Catholic married man to Catholic Priest?

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TerryPaul

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Hello

Can a Catholic married man become a Catholic Priest even if he was not a protestant minister first?

God bless,
 
Yes, this is allowed for [Eastern rite Catholics](Eastern Catholic Churches).
 
To help with what I believe is the intent of the question, is this possible within the Latin Rite?
 
Willy_Jose said:
True enough, although technically the Holy See can grant a dispensation, but I am not aware that this dispensation has actually been granted in the Latin Rite. Anyone?
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I happen to know exactly one person who is the daughter of a priest and who was not conceived out of wedlock. I don’t know more, though.
 
Willy_Jose said:
True enough, although technically the Holy See can grant a dispensation, but I am not aware that this dispensation has actually been granted in the Latin Rite. Anyone?
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I’ve heard of permanent deacons becoming priests after becoming widowers. Perhaps if a permanent deacon shows something extraordinary that would make a Bishop call Rome and seek and indult to Ordain a married man. We’ll be hard pressed to find a real life example. If there is such an example today, there must be really few of them.

Another area that this might be possible is mission areas. The Church may see it advantageous that a local, even though he’s married, would become a priest. But again its all speculation. We just know that if the Church wants it, it can be done. Since its a matter of Church discipline only, the rule can be relaxed.
 
I can only assume that you mean" “Can a currently married man become a Latin Rite Priest?”

The answer is, yes he can, but it is very seldom done. In order to do this, both the man, and his wife, would have to vow not to ever live together, to not ever have marital relations again, the wife (and any children) would have to be provided for economically, AND then the church MIGHT grant a dispensation to allow the man to be ordained.

The vast majority of men could not provide for a wife, and still become a Priest (believe me, they are NOT paid enough to support a family). You would have to have substantial assets, be able to see to it that your wife (and kids if any) had adequate medical insurance, a decent living situation, etc. Or, the wife might have the assets to allow this to happen. Under no circumstance would the church allow you to abandon your wife, in order to become a Priest (or any kind of religious).

It is quite unusual for someone to even request this, much less to actually have it happen. In ancient days, it was more common for married men, and for married women, to enter religious life. But today, it would be a rather rare event.

But yes, it is technically possible for this to happen.
 
TerryPaul said:
Hello

Can a Catholic married man become a Catholic Priest even if he was not a protestant minister first?

God bless,
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Absolutely yes if he is a widower. There are also cases where an episcopalian minister converts and becomes a catholic priest. What is not allowed is a situation where a catholic man who converts gets married and may or may not be a minister in the church to which they converted and then tries to come back to the catholic church to be a priest.
 
In the Latin rite a married man who is divorced and who obtains a annulment can be ordained in a diocese where the bishop is willing to accept him. Also a married man who is divorced and whose wife has already remarried with no chance of reconciliation may be accepted by some bishops. I know this because I have known priests who were ordained under these circumstances. It is not a common thing.
 
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