Do married Catholic priests have to remain continent?

[Polak]

Not long ago I was told something I did not realise about the Anglican church. I don’t know if this also applies to other protestant denominations, but in the Anglican church, even though a priest can be married (in a heterosexual marriage only), he/she must remain celibate once they are a priest. In other words, if he or she has children, he/she needs to have ‘created’ those children before being ordained as a priest.

We know a priest who converts to Catholicism from protestantism and already has their own family, can stay married. I wanted to double check if the celibacy rule would also apply here. I would assume so, because it is a general vow you need to take as a Catholic priest, and even in the rare exceptions of having your own family, that vow would surely remain in place, but I just wanted to double check it.

 

[CilladeRoma]

Celibacy is the state of not being married.
Continent is the state if being married, but controlling one’s sexual desire.
I have never heard that once a man is ordained in the Anglican church that he must abstain from relations, can you site a source for that?
I know that permanent deacons are allowed to have relations with their wives once ordained, why would it be any different for a married man who was ordained a priest?

 

[Kindnessmatters]

The term “celibate” means “unmarried”. As such, one cannot be both celibate and married. The word for not having sex is continent or chaste . Married priests who are permitted to transfer to the Roman Catholic church are not expected to be chaste. They do agree, however, not to remarry should their wife die or leave them.

Anglican priests may get married either before or after they are ordained and may have normal sexual relations and children with their wives.

 

[steph03]

hum … I know of an Anglican pastor, he is married and has three kids … all three kids were born after he became a pastor/priest … Never heard that Anglical priests had to be continent… I would double check that info

 

[1ke]

Not long ago I was told something I did not realise about the Anglican church. I don’t know if this also applies to other protestant denominations, but in the Anglican church, even though a priest can be married (in a heterosexual marriage only), he/she must remain celibate once they are a priest. In other words, if he or she has children, he/she needs to have ‘created’ those children before being ordained as a priest.

This is categorically not true.

We know a priest who converts to Catholicism from protestantism and already has their own family, can stay married.

Well, actually, a clergyman who converts to the Catholic Church from Anglican (or in some cases Lutheran) churches, can be ordained. He can be ordained to the Catholic priesthood if he is single or married.

I wanted to double check if the celibacy rule would also apply here. I would assume so, because it is a general vow you need to take as a Catholic priest, and even in the rare exceptions of having your own family, that vow would surely remain in place, but I just wanted to double check it.

No. Catholic permanent deacons and Catholic married priests can have relations with their wives.

 

[nunsuch]

“Chaste” means sexually appropriate to one’s state in life. For a married person, this means having sexual relations with one’s spouse. Celibate means not having sexual relations, regardless of one’s state in life.

 

[Polak]

Okay I may have to go back to the source on that one. I was surprised when I heard this actually, and now it seems it might be incorrect information.

Is it possible that perhaps a particular church or diocese in the C of E could have this rule for their clergy, or not?

 

[TheLittleLady]

Married priests who are permitted to transfer to the Roman Catholic church are not expected to be chaste.

We are all required to live in chastity according to our state in life.

Married priests are not forbidden the marital act. They are not required to be continent.

 

[do_justly_love_mercy]

in the Anglican church, even though a priest can be married (in a heterosexual marriage only), he/she must remain celibate once they are a priest. In other words, if he or she has children, he/she needs to have ‘created’ those children before being ordained as a priest.

I am really curious to know where you got this idea. Have you perhaps met just one Anglican priest who has undertaken this lifestyle for personal reasons and assumed that it is a general rule? There are definitely instances of male Anglican priests whose wives become pregnant and female Anglican priests who become pregnant. There are even couples where they are both Anglican priests and they have children.

Is it possible that perhaps a particular church or diocese in the C of E could have this rule for their clergy, or not?

Certainly not within the Church of England, nor anywhere in the Anglican Communion.

 

[goout]

We are all required to live in chastity according to our state in life.

Yes. This is why I chuckle when I hear people bemoaning their single state and not having a healthy outlet “like married people”.
All people are called to be chaste, and it might be most difficult for married people who are used to bonding, having to abstain for long periods of time. Or having to work out varying levels of desire.

 

[whatistrue]

Celibate means not having sexual relations, regardless of one’s state in life.

No. Or at least not originally. “Celibate” is properly defined as “unmarried”, but persistent misuse in recent decades has induced some dictionary writers to add what is properly called “continent” (or refraining from sex) to the definition.

 

[neophyte]

To be celibate is to be unmarried.

To be continent is to refrain from sexual activity.

To be chaste is to align your sexual activity with your state of life; licit sexual activity within the bond of marriage is chaste.

My understanding is that all ordained men are expected to maintain perfect continence (even married men ordained as permanent deacons), and that this is perhaps mitigated if it was not made clear prior to ordination.

I have no idea how this is dealt with with regard to, for example, those who enter the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

 

[TomH1]

Not long ago I was told something I did not realise about the Anglican church. I don’t know if this also applies to other protestant denominations, but in the Anglican church, even though a priest can be married (in a heterosexual marriage only), he/she must remain celibate once they are a priest. In other words, if he or she has children, he/she needs to have ‘created’ those children before being ordained as a priest.

I believe this is an occasion when a source needs citing. Also, it is not possible to say the Anglican Church has this rule … The Anglican Church is a communion of 46 different churches* with no central authority. As far as I am aware no Anglican church makes that rule and it simply does not sound right. I know the four Anglican churches in the UK do not have that rule.

I wanted to double check if the celibacy rule would also apply here.

A good example of when one needs precision in language. Celibate means to be unmarried so you cannot be celibate and married, which is how this reads. The avoidance of sexual relations with your spouse is continence. As far as I am aware continence is not required for married men who are priests in the Catholic Church. It is not required for permanent deacons so I think the same will apply to priests. However, there is a well-known canon lawyer who believes married clergy should be continent.

*http://www.anglicancommunion.org/structures/member-churches.aspx

 

[Bruised_Reed]

This article written by Jimmy Akin explains the meaning of celibacy, continence, and chastity in context of Catholic church teaching.

 

[paperwight]

My understanding is that all ordained men are expected to maintain perfect continence (even married men ordained as permanent deacons), and that this is perhaps mitigated if it was not made clear prior to ordination.

No this is not so. Priests ordained while they were single are expected to be continent and to remain unmarried.
Married men ordained as permanent deacons do not have to abstain from sex with their wives.
Clergy in another Christian tradition who convert and who are considered to have a vocation to be a Catholic priest can be ordained but do not have to abstain.

If you think about it, it is only fair to the wives of both permanent deacons and convert clergy, not to demand continence from them - they didn’t sign up to marriage to be continent.

 

[phil3]

I went a looked it up. It can mean unmarried or not having sex or both.

 

[OddBird]

even though a priest can be married (in a heterosexual marriage only), he/she must remain celibate once they are a priest.

The closest I ever heard to this was a ruling (CofE, if I remember correctly, but I may be wrong) that homosexual clergy involved in a relationship may be allowed on the provision that the relationship was abstinent. I’m not sure they haven’t backtracked since, as it was probably two or three years ago.

ETA : Sorry, @TomH1, I meant to reply to the thread, not to you specifically

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Check the link I shared above. The Church assigns specific meaning to certain words and. celibate in church means unmarried.

The Catholic church’s official language is Latin, a dead language; definitions do not change or evolve like other languages do.

Other than a simple, clear explanation I came across years ago, it was the movie Under a Tuscan Sun that helped me understand. In the film the main character is asked in broken English if she is celibate, and she’s taken aback thinking she’s being asked (in front of a large group at a dinner she’s hosting) if she has sex, until someone discreetly tells her he’s asking her if she’s single.

 

[neophyte]

No this is not so. Priests ordained while they were single are expected to be continent and to remain unmarried.

I never said otherwise.

Married men ordained as permanent deacons do not have to abstain from sex with their wives.

I have heard otherwise from sources that I find more credible than I know you to be. Are you a canon lawyer?

http://www.canonlaw.info/a_deacons.htm

If you think about it, it is only fair to the wives of both permanent deacons and convert clergy, not to demand continence from them - they didn’t sign up to marriage to be continent.

It’s not a demand, it’s an invitation that they are free to accept or not.

 

[Glennon_P]

I have heard otherwise from sources that I find more credible than I know you to be. Are you a canon lawyer?

http://www.canonlaw.info/a_deacons.htm

@InThePew
@edward_george1