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I can say from personal conversations with Eparchs William and Gerald, and the late Eparch George, all of them expressed being in favor of married priests. The issue is one of higher authority and of explicit permission of the spouse. (My issue is the spouse.)

Many parishioners ask when I'm going to seminary. (It's been that way for 2 decades now.) But until my wife assents, not going to happen. A distance education method would remove much of her objection. (She does not wish to relocate for 4 more years of college to then promptly relocate again.)

"The issue is one of higher authority and of explicit permission of the spouse. "

Who is a higher authority than the bishop of the eparchy? Rome? Forget that! Do precisely what the Ukrainians did, first in Canada, and now here: ordain and be done with it. And when the newly ordained married priest gets a nasty letter from the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, telling him his ordination, while "valid" is "illicit", our God-loving Eparchs should do what a Ukrainian bishop told one of his priests who got just such a letter: "Get a frame and hang it on your wall. Now get back to your parish".

"I think of the permanent deacon froim outside our diocese who came into a funeral home where I worked some years ago. He "baptised" a dead child in the casket while he was there for the funeral. He told the parents it was never too late. He got water all over the place and made a mess. I don't know what kind of training he had, but he didn't seem to know the basics IMHO."

I had a similar experience with a Latin deacon at my grandmother's funeral. I have no idea what Latin diaconal formation is like, but I get the impression it is very uneven and not very rigorous.

I think you have all highlighted why there is a need for quality control in churches. The process for a formal course of studies in Western Europe took time to develop and was gradually introduced to the level where it became the norm, to deal with the centuries of complaints about poorly trained clergy and the scandals they caused.

"to deal with the centuries of complaints about poorly trained clergy and the scandals they caused."

Thank goodness our scandals are now caused by highly trained clergy!

Stuart: you're half right about Roman Deaconal formation... it's not uniform. The recent Deacon Directory from the USCCB raise the bar to a uniform minimum well above the lower end.

One of my Dad's classmates and brother Deacons retired from active service when the Bishop found out he was preaching heresy. (IIRC, it was semi-pelagianism.) His faculties were revoked for the preaching, as well. He was, however, accorded clerical burial.

Their formation was involved, 6 years, 2 nights a week, plus a weekend a month, plus an annual retreat. Most of their coursework by Dominican friars with DDiv, STD and JCD credentials.

Many of the deacons from other dioceses did not have as good a formation. Theirs was good. Plenty of coursework. But a very different experience. Dad's been ordained 27 years.

Part of the formation has been to have their children talk to the children of the older deacons, and their wives to the wives of other deacons, to learn how it will change THEIR lives, not just Dad's life.

The sprawling geography of our eparchies adds additional complexity to priestly formation. The economy is another wrench in the mix now too.

It is much more difficult for a man of forty with a family in tow to drop everything and head to Pittsburgh than for a young single man of twenty to leave home and go to Ss. Cyril and Methodius. Perhaps there are many paths to priesthood?

Is the seminary in Pittsburgh equipped to handle married seminarians and their families?

Do we have anything like this in place?
http://www.svots.edu/newcurriculum/spousesprogram.html/

Wouldn't it be wonderful if our parishes had home grown vocations?

"It is much more difficult for a man of forty with a family in tow to drop everything and head to Pittsburgh than for a young single man of twenty to leave home and go to Ss. Cyril and Methodius. Perhaps there are many paths to priesthood?"

It has long been my conviction that Saints Cyril and Methodius should be closed, and all of our potential priests and deacons sent to St. Vladimir's. There is really no reason for us to have our own seminary, and if you insist on seminary training, let the Orthodox carry the overhead associated with the facilities. There is nothing taught at Saint Cyril and Methodius that is not taught at St. Vladimir's, and I would rather our priests get a first rate Orthodox education than a second-rate Greek Catholic one.

Second the motion!

Fr. Serge

I know my home parish has one in progress homegrown vocation, not counting those of us unable to do so yet.

We have one deacon candidate, a good man, well respected. He's been assigned some teaching roles in the parish. His classes have been interesting, and it will be wonderful after his ordination to hear him preach.

As for the Women's programs, to quote my mother, "It's his vocation, not mine. I'll support his choice to follow it, but I'm a deacon's wife, not a deaconess." I was present when she told this to Archbishop Francis + Hurley.

The drawback of programs for the wives is that, when in place, they discourage men with busy but supportive wives and with children under the age of self-supervision from applying. One man dropped out of the Roman Deaconate program for Anchorage because his wife was required to take most of the classes with him. They had 5 kids, all under 10. The courses were collegiate style courses, and above her comprehension. They could not afford child care 2 nights a week, let alone on the weekend retreat. We no longer can expect a married seminarian & spouse to have grandparents handy, nor siblings close by.

OCA Priests who have gone to St. Herman's in Sitka have complained of this, too. Sitka, where St. Herman's Theological Seminary is, is an island, with one town (well, it's called a city...), no road access, and far from many seminarians homes. It is a harsh challenge for the families.

American society is highly mobile. That robs the support structures that used to pervade village, or even city, life.