Episcopal Priest and 50 Parishners Convert to Catholicsm

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philipmarus

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In the Diocese of Scranton, Episcopal Priest Eric Bergman, his wife, three children and 50 of his parishoners are in the process of converting to Catholicism over the recent ordaination of openly Homosexual Bishop Robinson… Whats intersting is the Former Episcopal Priest draws the connection between acceptance of contraception and acceptance of homosexual priests.

Full Story is Here:

thedailyreview.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13682396&BRD=2276&PAG=461&dept_id=465049&rfi=6
 
I had a feeling that the ordination of this Bishop would cause more Episcopalians to convert the Catholic Church.
 
I have felt for sometime that the decay of our culture will actually help cause more unity…more Christians will see that the Catholic Church/faith does not change under the stress of a sick culture–never has.
 
Perhaps it was the slant of the article, but what I read was “I don’t like the Episcopal Church anymore, so I’m going to church-up by becoming Catholic.”

For example, Bergman said: “I was called to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Church changed.”

I’m left wondering if Rev. Bergman has been convinced of the Truth of the Catholic Church, or if he is just convinced that he no longer wants to be an Episcopalian. If this is the case, I grant that this is a great start, but one should be convinced of the Truth subsisting in the Catholic Church before one completes formation for the Catholic priesthood.
 
Psalm45:9:
I had a feeling that the ordination of this Bishop would cause more Episcopalians to convert the Catholic Church.
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My thoughts exactly.
 
Let’s pray the Catholic Church can hold firm.

No telling what the MOD SQUAD will try to pull when this Pope dies 😦
 
I just sent a letter to the Vatican this week COndeming Homsexual ministrys in Maryland and listing all the web pages where this is displayed and all the cardinals and Bishops Involved. The parish in questions lists almost 100 Gay ministrys all over the US and some 10-20 in California.

While I think there is room for a Gay ministry in the US and other countries. This liberal Gay, fundamentlist agenda is taking prevelance over other ministrys, such as vocations and ministrys to the poor. The diochotemy of the “gay friendly ministry” is incompatable with Catholic CHurch Doctrine.
 
Perhaps it was the slant of the article, but what I read was “I don’t like the Episcopal Church anymore, so I’m going to church-up by becoming Catholic.”
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I personally attribute that more to slant of the article. Notice the headline: "The Diocese of Scranton might soon have its first married Roman Catholic priest. "

It seems the newpaper (to me) is placing more emphasis on the fact that the Diocese will have its first “married priest” than the conversion itself. By reading the healine alone, one would have no idea were even talking about a non-catholic converting to the “One True Church”. Just a thought.
 
I’m still in the midst of converting, so I’m not clear on something here.
How can a married man be a priest? Has this been done before when a Protestant Priest converted to Catholic? Do they allow them to be Deacon’s instead? I don’t understand. I’m glad they are all converting, that is a wonderful thing, but the other part confuses me.
 
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mommy:
I’m still in the midst of converting, so I’m not clear on something here.
How can a married man be a priest? Has this been done before when a Protestant Priest converted to Catholic? Do they allow them to be Deacon’s instead? I don’t understand. I’m glad they are all converting, that is a wonderful thing, but the other part confuses me.
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In certain limited circumstances, yes, a married Episcopal priest can be ordained a priest in the Latin Rite of the Catholic church upon conversion and remain married. It has been done before (there currently are married Catholic Priests in the Latin Rite, not to mention that celibacy is not a requirement for ordination in the Eastern Rite Churches). I suppose that if ordination to the priesthood was denied for whatever reason, the Episcopal priest would have no problems becoming a deacon if he so wanted.
 
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mtr01:
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mommy:
I’m still in the midst of converting, so I’m not clear on something here.
How can a married man be a priest? Has this been done before when a Protestant Priest converted to Catholic? Do they allow them to be Deacon’s instead? I don’t understand. I’m glad they are all converting, that is a wonderful thing, but the other part confuses me.
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In certain limited circumstances, yes, a married Episcopal priest can be ordained a priest in the Latin Rite of the Catholic church upon conversion and remain married. It has been done before (there currently are married Catholic Priests in the Latin Rite, not to mention that celibacy is not a requirement for ordination in the Eastern Rite Churches). I suppose that if ordination to the priesthood was denied for whatever reason, the Episcopal priest would have no problems becoming a deacon if he so wanted.
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Priestly celibacy is nothing more than a discipline in the Roman Church. Up until the fourth century married men could be ordained to the priesthood.

Married men are still ordained to the priesthood in the Eastern Catholic Churches.

For this man to be ordained, the Vatican will have to issue a dispensation to dispense him from the celibacy requirement, but if you read the article you will see that it has been done before.

mtr01,
He will be ordained in the Latin (or Roman) Catholic Church which happens to be of the Latin Rite, he will not be ordained in the Latin Rite. Just a nit pick there, sorry.
 
Praise God! There was a large-scale conversion of an Episcopal parish in the Boston area some time ago, too. Maybe 5 years ago. I seem to recall that Cardinal Law was–and maybe still is–responsible for the process of receiving Episcopal priests into the Church.
 
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ByzCath:
mtr01,
He will be ordained in the Latin (or Roman) Catholic Church which happens to be of the Latin Rite, he will not be ordained in the Latin Rite. Just a nit pick there, sorry.
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Yeah, it was an awkward phrase. With all the hubub about using “Roman Catholic” floating around here lately, I wanted to avoid using it, and with the person who asked the question in the process of converting, I wasn’t sure she’d follow if I said Latin Catholic Church, and well, that’s what came out…

Thank you for making clear to others what I said imprecisely.
 
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mommy:
I’m still in the midst of converting, so I’m not clear on something here.
How can a married man be a priest? Has this been done before when a Protestant Priest converted to Catholic? Do they allow them to be Deacon’s instead? I don’t understand. I’m glad they are all converting, that is a wonderful thing, but the other part confuses me.
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The pastor of our parish is a married former Episcopalian priest. While it presents special challenges for him and his family, he is a wonderful and holy priest and we are blessed to have him.
 
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philipmarus:
I personally attribute that more to slant of the article. Notice the headline: "The Diocese of Scranton might soon have its first married Roman Catholic priest. "

It seems the newpaper (to me) is placing more emphasis on the fact that the Diocese will have its first “married priest” than the conversion itself.
Click to expand...
Why does the media get so excited by this issue? What are they expecting to happen? Why do they care if they’re not Catholic or don’t believe in the Magisterium? Why the fascination? I wonder these things all the time.
 
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mommy:
I’m still in the midst of converting, so I’m not clear on something here.
How can a married man be a priest? Has this been done before when a Protestant Priest converted to Catholic? Do they allow them to be Deacon’s instead? I don’t understand. I’m glad they are all converting, that is a wonderful thing, but the other part confuses me.
Click to expand...
The pastor of our parish is a married former Episcopalian priest. While it presents special challenges for him and his family, he is a wonderful and holy priest and we are blessed to have him.
 
There’s a parish in Houston, Our Lady of Walsingham, headed by a former Episcopal priest who’s married and has children. I believe most of his parish converted along with him and his family.

On the issue of the headline–I think people are suspicious of celibacy and so that’s usually the angle that fascinates them.
 
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philipmarus:
I personally attribute that more to slant of the article. Notice the headline: "The Diocese of Scranton might soon have its first married Roman Catholic priest. "

It seems the newpaper (to me) is placing more emphasis on the fact that the Diocese will have its first “married priest” than the conversion itself. By reading the healine alone, one would have no idea were even talking about a non-catholic converting to the “One True Church”. Just a thought.
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That’s what I suspect, and am assuming. It would be interesting to see if a Catholic publication has picked up this story. Anyone in Scranton get their diocesan paper?
 
Thanks for clarifying that. I was confused obviously, and when the article had said it had been done before, I wasn’t sure if that was accurate ( I usually want a Catholic or Catholic publication to back up stuff like that before I believe it in the ‘news’.)

Thanks again for your answers.
 
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