Holy See: Married Anglican Ministers Seeking Ordination Will be Considered

[Michie]

Zenit News Agency (www.zenit.org)

Already married Anglican deacons and priests seeking ordination to the priesthood in the Catholic Church will be considered.


VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org) -

The Holy See is affirming that there is no disagreement between Benedict XVI and other Vatican officials on the question of celibacy and Anglican pastors who want to become Catholic.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, issued a clarification Saturday addressing recent speculation on the delay of the announced apostolic constitution allowing for personal ordinariates for Anglicans wishing to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Continued- http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=34750

 

[Archangelus]

I know of a traniee priest left because he fell in love then the parish he moved to in Manchester a week after getting there the preist changed and who replaced him? a married former anglican Preist with a wife and kids. Stabbed in the back? Double Standards? I think so, I think God has a strange sense of humour!

 

[Fantine]

I look at this as a sort of clinical trial like the drug companies do when they are testing out a new medication. It's a way for the Church to see how well the married priesthood works in practice before making any changes.

It's really fortuitous that they have this ready made testing group to work with.

I hope the clinical trial is successful and followed by full approval (don't worry, celibacy fans, priests that were ordained through religious orders--Jesuit, Franciscan, would still take celibacy vows.)

 

[Called2Grace]

Do you think that they will allow certain Catholic trained priests to be married?

On one hand I can understand that they want to accept people into the faith, but what about those Catholics who have in the past had to choose.

 

[Virgil the Roman]

No,ordained priests are not permitted to be married if they are celibate after ordination; however, the Church can allow married men into the priesthood. There is a difference. Priests have never allowed celibate or widowed priests to marry; however, she has in the past, and as in the case with 20 of the other Catholic rites admitted married men into her Holy priesthood of Christ Jesus.

 

[Dark_Lite]

Hopefully this Personal Ordinariate will be a stepping stone towards optional celibacy in the Latin Rite.

 

[Virgil the Roman]

I hope so as well.