www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Can East and West Coexist With Married Priests?

The parish where I am employed has 3500+ families, we have on priest, as do many of the other large parishes around. Even with the massive amount of Church closings that has occured in the Diocese, there are not enough young priests to take the place of the ones that keep retiring and dying.

Prior to the schism in the 1930's my home parish in upstate New York had over 2000 families. One priest and one "cantor/ professor" were all of the staff that serviced the parish. After the split, the two pariehes still had over 100 children (combined) in the First Confession/Communion classes of the mid 1960's. The lack of pastoral attention due to sheer size led many to seek spiritual comfort elsewhere, both as a result of the unfortunate schism and the changing demographics. Today, the situation is not as acute, but that is due to dimishing numbers and lost regional population.

Some very interesting discussions so far. Many thanks to those who suggested changes to the article. Further suggestions can be made here or via PM. Thanks again!

Maybe I'm wrong and small parishes could support a priest and his family. Afterall, I know of plenty of Catholic priests who manage to have first rate medical plans, drive late model cars, have cable TV and satellite dishes and rectory kitchens stocked like small restaurants.

My observation is that size and richness of the parish are main factors contributing to the richness of a priest. So it can vary from parish to parish greatly. Also sometimes the pastor doesn't like to share money with younger priests.

I don't think there are any latin parishes around here even close to being as small as the "large" parishes menitoned . . .

13,000, 17,000, 19,000 are typical numbers . . . nor do any have as few as three or four Masses . . .

Anyway, Bishop Gerald is in the process of importing married priests from Europe. He already had one when I last spoke to him, and was planning on more; the first worked out well.

The biggest issue was *finding* medical insurance, which turned out to be easier than had been expected.

Also, the eparchy needs to handle the expense of keeping him for an entire year of English immersion . . .

That's progress, considering that several years ago, when the idea was broached, the answer was not just no, but "Hell, no! We can grow our own". There was a firm conviction, expressed in the most forceful terms, that European priests would not fit into the "American" culture of the Ruthenian Church. It was even suggested that such priests would mainly be attracted by the money. And despite the long waiting lists to get into European seminaries, there were no plans at all to bring over some to study at Saints Cyril and Methodius, which, to be charitable, has a slight overcapacity problem.

Although he has been enthusiastically received by our parish and has been well received by the Latin Catholic community as well, the financial realities remain a problem with no solution in sight. Outside job possibilities are few, particularly those that will still allow time for a parish and family life. He is in a unique position. He has an American wife and he and his family are currently living with her parents.


(Father Fero, if you're lurking out there, jump in on the conversation with your thoughts.)

Elizabeth

Conversely, the slavic seminary in question is producing too many priests to place them alL!

As far as the finincial issue . . . The only solution I see is for wealthy Catholics, east and west, to step up to the plate. Buy a couple of victorians near C&M for married seminarians and their families. Stock the refrigerators. Hire them in nominal positions to get them health care, or get enough of them to have a group plan. Then fund trusts to supplement their incomes without being subject to the vagaries of parish finance.

Oh, and work it out for their kids to go to Catholic schools.

(For that matter, if I'd be able to keep the kids in catholic schools, I'd be willing to show up--but given my Latin roots, I doubt that Rome would approve).

Why is this a concern for Latin Catholics? Quite simply, they'll be borrowing a lot of them. Both priests of our eparchy work part time for the Latin diocese. Our parishes tend to be small enough that our priests can split time. More of our priests means more to borrow

hawk

It's great that Bishop Gerald has and is possibly willing to bring in some married priests, and attempt to figure things out. If he were to continue doing so, at least one expense that might be lessened to some degree, depending on the parish, would be the English immersion. Some parishes might have people that are qualified to help with that, I know that when I attended a Syriac Orthodox parish, we had had new parishioners and members of the priest's family, heck even members of the patriarch's family coming to the states to live, who did not speak English. We just all got together and helped to teach them. Granted many of us in the parish had backgrounds in language acquisition, but it is not what any of us did on a professional level.

I know several Malankara Syrian Orthodox priests who have very small parishes, mostly mission parishes, some with only 20 or so families, if that, and they are able to make things work, while having families. Perhaps if we are wanting to have married priests, we should be looking to some of these smaller orthodox congregations that are able to make things work, quite well for an example. Or even be willing to ask them how they make things work.

I know if a BC bishop wanted to discuss such things with these priests, or their bishop(s), it could be easily facilitated. They are very open and friendly to Catholics.

Actually an excellent idea. The property market is most favorable, and the Church could pick up some houses at foreclosure sales for a song. Volunteer labor could fix any deficiencies, donations could provide furnishings and appliances. If not immediately available for use as clerical housing, the properties could be put to use as shelters or temporary accommodations for the indigent of the parish.

The Theodore Romzha Seminary, I believe, requires its students to study English. Preparing for work in missionary territory, I guess.

Good idea!

What an excellent plan!

I sense much doubt and fear among my Byzantine Catholic brothers and sisters on the issue of married priests and how to support them should the day come to their parish. I urge you to take heart and learn from your Orthodox brothers and sisters and your Ukrainian Catholic brethern. Those of us in ACROD and the OCA, whose roots were in Eastern Catholicism prior to the enforcement of celibacy and other issues in the 20th century, have found a way to provide for and support our clergy and their families. To prepare the way, talk to your neighbors, cousins and friends who are Orthodox and learn from them the way to deal with this issue. In many cases, the pastor of the local Orthodox community would be approachable to share his family's insights into this important issue. It isn't easy for many small parish communities, but we find a way to cope and provide. I don't know if this advice would be applicable to the Western Church, but I sense the day is near for the Byzantine Catholics in America and much further away for the West. S'bohom.