, western European nations (where it seems many immigrants are moving), Australia, South American countries, etc.

I know, for example, that the Ruthenian Metropolia in the United States does not ordain married men (save one or two exceptions). I am also aware that that UGCC does ordain married men.

However, I have been told by canon lawyers and other priests that OFFICIALLY it is still contrary to the church law established for the Eastern Catholic Churches once they 'opened shop' outside of their traditional 'canonical' territory (the 'old country', if you will).

Many thanks!

if memory serves me right, the Eastern Catholic (Byzantine-Rite) Eparchs of Australia decreed that married priestly candidates will be ordained in Australia itself, from 1998 onwards. Of course, I can't say how many have been ordained since, but my Melkite assistant priest was ordained in 2007 in Perth, Australia itself.

I believe the 1992 CCEO allows for married men to be ordained.

CCEO [intratext.com]

Bob

The 1992 CCEO does allow for it, but nobody actually took the plunge until Bishop Emeritus John Elya made it happen in 1996. Plus, prior to 1992 at least, all married candidates were ordained in the "old country".

The Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma (UGCC) ordains married men to the priesthood in this country.

Actually this has been the case you are right.
Those documents porhibiting ordination here in the USA are now null and void. I can never call to mind their names so please forgive me.
The Eastern Church by Law has the right to ordain married men to the priesthood.
Stephanos I
So your Eparch's just need to begin doing it.
Reclaim what is rightfully yours. And also follow the instruction of John Paul II of eternal memory and begin to clean up the Eastern DL, de latinize it where it has become corrupted and start living as an authentic witness that it is possible to be fully Orthodox in communion with the Apostolic See of Rome.

Father bless!

You are thinking of...

Ea Semper: June 14, 1907

Cum Data Fuerit: March 1, 1929

Cum Data Fuerit was allowed to expire by Pope Pius XII. It has canonically lapsed and has no force.

Every Eparchy of the UGCC in the USA has ordained married clergy in the last ten years. The Eparchy of St. Nicholas to which I belong is currently at about 2/3 married parochial clergy.

To correct a post above, several married men were ordained in Canada with the Ukrainians before Bishop Elya's ordination in the 1990s.

Yes,
thanks I will try to committ them to memory.
Too much in this old head lol!
Stephanos I

Father bless!

I wish it was that easy. With certain Orthodox saying things about us Catholics (let alone Eastern Catholics), your words are refreshing but I guess it will take a lot more for the Orthodox to accept us as "Orthodox".

Deacon Randy is correct on that point.

The Melkites also ordained a couple of married men in Canada back in the 1970s (if I remember the decade correctly), but when Rome realized that they were intended to serve in the US, it got fiesty. The end result was that we had to revert to the fiction of sending such men to the patriarchal territories to be ordained, incardinated, and then "loaned" back.

Father Serge likely remembers the situation and may be able to elaborate on the events.

Many years,

Neil

I remember one such ordination in Canada - Patriarch Maximos V of holy memory ordained Father Romanos Russo at Saint Sauveur in Montreal. I believe that this took place late in the time of Paul VI, who was not happy about it. At the Oriental Congregation, they threatened to suspend Father Romanos, at which point the Patriarch told them point-blank that they could not suspend Father Romanos, because he had done nothing wrong but merely been obedient to the hierarchs. Furthermore, said the Patriarch "if you want to suspend someone, you have to suspend me - if you have the courage!" With unaccustomed wisdom, the Oriental Congregation decided that "suspending" the Patriarch of Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and All the East was really not a good idea.

Only a couple of months later I was at Saint Sauveur in Montreal for some celebration or other, and very kindly Father Archimandrite George sent a parishioner with a car to collect me at the airport. I happened to make some reference to married priests, and the parishioner swore up and down that we do not have married priests! I pointed out that such a priest had recently been ordained by the Patriarch at Saint Sauveur. The parishioner then backed down, so to speak and said "well . . . if there would be a married priest he would only serve in a village, never in a city!"

Fr. Serge

Bless, Father,

I know you're correct as to Father Romanos (it seemed to me that there was a second as well, but I could be wrong on that). With respect to the time, I believe you are correct also - I was thinking that it was about 1976 - the year in which the Exarchate was elevated to eparchial status.

Many years,

Neil

The Ruthenian Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh can, at least canonically, ordain married men to the presbyterate after the names are submitted to Rome for approval. Metropolitan Judson, of blessed memory, championed for a return to Eastern Values and Traditions, stating that it is necessary and inevitable. His Grace Bishop John of Parma (Ruthenian) has ordained several married men over the past several years.