Can a married nazarene minister convert to RCC as a priest or deacon?

[thubbell]

i seem to have problems posting questions to apologetics - none of my questions have been posted let alone answered. maybe this will work.

i have a cousin who is now a nazarene minister of a small congregation in southern oklahoma. he was born and raised a methodist, eventually becoming a minister in that church. he fell away from god and eventually found him again. strangely, it was in the catholic church. he befriended a good priest in boston and attended daily mass for 2 years. when he was finally ready to become a catholic (till this day he carries a rosary in his pant pocket), he was told he’d have to wait until RCIA classes in the fall. he was too impatient. so he found a church that would embrace him immediately. that was the nazarene church. he met his future wife while in boston and he entered the nazarene college in quincy.

he often talks still about how he wished/wishes he could be a catholic and a priest. his wife seems adamantly anti-catholic even though we get along well. she attended mass w/ us last fourth of july weekend and didn’t seem comfortable. anyway, if my cousin WERE to convert, would he be able to do so as a married priest? or would he have to go the route of a deacon? thanks for any information. who knows, my mentioning of this and anything from scott and kimberly hahn might trigger something in him. cheers and god bless.

 

[vern_humphrey]

He can certainly become a deacon – the Church has married deacons (but they cannot go on to become priests.) I know there is provision for at least some married Protestant ministers (such as Episcopalians) to become priests as well.

You should address your question to the Diocese office for Vocations.

 

[Ignatius]

thubbell:

i seem to have problems posting questions to apologetics - none of my questions have been posted let alone answered. maybe this will work.

i have a cousin who is now a nazarene minister of a small congregation in southern oklahoma. he was born and raised a methodist, eventually becoming a minister in that church. he fell away from god and eventually found him again. strangely, it was in the catholic church. he befriended a good priest in boston and attended daily mass for 2 years. when he was finally ready to become a catholic (till this day he carries a rosary in his pant pocket), he was told he’d have to wait until RCIA classes in the fall. he was too impatient. so he found a church that would embrace him immediately. that was the nazarene church. he met his future wife while in boston and he entered the nazarene college in quincy.

he often talks still about how he wished/wishes he could be a catholic and a priest. his wife seems adamantly anti-catholic even though we get along well. she attended mass w/ us last fourth of july weekend and didn’t seem comfortable. anyway, if my cousin WERE to convert, would he be able to do so as a married priest? or would he have to go the route of a deacon? thanks for any information. who knows, my mentioning of this and anything from scott and kimberly hahn might trigger something in him. cheers and god bless.

The Byzantine and other Eastern Rite Catholic Churches have married priests.

Also, the Coming Home Network helps not-catholic clergy deal with many of the issues they face when they’ve discovered the Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church.

The purpose of The Coming Home Network International (CHNetwork) is to provide fellowship, encouragement and support for pastors and laymen of other traditions (Protestant, Orthodox, etc…) who are somewhere along the journey or have already converted to the Catholic Church.

Here is the link chnetwork.org/

They can also be contacted as given below:
The Coming Home Network International
P.O. Box 8290, Zanesville, OH 43702

Telephone
(800) 664-5110
(740) 450-1175

Fax (740) 450-7168

Electronic mail
General Information: info@chnetwork.org

Yours in Christ

 

[PassthePeace1]

Ignatius:

The Byzantine and other Eastern Rite Catholic Churches have married priests.

Also, the Coming Home Network helps not-catholic clergy deal with many of the issues they face when they’ve discovered the Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church.

The purpose of The Coming Home Network International (CHNetwork) is to provide fellowship, encouragement and support for pastors and laymen of other traditions (Protestant, Orthodox, etc…) who are somewhere along the journey or have already converted to the Catholic Church.

Here is the link chnetwork.org/

They can also be contacted as given below:
The Coming Home Network International
P.O. Box 8290, Zanesville, OH 43702

Telephone
(800) 664-5110
(740) 450-1175

Fax (740) 450-7168

Electronic mail
General Information: info@chnetwork.org

Yours in Christ

Yep, this was my first thought as well…to contact the Coming Home Network.

 

[Ted_CharlotteNC]

And don’t worry about Apologists not answering your question, I am in the same boat, they havent posted or answered mine either, and my question was alot more interesting than yours

 

[Joe_Gloor]

This site refers to Episcopalian Ministers, so it might not apply to a Nazarene minister.
It’s from EWTN so it should be accurate.
What’s the deal about legally married priests?
Essentially:

Finally, concerning married Episcopalian clergy becoming Catholic priests, “the Holy See has specified that this exception to the rule of celibacy is granted in favor of these individual persons, and should not be understood as implying any change in the Church’s conviction of the value of priestly celibacy, which will remain the rule for future candidates for the priesthood from this group.”

 

[JB]

thubbell:

…his wife seems adamantly anti-catholic… if my cousin WERE to convert, would he be able to do so as a married priest? or would he have to go the route of a deacon?..

He could not convert as a Priest, only those who have valid Holy Orders, such as Eastern Orthodox Priests, may be received into the Church as a Priest, so he would be received into the Church as a married Layman, who might, if he is otherwise qualified, apply to his Bishop as a candidate for the Diaconate. Be aware though, that the Church gives priority to an existing Marriage over a potential Ordination. Among other things, the wife must give her free consent for a married candidate to be ordained. From your description, it sounds as though she would not be inclined to do so.

 

[scylla]

Is anything wrong with being a deacon, we sure need some more. I would like to do this sort of thing if I am called to do this once my young ones are grown.

God Bless
Scylla

 

[porthos11]

JB.:

He could not convert as a Priest, only those who have valid Holy Orders, such as Eastern Orthodox Priests, may be received into the Church as a Priest, so he would be received into the Church as a married Layman, who might, if he is otherwise qualified, apply to his Bishop as a candidate for the Diaconate. Be aware though, that the Church gives priority to an existing Marriage over a potential Ordination. Among other things, the wife must give her free consent for a married candidate to be ordained. From your description, it sounds as though she would not be inclined to do so.

Episcopalian priests who convert (especially along with their parishes) are also considered for re-ordination even if married.

 

[DaveBj]

I’m not an expert, but from previous discussions on these forums I conclude that he would have to convert and then go through the same period of discernment and formation (several years) that any ordinary male Catholic would have to go through to become a deacon. Echoing previous posters, the priesthood would be out of the question.

Having said that, and bearing in mind that I am not personally acquainted with every deacon in North America, so I do not know every case, I seriously doubt that he would be accepted as long as his wife is “adamantly anti-Catholic.” I could be wrong. I’ve been wrong before. But in this case I doubt that I am.

DaveBj

 

[cameron_lansing]

DaveBj:

. . . Having said that, and bearing in mind that I am not personally acquainted with every deacon in North America, so I do not know every case, I seriously doubt that he would be accepted as long as his wife is “adamantly anti-Catholic.” I could be wrong. I’ve been wrong before. But in this case I doubt that I am… . .

You’re certainly not wrong here. Canon 1050 3º requires the consent of the wife as does canon 1030§2.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

porthos11:

Episcopalian priests who convert (especially along with their parishes) are also considered for re-ordination even if married.

It’s not just Episcopalians who are considered when a pastor and his flock convert in mass. I know of an Assemblies of God minister who is married and was ordained after his whole church, or the majority of it, converted.

 

[decn2b]

thubbell:

if my cousin WERE to convert, would he be able to do so as a married priest? or would he have to go the route of a deacon? thanks for any information. who knows, my mentioning of this and anything from scott and kimberly hahn might trigger something in him. cheers and god bless.

In my diocese you have to have been Catholic for 5 years and Married for 10 before you are accepted into the diaconate program

 

[I_A]

If God is calling him he must follow.

If God is calling him to be Catholic he must become Catholic.

If the church, God’s body, says he can not be a priest or deacon, would he still follow?

 

[JB]

porthos11:

Episcopalian priests who convert (especially along with their parishes) are also considered for re-ordination even if married.

Correct, in some cases, also for some Lutherans as I understand these matters, except that the Church would not recognize this condition as one of re-ordination, but of Ordination, as the Sacrament of Holy Orders is unrepeatable (except insofar as an ordained man receives further Orders, such as a Deacon being ordained a Priest or a Priest being ordained a Bishop.)

As the Anglican or Lutheran communions as a rule do not have valid Orders as recognized by the Catholic Church (some individual clergymen of these communions may have valid Orders, if ordained by Bishops with valid Orders, such as Old Catholic Bishops, or by Bishops who were themselves ordained by such Bishops, but these cases are generally treated as exceptional), such clergymen are received into the Catholic Church as Laymen, who may if they are otherwise qualified and have a Bishop who will incardinate them into his Diocese, be Ordained or conditionally Ordained as Priests.

Eastern Orthodox Priests or other Priests with definitely valid Orders, such as Priests ordained by SSPX Bishops, as I understand, are not Ordained when received into the Catholic Church, although I would suppose some form recognition of their Priesthood is observed if they wish to serve as Catholic Priests and not as Laymen, and if a Bishop receives them into his Diocese, or a Superior receives them into a Religious order, but I do not know what form this recognition might take.