Celibacy: Cdl Scola vs. Melkite Patriarch

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According to priests who briefed reporters on the synod proceedings in several languages on Tuesday, the debate produced a coarse exchange late Monday between Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice, the general relator of the synod, and Melkite Patriarch Gregoire III Laham.

“Celibacy has no theological foundation” in the priesthood, Laham said, responding to an opening speech by Scola that cited “profound theological motives” for not allowing married men to enter the priesthood.

“In the Eastern Church married priests are admitted,” Laham said, adding that “marriage is a symbol of union between Christ and the church.”

Responding to Laham, Scola asserted that “in the Latin church theological reasons exist” for maintaining the policy on celibacy. He did not elaborate on those reasons. He then added, “The synod is a place to explore the Mystery, not to give directions on its use.”

In his opening remarks, Scola reported that some bishops proposed that priest-deprived regions be permitted to ordain exemplary married men, which theologians refer to as “proven men,” or “viri probati” in Latin.

nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/sb100405a.htm
 
Many Roman Catholic priests ask to be transferred to Eastern rite Catholic churches — whose clergy are allowed to marry — to flee the Vatican’s stringent celibacy rule, Lebanon’s Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir told bishops on Friday.

“Many western priests write to us to ask to be incardinated (attached) in a diocese of the Eastern Church with the aim of marrying,” the patriarch of the Maronite Church told the closed-door meeting of the synod of bishops.

The phrase appeared in a copy of the cardinal’s speech shown to a number of journalists. However, it was not included in excerpts made public by the Vatican press office.

But the cardinal warned the 245 bishops attending the synod’s eighth daily session that marriage causes “just as many problems as it resolves,” according to the text released by the Vatican.

usatoday.com/news/religion/2005-10-07-priestsmarriage_x.htm
 
But the cardinal warned the 245 bishops attending the synod’s eighth daily session that marriage causes “just as many problems as it resolves,” according to the text released by the Vatican.
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I think that about sums it up.
 
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HagiaSophia:
Many Roman Catholic priests ask to be transferred to Eastern rite Catholic churches — whose clergy are allowed to marry — to flee the Vatican’s stringent celibacy rule, Lebanon’s Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir told bishops on Friday.
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Why, it won’t do them any good.

The Eastern Churches don’t allow priests to marry either. Holy Orders is an impediment to marriage in both the East and the West.
 
The issue has come up during the current synod, and since it is a rule that can be changed, under Church authority, should it be changed? Currently, the Church is facing a shortage of priests. If priests were allowed to marry, would that encourage more men to become priests? Or would it make married priests less effective as a priest, as well as a husband and father? What do you think?
 
Michael Welter:
If priests were allowed to marry, would that encourage more men to become priests? Or would it make married priests less effective as a priest, as well as a husband and father? What do you think?
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Hopefully, we will never find out.
My most Holy Pastor has hundreds of children in his flock. If he had children of his own, mine would not be so special.

However, I have to say, this man would make a great Dad.
 
One of my best friends is a married priest.

His father is a priest.

His grandfather was a priest.

His brother is a priest and his sister is a nun.

We had a pastor who was a 5th generation priest.

I think this speaks volumns…
 
Whatever happened to “breathing out of both lungs”? Does each rite of the Church have to have exactly the same disciplines?
 
Dr. Bombay

I love yore imput. I hope you saw my thread but… I hope the rule does not change… Please. ( i am weak and made of clay, save me)
 
Few points

One thing, no priest can ever be married in whatever ritual church, once you’re ordained you’re not allowed to get married afterward. That’s true in Orthodoxy as well. In the Eastern Churches, both separated and in communion with the Holy See, married men can be ordained as priests. So that isn’t going to happen.

The Latin Church has a history of married men ordained as Priests, both now (with the converts from Lutheranism and Episcopalianism) and int her early history. The Eastern Churches have had a long tradition of celibate clerics… indeed all their hierarchs are celibates since they are selected from the monastic world, and monks are always celibate.
 
HagiaSophia said:
“Many western priests write to us to ask to be incardinated (attached) in a diocese of the Eastern Church with the aim of marrying,” the patriarch of the Maronite Church told the closed-door meeting of the synod of bishops.

The phrase appeared in a copy of the cardinal’s speech shown to a number of journalists. However, it was not included in excerpts made public by the Vatican press office.
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Hopefully, it wasn’t included because His Beatitude realized what an incorrect and foolish statement he had made and retracted it.

Priests are not allowed to be married after ordination in any of the Eastern or Oriental Churches, Catholic or Orthodox, and I doubt very much that there are a lot of Western priests out there who are unaware of that and actually believe they could marry if canonically transferred into the Maronite Church.

Joe
 
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