Celebacy for Priests or not?

[BernadetteM]

To answer Phil’s question, yes Anglican Use/Ordinariate priests are allowed to have a true marriage in every sense of the word.

The Anglican Use parish, in Scranton, PA now part of the Ordinariate has a priest who has 8 children.

His parish is doing a wonderful job in both the pastoral sense, spiritual/liturgy etc. and socializing the members.

I believe that there are priests that can be great and actually serve a parish better being married than some priests who are celibate. It all depends on the individual priest and of late I have seen that sometimes a wife can cause serious problems for the priest and his vocation or she might be a great benefit for the whole parish. Before a former Anglican or any protestant who is married is ordained their wives should also go through formation to make sure that she won’t hinder his ministry.

We can’t generalize as there have always been married priests in the Eastern Rites.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette

 

[catholictiger]

To answer Phil’s question, yes Anglican Use/Ordinariate priests are allowed to have a true marriage in every sense of the word.

The Anglican Use parish, in Scranton, PA now part of the Ordinariate has a priest who has 8 children.

His parish is doing a wonderful job in both the pastoral sense, spiritual/liturgy etc. and socializing the members.

I believe that there are priests that can be great and actually serve a parish better being married than some priests who are celibate. It all depends on the individual priest and of late I have seen that sometimes a wife can cause serious problems for the priest and his vocation or she might be a great benefit for the whole parish. Before a former Anglican or any protestant who is married is ordained their wives should also go through formation to make sure that she won’t hinder his ministry.

We can’t generalize as there have always been married priests in the Eastern Rites.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette

Thank you

Just to make it clear even though eastern orthodox and other Rites of the Catholic Church allow married priest it is important to mention that the theology on the sacraments differ from rite to rite. Of course the fundamental theology of there being 7 sacraments is the same, but the more specific theology differs from rite to rite.

For example: I have heard in some eastern rites the priest is the minister of the sacrament of marriage, in the latin rite the minister is the couple. I can’t tell you why this happens but I know it happens. It is very possibly that the latin rite sees priesthood differently in such a way that they require their priest (with rare exceptions) to be celibate. We have to get a theologian from the East to explain this for us. My knowledge of the theology of celibate priesthood is limited mainly because I haven’t taken that course yet at seminary, I know some of the basics sure but I can’t tell you why the latin rite requires celibacy for the overwhelming majority of their priest.

But to put it basically, the latin rite believes in the celibate priesthood for many theological reasons, eastern rites don’t as much for many other theological reasons. Both are in line with Catholic teaching. Keep in mind eastern bishops must be celibate. The east I believe shows an importance of celibacy but it isn’t a requirement of their priests.

a question for those who know more about the east. If a married priest wife dies, can he remarry? I know for deacons in the latin rite they can be ordained after they are married but if they are ordained a deacon they can never remarry.

 

[JillianRose]

I seem to be hearing a lot about Pope Francis possibly doing away with celibacy. I believe he hasn’t but the papers are really pushing this possibility. What is the truth I wonder. I don’t believe priest should marry but I know they are others thinking differently.
ph.news.yahoo.com/non-celibate-pinoy-priests-welcome-pope-francis-statement-000517497.html

:tsktsk:

Hi!!!

I have a few friends of the Protestant Persuasion that are married to Ministers. From what I can tell it is VERY hard and takes a VERY special women to be married to one. He is not just your Husband but the Shepard of a Church. It don’t know what toll that would take on a marriage. What about if you have kids? The phone is always ringing, and people are always in your personal business… SO that being said I’m not sure.

Peace,
Jill

 

[RyanBlack]

a question for those who know more about the east. If a married priest wife dies, can he remarry? I know for deacons in the latin rite they can be ordained after they are married but if they are ordained a deacon they can never remarry.

No, he cannot remarry. However, I have heard of some rare instances of Orthodox bishops granting exceptions in the case of a widowed priest with young children.

 

[catholictiger]

No, he cannot remarry. However, I have heard of some rare instances of Orthodox bishops granting exceptions in the case of a widowed priest with young children.

that is what I thought, it think it shows the significance of ordination that once you receive the grace of ordination you cannot receive the Sacrament of marriage.