www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Conference on EC Married Priests

For one thing, that wouldn't exactly be uncontroversial among the Orthodox.

Considering that SS. Cyril and Methodius and Christ the Savior ACROD in Johnstown have shared some faculty for years, that isn't such a crazy idea - the Melkites might find a receptive voice in the new Bishop as he is Greek by ethnicity and could provide a bit of balance from all of the Slavic studies?? Just wondering....

I have to say that parishes need to be prepared for a married priest and a family after seventy years of celibacy. At Holy Spirit in Binghamton only those old enough to remember Fr. Aldabert Bihary who was removed from St. Michael's (from which Holy Spirit came after the split) in 1937 by Bishop Takach have the slightest recollection of family life in the rectory. Those folks are now few and far between. The typical coming in and going out of lay folks in the rectory with a celibate priest won't be acceptable to most Panis who will want some privacy. Health insurance for the family will be a must and so on. It can be done - I am a witness to that having been a 'PK'in the Orthodox church, but growing pains are going to happen.

I would also note that it must be painful for young men in American Ruthenian Greek Catholic parishes who feel a vocation but not a call to celibacy to see young men from Europe and Canada being accepted as their clergy while they are left on the outside looking in.

As I said, this issue is a 'litmus' test issue to the Orthodox - if something non-dogmatic like this can be ignored, how can there be any trust on dogmatic understandings?

The famous suggestion that got be black listed from this forum so many years ago. Of course, I also suggested this would allow us to focus on the things that really concern us, like bingo and piroghi making. I say, true then, true now.

But we already send students to St. Vlads, St. Tikhons and Holy Cross, usually at the graduate level. And in Ukraine, both Greek Catholic and Orthodox seminarians receive instruction at the Ukrainian Catholic University (formerly Lviv Theological Academy). So it's not that controversial among the Orthodox

If I'm not mistaken, the current pastor of Holy Spirit (Fr Peter Tomas) in Binghamton IS a married priest with a wife and teenage son living in the rectory. When I visited there with the seminary concert tour last fall it seemed the parishioners were quite comfortable with their pastor and all was well.

Agreed he was from Slovkia, I believe, and not US born, but there are now several parishes around the country with families living in the rectory -- Kingston, PA, Sacramento, CA, Brunswick and Barberton, OH to name a few.

Jack

I really doubt that's the case.

Well, I know that Fr. Bohdan Barytsky over at St. Josaphat UGCC Cathedral is a married priest, and came from Western Ukraine (Ternopil Region). I'm not sure if he was going to be part of this conference, though.

Not true on both counts. The Maronites, Chaldeans, Armenians, Syriacs, Copts, Ethiopians, Syro-Malabars and Syro-Malankars do not have married priests in the US.

And there have been and are now married seminarians at SS Cyril and Methodius.

They are indeed, as is Father James Dutko, as my brother and friend, David, has noted.

To digress for a moment ,,,

Off-topic (and it is a very worthwhile and welcome topic), but I can't pass on the opportunity to welcome back my dear brother and friend, who has been way too-long absent from these fora!

Michael, it's wonderful to see a post from you! It made my day!

Many years,

Neil

Dear Fr. Deacon, This isn't exactly true for the Syro-Malankara; while married priests are few and far between, there is one beloved priest with kids and grandkids - http://syromalankarausa.org/content/rev-fr-pt-thomas - now retired (but very active, with bi-ritual Latin faculties, which he uses often). He was the pastor of St. Mary's Chicago and a convert from the Marthoma church.

Father Peter is a wonderful man and while things have not always been smooth, they are moving along with things. Ironically, Fr. Peter was ordained at the same time as my cousin, a married Greek Catholic priest now in the eparchy of Prague in the Czech republic - certainly a non-Greek Catholic land historically. Are the Roman Catholics there less likely to be 'scandalized' by married Greek Catholic priests? Are they more 'discerning' than Americans or Italian Roman Catholics (dealing there with Romanian workers who are Greek Catholic)? Again - from the Orthodox point of view - if Rome does not take the historicity of the Eastern tradition seriously on matters NOT of dogma or doctrine - why should we trust her in any future agreements dealing with dogma and doctrine? That is the salient issue here - not the minor issue of celibacy. Let the west be the west - but honor the traditions of the east - be the faithful Greek Catholic or Orthodox.

In the case of the Sacramento parish, "living in the rectory" might be a stretch, as our parish has no rectory. For the first 2 years, the "rectory" was with the in-laws. Father's family has finally been able to purchase their own house.

We love our priest and his family (he has 5 daughters). He is the priest we asked for and prayed for and we want no other, but we can't sugarcoat the financial reality of having a married priest in our parish. We are fewer than 15 families. Our past and continued existence is only by the grace of God. Father works 3 jobs to be able to support his family. He's burning the candle at both ends to make it all work. The sacrifices that he, his wife, and children make for our parish is humbling and we are forever grateful to them.

Elizabeth

DMD - your history and that of ACROD fascinates me!

One more point ...

it is not the fact that there are married priests in the Byz
Cath churches.


IT IS THE ONEROUS FACT THAT THEY REFUSE TO ORDAIN MARRIED MEN TO THE PRESBYTERATE IN THE USA IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO TRADITIONS.

Married Deacons aside (and I love them all) - the issue is MARRIED MEN applying to the presbyterate ... and readily and joyfully accepted - indeed sought out vs inexperienced younger celibate men.

Don't get me wrong but I'd rather get marital advise from a married priest who has a healthy sex drive as well and views sex with his wife as a gift from God ... than a celibate man.

I do not understand how your EC bishops can look a young man with a vocation to be a priest and serve the Eastern Catholic faith but who does not have the call to be a celibate and reject him if he is an American kid while accepting men trained and ordained in Europe. Just how are the European priests obtaining canonical releases from their ordinaries in Europe to serve in lands where apparently Ea Semper and Cum Data Fuerit still have some application - in theory if not on paper anymore? Rome prides herself on being legalistic and consistent in her application of her rules and regulations, but this makes no sense - whether it was 1894, 1929 or the present time. No wonder why people vote with their feet.I will keep you posted with news from the conference next week.