Beware the arguments for married priests in the Amazon

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No offense to Fr. Longenecker (whose blog I follow and enjoy), but I don’t think the idea of ordaining married viri probati will lead to Episcopalianism. I think his Anglican background may be causing him to have an unjustified episode of deja vu.

Sure, many of the backers would like to see women deacons or this or that pet cause. That doesn’t mean that Pope Francis will compromise the Faith and keel over to such demands. It’s well established that the valid matter for Holy Orders is a man, so there. As far as having some nonsacramental ministerial status for women, why would that be a problem? It already exists. There are many parishes where the pastor’s nonsacramental duties are performed by a woman (example), with male priests celebrating the Sacraments while the female coordinator does the logistical work of running the parish. For that matter, there were lay cardinals in the past, so no reason why not to amend canon law such that a woman could be a cardinal (which is a purely ecclesiastical office having no necessary connection to the episcopate.)
 
Father Longenecker is a married Catholic priest himself, so I doubt that he is opposed in principle to married priests. He seems mostly to be wary of the particular arguments that are being offered and the manner in which the working papers have been prepared.
 
I am so done with the dialogue of "married priests, women deacons and divorce.

How long oh Lord… how long…
 
As an Eastern Catholic, I have no problem with a married priesthood (as I’ve said many times before). And I firmly believe that if the West wants to re-instate a married priesthood, they should consider the example of their Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox brethren - as well as considering the challenges we face in re married clergy.

One thing that I’ve yet to see discussed by anybody is the expense of a married clergy. St. Paul tells us that the “laborer deserves his wage,” and Catholic social teaching tells employers that a person should be paid a just wage that takes marital and family status into consideration. My question becomes, are the dioceses of the Amazon (and any other diocese that hopes one day to re-instate a married priesthood) prepared to pay a man a just wage so that he can serve the Gospel while at the same time supporting his wife (since they’re only talking about ordaining “mature” men whose children have grown)?
 
If the model of married deacon is followed, he may have a “day job” as it were. That would assume sacramental/liturgical duties only though. Running a parish is a larger administrative task, but why couldn’t that be done by a layman, or (gasp!) a laywoman?

It’s an organizational challenge, but not an insurmountable obstacle. Surely some layperson is already running these remote parishes without a regular priest.
 
Yes, in such extraordinary circumstances laypeople, including women, often already run parishes from an administrative perspective. That won’t become the norm though… priests are appointed pastors of parishes for a reason. As Christ the Priest a priest celebrates the sacraments. As Christ the Prophet, a priest teaches and preaches. And as Christ the King, a priest governs the people of God (typically as pastor of a parish).
 
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I have attended numerous parishes over the years with no pastor. They were instead run by either lay women or religious sisters. There were some drawbacks, but overall things went smoothly.
 
Yes, now that I think about it, only bishops, who receive the fullness of the priesthood as successors of the apostles, are truly called to govern the Church as part of the Church’s fundamental divine constitution. How they delegate that ministry of governance at the local level may be flexible. Perhaps the governance of local parishes, under the ultimately authority of a bishop, could be entrusted to laity, including women, as a matter of course in the future.
 
Receiving Communion only once a year, maybe two talks about a reality at least I am not that familiar with. Except for some annual missions to very isolated places with very difficult access.
The Amazonas area has inaccesible zones or almost. So extended…A wide variety of dialects and challenges. And nature is strong and not always amicable in terms of fauna , insects, temperatures.
I do not think it follows any really known pattern we can easily relate to…
 
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i have heard a lot of “dialog” but always the answer seems to be “No!”
 
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