Episcopal Priest and 50 Parishners Convert to Catholicsm

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To all,

Why does the Church (sometimes) allow married Protestant clergy to become Catholic Priests? Why don’t they become deacons instead? This point has always had me wondering, since the norm in the Latin Rite is celibacy.
 
FWIW there are three people in my RCIA group that were cradle Episcopalians who are converting. Aside from the gay Bishop issue, the Episcopal church in this area is extremely liberal. They said there just was no kind of authority or answer to the hard questions.

I think it’s a very hard decision. I left my Protestant church and it is hard to lose the relationships and the wonderful people. I am sure it is even more difficult for clergy.

I have seen a few Episcopalian priests on The Journey Home who are now Catholic priests. One never was married so it wasn’t an issue but the other was a married man. Geez wonder what happened if a FEMALE Episcopalian priest demanded the same “rights.”

Lisa N
 
I’m curious, how do these married priests that have children support their family financially? I know that diocesan priests here in Texas have a salary(not sure if that’s what they refer to it as) of $1,200 - $1,400 a month. From this salary(?) they pay their own expenses (i.e. health insurance, food, etc., etc.,)

God Bless…
 
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philipmarus:
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
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This is a sign of God’s Grace working within good Christian people who finally realize that there is a problem remaining as they are. Good for all of them who have joined in this venture. They all need our prayers for their undertaking and especially as they undergo the conversion process.
This is the tip of the iceberg. I feel certain that there are many more of these conversions to follow.

MaggieOH
 
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mtr01:
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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Not just Episcopal priests. In Oregon, I met a married priest who was a former Presbyterian minister. I think the guidelines are fairly loose and left to the descretion of the local Bishop. Does anyone know?

Edited Oops. My bad - I didn’t read the article first. Apparently, it’s a Vatican call.

God Bless,

Robert.
 
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philipmarus:
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
Click to expand...
 
Théodred:
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.
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Since he mentions his anti-contraception view in the article, he sounds like he may have been pretty close to the Catholic view already. I know I have read of other Episcopalians (i.e. C.S. Lewis) that believed in Purgatory, as well. Hopefully, there are still conservative members out there seeking the Church.

I will keep Rev. Bergman and his parishioners in my prayers.

God Bless,

Robert.
 
With respect to marriage, priesthood, and celibacy:

In the Church, both Eastern and Western Rites, the rule is that once a man has received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, he may not then receive the Sacrament of Matrimony, ie, contract a marriage. This is a common thread in the priesthood in the Church, and runs all the way through.

So, if a married man is ordained a Vocational Deacon, he remains a married man, but if he is widowed, he cannot remarry. The same provision would apply to a converted Protestant minister who received Holy Orders, under the provisions approved by the Holy Father that dispenses him from the discipline of celibacy.

It should be noted, too, that Eastern Rite Catholics do indeed have priests who are married, but only single, and therefore celibate, priests are consecrated as Bishops. And the married priests must have received the Sacrament of Matrimony before they received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, since they cannot receive Matrimony after Holy Orders.

Blessings,

Gerry
 
The Episcopal Church, unfortunately has increasingly become more and more divided since the ordination of homosexual men and women to the priesthood, Although this can be attributed to the fact that we live in a country that is hiding behind a curtain of conservatism. We’re afraid of change, and this is (with all due respect to the Catholic faith) Catholicism’s greatest weakness. It’s a shame that this Episcopal priest forgot his denomination’s most beautiful ideal: inclusion. The Episcopal Church is a welcoming church. It always has been. The old ideas that women can’t participate in liturgy or be ordained have long been forgotten by Episcopalians. This is, of course, another topic. While this priest is obviously free to choose any denomination or religion he feels most comfortable with, it’s saddening to have someone turn their back on a situation that needs addressing. Not too brave, I feel. This is when that perhaps overused phrase takes most significance; What would Jesus do?
 
This a good sign. I just love to hear more conversion stories from former Protestants turn Catholic, Muslim turn Catholic, Orthodox turn Catholic and such…The Holy Spirit is truly working in them.
 
It’s just a start.

With all the schisms brewing in the mainline Protestant communities, and with the increased politicization of them, the faithful will take another look at the Catholic Church. It’s inevitable, since schism and politicization erode authority within these communities.
 
And just to follow up on this thread, Fr. Eric was indeed ordained a priest on April 21st of this year. May God bless him, his wife and children, and all of his parishioners as they live out The Anglican Way on this side of the Tiber.
 
TheOzman said:
The Episcopal Church, unfortunately has increasingly become more and more divided since the ordination of homosexual men and women to the priesthood, Although this can be attributed to the fact that we live in a country that is hiding behind a curtain of conservatism. We’re afraid of change, and this is (with all due respect to the Catholic faith) Catholicism’s greatest weakness. It’s a shame that this Episcopal priest forgot his denomination’s most beautiful ideal: inclusion. The Episcopal Church is a welcoming church. It always has been. The old ideas that women can’t participate in liturgy or be ordained have long been forgotten by Episcopalians. This is, of course, another topic. While this priest is obviously free to choose any denomination or religion he feels most comfortable with, it’s saddening to have someone turn their back on a situation that needs addressing. Not too brave, I feel. This is when that perhaps overused phrase takes most significance; What would Jesus do?
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What would Jesus do? Condemn inclusion whenever it comes at the expense of the Truth.
 
TheOzman said:
It’s a shame that this Episcopal priest forgot his denomination’s most beautiful ideal: inclusion. The Episcopal Church is a welcoming church. It always has been.
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Ahh… historical revisionism at it’s most banal. :rolleyes: As a former Episcopalian, I can tell you that “inclusion” is only a recently touted “Anglican essential” and has no grounding in Anglican theology prior to the sexual revolution.

Just read a little history and the laughable idea that Anglicanism was rooted in “inclusive” ideology dies very quickly.
 
Fr. Bergman was the guest on EWTN’s The Journey Home program tonight. All I can say is wow! May god bless his Ministry. This is the Parish and now Catholic Priest the OP was talking about.

stthomasmoresociety.org/
 
TheOzman said:
The Episcopal Church, unfortunately has increasingly become more and more divided since the ordination of homosexual men and women to the priesthood, Although this can be attributed to the fact that we live in a country that is hiding behind a curtain of conservatism. We’re afraid of change, and this is (with all due respect to the Catholic faith) Catholicism’s greatest weakness. It’s a shame that this Episcopal priest forgot his denomination’s most beautiful ideal: inclusion. The Episcopal Church is a welcoming church. It always has been. The old ideas that women can’t participate in liturgy or be ordained have long been forgotten by Episcopalians. This is, of course, another topic. While this priest is obviously free to choose any denomination or religion he feels most comfortable with, it’s saddening to have someone turn their back on a situation that needs addressing. Not too brave, I feel. This is when that perhaps overused phrase takes most significance; What would Jesus do?
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In my view and that of most on this forum, is that it wasn’t Fr. Bergman who had the problem, but the Episcopal Church itself. By way of sidelining the Scriptures and what they have clearly taught for two millenia, even most Evangelicals have figured that one out.

But as you say, anyone is free to choose any denomination or religion one feels comfortable with, even if its one that caters to the prevailing logic of the contemporary culture at large.

I for one salute Fr. Bergman, and his bravery.👍
 
TPJCatholic said:
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.
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Well we just ordained a married man a priest, I think thats a pretty big change.
 
I haven’t seen anyone say it yet,so here goes…As a married man who has been called to the priesthood and who has been turned down by the one true church. I have to think that there might be a big up swing in married men rolling over to the Episcopal church to become preist and then coming back to catholism. I would love to hear others respond to this and please understand my thoughts weren’t meant in some sneaky way. They were meant to finally be able to answer the lords call when the “powers to be” say no you can’t be a married catholic priest. Just for the record this is not the first married priest,but, only in that dioceses.
 
TheOzman said:
It’s a shame that this Episcopal priest forgot his denomination’s most beautiful ideal: inclusion.
Click to expand...
As an Episcopalian, I would say that the heart of my faith is Jesus Christ incarnate, crucified and risen, not an abstract modern idea like “inclusion.” I have many brothers and sisters in Christ in the Episcopal Church who believe that “radical inclusion” is a vitally important consequence of the saving work of Jesus Christ, and who understand that inclusion to mean that homosexual relationships can be fully blessed and endorsed by the Church. I disagree with them. But we agree that our faith is in Jesus Christ, not in an abstract concept such as “inclusion.”
The Episcopal Church is a welcoming church. It always has been.
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The Episcopal Church in the U.S. wasn’t particularly welcoming in the 19th century. Pew rentals are about as un-welcoming as you can get short of actually putting bouncers at the door to keep outsiders out.

If you are talking about the state Church of England, arguably it was very welcoming and inclusive. In its first century as an independent church it essentially said: “we will welcome and include everyone living in this country, and if you don’t want to be welcomed and included we will kill you horribly.” Later on we became less inclusive and just relegated dissenters to the status of second-class citizens!
The old ideas that women can’t participate in liturgy or be ordained have long been forgotten by Episcopalians.
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So Episcopalians haven’t always been so “inclusive” after all?
This is, of course, another topic. While this priest is obviously free to choose any denomination or religion he feels most comfortable with, it’s saddening to have someone turn their back on a situation that needs addressing. Not too brave, I feel.
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Oh come on. You can question whether he’s right. You can question whether he’s wise. You can even question whether he’s charitable. But how does a willingness to defy one’s denomination and leave everything one is used to constitute a lack of “courage”?

It reminds me of the silly habit our leaders have of calling suicide bombers cowardly. As Chesterton said a hundred years ago, someone willing to commit such an act is both very wicked and very brave. Surely you could at least admit this about Fr. Bergman?

Edwin
 
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