It’s funny/ironic that you posted this. I feel exactly how this particular man feels. But, I believe that it’s too late and my children are far more important to me than any other vocation. I have a responsibility to be there for them. Not by myself, but in uniion with my wife. You see, my wife and I have made a sacred oath to each other. But in the oat, we know that separation for any reason could and probably would have everlasting ramifications on their conscience. It would leave a scar that would never leave them. I know, since I’m the product of such a divorce. It was obvious that both of my parents loved each other, yet they were not open to marriage. Even though they were not open, they still had responsibility as both Catholic and Protestant to uphold their parental obligations.
I’m not comfortable with promoting divorced men to holy orders. I believe it’s much worst than promoting married men to holy orders.
Let me add that in my previous Christian faith, divorce automatically disqualified you for leadership roles in the church. Divorce was considered extremely sinful and only allowed if there was infedelity. The person that sinned was not allowed to remarry. The person that was not unfaithful was allowed, but could still not become an elder, deacon or even a preacher. Even in this situation the divorce was discouraged to allow reconciliation. If in the case divorce occurred anyway, remarriage was even more strongly discouraged, even for the one that was not guilty of infidelity. In any case, the man was immediately considered disqualified for leadership of any kind.
With that said, one congregation that broke that faith tradition/teaching led me on a road away from that congregation and ultimately outside the salvation of the Church, almost wondering if any truth really existed. About 6 years later my wife and I became Catholic, me as a revert and her as a new believer. She had already experienced the hypocrisy of those in her cradle faith, Church of Christ, in a family with her father as an elder and many preachers, deacons and a couple of elders.
And one more added thought. I saw and heard about several men, married, that sinned gravely by infedelity and pedaphylia, one in the family that was accused, but never proven. However, my wife assured me that he was in fact a real pervert. We refuse to allow them near our home and do everything we can to avoide them. He was a deacon. Another man that went around trying to disprove evolution, or maybe just offer valid arguments for creation, was found guilty of pedaphylia some years later. I was nearly floored by it, but it did make since. He put himself in a situation where he had access to children. His followers quietly bowed out of that ministry. His wife was devastated and he ended up in divorce and I heard in a same sex relationship.
All said and done, The evidence does not prove that married men as clerics… well you know what I’m going to say. Anytime perverted men have an opportunity to set themselves up with access to their sin, they will try and some will succeed. Don’t discount the good and faithful men that become clerics though. Most are happily married and faithful. The same can also be said about celibate men. They are mostly happy and faithful.
