Married Priests

[JeffreyLloyd]

Do you think the Church will ever allow married priests again? I know it is not possible for the church to allow women to be priests, but what about married men??

It could really help fill the priest shortage that seems to be going on.

Any thoughts?

 

[nyj]

Do you think the Church will ever allow married priests again? I know it is not possible for the church to allow women to be priests, but what about married men??

Possible, but not likely.

It could really help fill the priest shortage that seems to be going on.

I don't think it would. Most married men have established jobs and are not going to forsake those for the priesthood. You might get a handful, but not many.

In this day and age, where Catholics divorce at a rate equal to the rest of the world, making married men allowed to become priests is a Bad Thing (tm).

 

[nyj]

A Married Priesthood Won't Remedy the Priest Shortage

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

I don't know... it could work. Most priests have that big house next to the church, I could see a little family in there, and the priest still being able to attend to the concerns of the church.

I'm in a funny spot, because I really feel drawn to the priesthood, however I became Catholic five months before my wedding

 

[ZiSunka]

I know I'll get slammed for this, but at the time my parents were married (1955) in the Byzantine Catholic church, the Byzantine priests were allowed to be married. The priest that married my parents was married and had three children. When his son grew up and wanted to be a priest, the edict had come down that no more priest could be married. He had to choose between being a priest and being married.

 

[nyj]

I don't know... it could work. Most priests have that big house next to the church, I could see a little family in there, and the priest still being able to attend to the concerns of the church.

A little family? Define "little" Jeff. Not every parish has a huge rectory either, I know the rectory attached to my last parish was a two bedroom jobber which housed two priests. No room for a family.

I'm in a funny spot, because I really feel drawn to the priesthood, however I became Catholic five months before my wedding

The Diaconate.

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

A little family? Define "little" Jeff. Not every parish has a huge rectory either, I know the rectory attached to my last parish was a two bedroom jobber which housed two priests. No room for a family.

Yeah I see what you mean, after reading that article. Our parish has a HUGE rectory with only one priest, so I guess I was only thinking of our own church.

The Diaconate.

Yeah, I've already attended a couple info meetings on that. I think that is where I'm headed. Now I just have to wait until 2015 when I'm 35

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

I know I'll get slammed for this, but at the time my parents were married (1955) in the Byzantine Catholic church, the Byzantine priests were allowed to be married. The priest that married my parents was married and had three children. When his son grew up and wanted to be a priest, the edict had come down that no more priest could be married. He had to choose between being a priest and being married.

I'll bite, what did he pick?

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

A Married Priesthood Won't Remedy the Priest Shortage

That really is a good article, she breaks it down really well.

 

[ZiSunka]

Marriage. He married while he was still in college, not realizing that someday it would exclude him from the ministry.

Since he was sure that he was called by God to be a priest, but he wanted to be faithful to his responsibilities to his wife, he left the Catholic church and became an Anglican.

 

[nyj]

Yeah, I've already attended a couple info meetings on that. I think that is where I'm headed. Now I just have to wait until 2015 when I'm 35

Excellent. Remember, we work on God's time, not ours. In the meantime, it will give you ample opportunity to grow as a Catholic Christian, and volunteer your services to the Church, and your parish in particular, in many other capacities. If you want to be involved in catechesis/spiritual formation, you might want to consider joining your parishes RCIA team, or teaching RE or even started up a Young Adult Bible Study.

 

[nyj]

Since he was sure that he was called by God to be a priest, but he wanted to be faithful to his responsibilities to his wife, he left the Catholic church and became an Anglican.

So you're saying that in order to follow God, he forsook the Church that God founded. I find that puzzling. I also find it ironic that in order to be a priest, and married, he joined a church founded on the wishes of an English King for a divorce.

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

So you're saying that in order to follow God, he forsook the Church that God founded. I find that puzzling. I also find it ironic that in order to be a priest, and married, he joined a church founded on the wishes of an English King for a divorce.

I find it very puzzling, why would someone going to be a CATHOLIC priest become Anglican?? I guess odder things have happened...

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

A Married Priesthood Won't Remedy the Priest Shortage

Very good article !

 

[ZiSunka]

So you're saying that in order to follow God, he forsook the Church that God founded. I find that puzzling. I also find it ironic that in order to be a priest, and married, he joined a church founded on the wishes of an English King for a divorce.

The split between the catholics and the anglicans was a lot more complicated than that. But what was he supposed to do? He was called to be a priest at a time when priest were allowed to be married, then in the middle of his training, the rules changed and he was excluded from his calling by a rule that suddenly became law. He was already married and he still had the call of God on him. After a lot of soul searching, he decided it would be better to go to the anglican church to respond to the call of God than to remain catholic and be burdened by what seemed like an arbitrary rule.

Anglicans aren't as far from catholics as you'd think. You ought to drop by a service sometime, you'd feel right at home.

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

The Diaconate.

A suggestion that seems to be often ignored in this debate just as religious orders are often ignored in the quest for women priest.

Let us not forget that Marriage is it self considered a vocation
Ignoring the many options of serving the Lord and only focusing on the priesthood has in my opinion caused some of the troubles in the church today. Specially when it is pride that leads some one to the priesthood over another vocation.

 

[nyj]

The split between the catholics and the anglicans was a lot more complicated than that.

It hinged on divorce.

But what was he supposed to do? He was called to be a priest at a time when priest were allowed to be married, then in the middle of his training, the rules changed and he was excluded from his calling by a rule that suddenly became law.

Now the story seems to be changing. First you say he got married in college and then found out afterward that it would eventually exclude him from the ministry. I was assuming he found this out when he tried to enter seminary.

Anglicans aren't as far from catholics as you'd think. You ought to drop by a service sometime, you'd feel right at home.

You're right, it's just a "service", not a Mass. They don't have valid orders, it'd be a waste of my time to go there.

 

[Benedicta00]

Jeffery,

Arron has made a good point. Marriage is a vocation that God gives us that is why it is a sacrament. This is our path to holiness that God has chosen for us. The Priesthood is another vocation that God has choose for another. Our role in marriage is to make our spouses saints not always an easy task.

You have your vocation in which you serve the Church and Priests have theirs.

The family is considered the domestic Church and you are the "priest" of the family. You are responsible for their spiritual welfare. You are the head of you family the same way Christ is the head of his Church.

Your not that far from the priesthood as you may think.

 

[Philip]

Since he was sure that he was called by God to be a priest, but he wanted to be faithful to his responsibilities to his wife, he left the Catholic church and became an Anglican.

Why Anglicanism?

 

[ZiSunka]

It hinged on divorce.

Partly, but that wasn't the only issue. There was a desire for "homerule" and a lot of other little things that came to a head with Henry VIII's desire to divorce.

Now the story seems to be changing. First you say he got married in college and then found out afterward that it would eventually exclude him from the ministry. I was assuming he found this out when he tried to enter seminary.

No, the story hasn't changed. He married in college believing that he would still be able to become a priest, then in his first year of seminary, he was expelled for being married.

You're right, it's just a "service", not a Mass. They don't have valid orders, it'd be a waste of my time to go there.

semantics.