www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Married EC priests vs. celibate ones here

Eastern Catholic priests elsewhere are allowed to be married while the Vatican requires them to be celebate in *this* country. Why? It strikes me that the reason is there is concern that RC men wanting to be married and priests would jump ship and become EC in order to be ordained.

However, there is a disconnect here in that consistently the RC Church says that allowing married RC priests would have almost no impact on priestly vocations. I do see their point in that one has to ask, "How many men are out there who really know Jesus wants them to be priests but refuse to obey due to celebacy?"

I DON'T have an agenda in asking these questions. I just see a disconnect between the hierarchy's stated claims that married priesthood would not result in significant increase in RC vocations vs. the fact that EC priests elsewhere *are* allowed to be married but not in the RC pre-dominant U.S.A.

Thoughts?

PS: I'm RC if anybody wonders. I'm not rebelling against the RCC's decision reference celibate priesthood -- just wondering which is the "real deal" with the above conflicting things.

Eric, the Melkite and Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic bishops (not all, but some) in *this* country do ordain married men to the priesthood. It is only the Ruthenian bishops who have not yet done so, although it is clear by the makeup of the current Ss. Cyril & Methodius seminary class that one of these bishops intends to do so in the future.

You need to be careful when talking about vocations this way. There are many Catholic women who also claim that they "know that Jesus wants them to be priests". But the usual response to that claim is that they are misled, that God (the Holy Spirit, rather) does not call women to be priests. Perhaps the Holy Spirit also does not call Roman Catholic men who do not have the charism of celibacy to be priests. At least in the Eastern Churches, vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, etc., do not come solely from the "Divine Call"; they are also supposed to come from the community, the Body of Christ. That is why it is so difficult a concept for us that a Roman Catholic man would try to switch Churches in order to attempt to become a non-celibate priest because "Jesus is calling him to be a priest"--when there is no connection with the community he would be called to serve, either personal, or spiritual, or historical, or emotional connections. Such a person, we would say, is not called to be an Eastern Catholic priest!

This is also one reason why, in at least a few cases, recent (in the last 15 years) ordinations of priests in our Church here have not worked out well: the men had no living connection with our particular manifestation of the Mystical Body of Christ and found that the reality was not like what he read about in books or was taught at the seminary. So these men are either now Roman Catholic priests, Orthodox priests, or no longer serving as priests at all.

Thanks, Brian. A good point and one I was unaware of.

Lemko,
I think I understand where you got this from but it is dangerous reading into things.

At this time, none of our Epachies have any plans on Ordaining a married man to the priesthood. All they will consider is the diaconate for married men.

I have this from an inside source.


David, the Byzantine Catholic

//At this time, none of our Epachies have any plans on Ordaining a married man to the priesthood. All they will consider is the diaconate for married men.//

Will they ignore their own deacon requirements of: (1) being married at least a minimum of five years and (2) be at least forty years in age?

Joe

A question for all:

I remember an older document from the BCC about priestly vocations requiring 2 years active participation in a parish before seeking ordination. But, at least in Passaic, you must be active 5 years in a parish before applying to the diaconate program. Can anyone explain why this difference exists (I would think the requirements would be reversed...)? Thanks.

Slava Isusu Christu!
Glenn


PS - apologies for the Latin, I never learned APA format in Greek or OCS

This isn't directly related to Eric's question, but it's something I've been wondering about (maybe tangentially related?).

As we all know, the RCC has a "pastoral provision" enabling some clerical converts (mainly from Anglicanism) to be ordained as Catholic priests even though they're married -- i.e., without having to embrace celibacy.

As we all know also, the Episcopal Church USA is on the verge of possible schism.

As a result, we could see a lot of Episcopal clergy converting to Catholicism (and many others converting to Orthodoxy, of course, but the celibacy issue doesn't arise in that case).

What happens if we suddenly have a significantly larger number of clergy converts (from the Episcopal Church) applying for RC Holy Orders via the "pastoral provision"? Will this light a fire under the ECC for the resoration of the married priesthood in America? Will it reopen the question of a married priesthood for the RCC?

Just wondering....

(BTW, I have this fantasy wherein the Episcopal Church splits and, in response, the Pope greatly extends the Anglican Use (Catholic liturgy based on a modified form of the Book of Common Prayer), so that it's potentially available in every diocese. Whereupon we get a windfall of converts from Anglicanism. Ah, dream on, Zoe! :rolleyes:

Blessings,

ZT

Slava Isusu Christu!

It would be nice to have the Anglican Use Liturgy more widespread. It is a reverent Liturgy and quite the scene. Let's pray that those who can no longer stay in ECUSA feel like they can have a home with the Catholic or Orthodox Churches.

Dear Friends,

I love Christ's Church, East & West.

When it comes to change the church is usually very slow to act (for good reasons). We are all human (hierarchs too). Be patient. Pray for married vocations to the priesthood. With God all things are possible.

I am sure that married priests will be ordained in every Eastern juristiction in the United States in God's time.

I am proud of the Melkites anf Ukrainians in returning to their proper tradition in regard to married priests. May these priests' good example hasten the ordination of married priests in other Eastern ritual churches.

Paul

Dear Zoe,

Very good points!

I think we will be seeing more and more former Anglican (and Lutheran) ministers becoming married Catholic priests.

I believe Rome allows them to enter the Catholic priesthood as married men since they contracted those marriages while still Protestants and, therefore, "invincibly ignorant."

Now that they are fully enlightened as Catholics, they cannot, for obvious moral reasons, put away those wives and children, much as they would probably like to - assuming they really are enlightened, of course!

So they will just have to fulfill their priestly obligations in the Catholic Church while carrying the yoke of their penance in the persons of their wives and families . . .

And hopefully, no Catholics will become scandalized in the process, as a result.

But, really, the very idea of a holy priest even LOOKING at a woman, let alone actually touching her, even though she is his wife . . . yuck!

Alex

I posted this quickly when I had work pressing on me and did not do a good job, this was pointed out to me by someone.

I must add, that while, what I have heard, is that there is no plan to ordain married men to the priesthood at this time, that this does not mean that it won't happen.

It will take years to prepare anyone for the priesthood so they still have time to finalize any plans to do so.

Also it would be my guess that when it happens it will surprise all of us as I doubt any of our bishops are going to go around ringing bells to announce this.

When it happens it will just happen.

The way it should be.


David, the Byzantine Catholic

I selfishly dream it'll happen so I could attend such a parish myself! IMO, the Anglican mass is much more beautiful than the N.O.

Dear Eric,

One Anglican Use priest I know insists on blessing everyone with holy water before Mass.

I thought it was because it was soon after the feast of Candlemas.

But, no. He said he liked doing that all the time!

And he prayed the Rosary before Mass.

At least these Anglican "Uniates" won't have an issue with Latinization . . .

Alex

Hopefully my Bishop (Eparchy of Van Nuys -Ruthenian) is the 1st to Ordaine married men.
I talk to the dean of SS. Cyril and Methodius alot, and he says that married men can be ordained priest, currently in our ruthenian jurisdiction, but its on an indiviudal basis.

daniel