Former Catholic Priest now Episcopal?!?

[ConstantineTG]

Did he not take a vow of obedience to his bishop, and therefore to the Church when he was ordained?

No.

Technically, priests do not make vows. Religious priests makes vows as part of being part of the Religious Order/Society/etc. they are a part of, not because they are a priest.

Diocesan priests make “promises”, which is not on the same level as vows as far as Rome is concerned. Basically, the difference here is that breaking a vow is a much, much more serious offense and breaking a promise.

 

[cheezey]

Just to be clear, the dispensation was to ordain them, not to stay married.

Yup.

 

[Nicea325]

Let’s be honest. The road between Rome and Canterbury is travelled both ways. I know of several Roman Catholic priests who are now Episcopal priests. And I know of more than a few Episcopal priests who have gone over to Rome.

Like it or not, it goes both ways and for any number of reasons.

Ahhhh…that is not the point. The point is simple:

If you cannot hang with the boys in the boys club…then don’t join!

No different when I served in the U.S. Air Force:

Service before…SELF!

 

[ConstantineTG]

Ahhhh…that is not the point. The point is simple:

If you cannot hang with the boys in the boys club…then don’t join!

No different when I served in the U.S. Air Force:

Service before…SELF!

I keep hearing this around here, but isn’t the whole point about being part of the Church is self? That is, our own personal salvation?

 

[choliks]

I keep hearing this around here, but isn’t the whole point about being part of the Church is self? That is, our own personal salvation?

And I thought that being part of the Church means serving and glorifying God. How can I keep my eyes focused on Christ, if I’m looking only at my self?

 

[VanSensei]

Wouldn’t surprise me that he did it. Aside from some social dichotomies, the Episcopal Church isn’t that different from us, so he wouldn’t have to do much different.

 

[mek42]

We do not know what happened during that leave. Is there a mechanism whereby a bishop or other authority may release a priest from the promise? If so, the promise would not be broken, right?

 

[Indifferently]

Well instead of making silly topics on this forum why don’t you just you just contact the priest in question and ask him why he left? The first post in this topic is distinctly lacking in charity.

 

[Nicea325]

Wouldn’t surprise me that he did it. Aside from some social dichotomies, the Episcopal Church isn’t that different from us, so he wouldn’t have to do much different.

Not exactly true. Depends what “branch” of the Episcopal Church. Remember some Episicopal churches ordain openly gay folks as priests, male or female. That is VERY different than the CC.

 

[steve_b]

A few years ago, there was a man who i thought was a great priest in my church! He took a leave of absence for several years and we were sad to hear that he was leaving us. No one heard much about him or from him during his time away.

I came to find out this morning at church that he is a priest again - AT AN EPISCOPAL CHURCH! I also came to find out that he now also has a wife that he married during his leave of absence.

I feel so distraught by this, and i don’t know how to properly vent my frustration with the thought of this. It is like all of the masses i went to with him leading them mean less now! I feel so betrayed!!!

Anyone else ever experience this?!? Ill pray for him…

Yes I’ve experienced it. Pray for him. When he was a Catholic priest, he heard alot of confessions and forgave many horrible sins, I’m sure. Now he’s committed horrible sin. Pray for his soul.

 

[Justmyself777]

For many are called, but few are chosen. -Matthew 22:14

 

[Peter_J]

A few years ago, there was a man who i thought was a great priest in my church! He took a leave of absence for several years and we were sad to hear that he was leaving us. No one heard much about him or from him during his time away.

I came to find out this morning at church that he is a priest again - AT AN EPISCOPAL CHURCH! I also came to find out that he now also has a wife that he married during his leave of absence.

I feel so distraught by this, and i don’t know how to properly vent my frustration with the thought of this. It is like all of the masses i went to with him leading them mean less now! I feel so betrayed!!!

Anyone else ever experience this?!? Ill pray for him…

There are basically 2 extremes that we want to avoid. On the one hand (and this is something that, personally, I’m quite tired of, having encountered a lot of it on internet forums) many people seem to see Catholics (and Orthodox) as free agents, so to speak.

On the other hand, the outrage expressed here over this priests conversion (although something of a refreshing change from the attitude I mentioned in the last paragraph) isn’t really right either, in my opinion – especially in that it so focused on one particular ex-Catholic.

 

[Peter_J]

Originally Posted by Usbek de Perse
Let’s be honest. The road between Rome and Canterbury is travelled both ways. I know of several Roman Catholic priests who are now Episcopal priests. And I know of more than a few Episcopal priests who have gone over to Rome.

Like it or not, it goes both ways and for any number of reasons.

Not just the Anglican Church, but anywhere. My priest made that comment when he said why do other churches/denominations/etc. are offended when people leave their group but they expect everyone to join their group. They should understand it is a two way street. For various reasons people will come and people will go.

I definitely agree with what you both are saying. But I’d like to add, I think there “degrees of departure”, so to speak.

I don’t mean in the sense of, say, someone who hasn’t officially left but is “partway out the door” (that’s a discussion topic too, but not really relevant to this thread); rather, I mean that I think of departure from Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy (or Oriental Orthodoxy for that matter) as a hardcore departure.

Whereas, even though I can understand Anglicans’ frustration when someone departs from their company, I nevertheless see departure from Anglicanism as more of a softcore departure, because of the nature of Anglicanism (and likewise Lutheranism).

(Bear in mind, of course, that I’m speaking from a Catholic pov. Undoubtedly Anglicans would see it differently.)

P.S. I realize I’m being a tad vague about this, but I think that’s better than analyzing it to death.

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

We do not know what happened during that leave. Is there a mechanism whereby a bishop or other authority may release a priest from the promise? If so, the promise would not be broken, right?

The priest can be laicized, and can subsequently receive permission to marry, though it is not recommended. However, the priest is certainly not going to get permission to become a priest in a non-Catholic Church (i.e., apostasy).

 

[steve_b]

The priest can be laicized, and can subsequently receive permission to marry, though it is not recommended. However, the priest is certainly not going to get permission to become a priest in a non-Catholic Church (i.e., apostasy).

Apostasy is repudiation of the Christian faith. What he did was commit schism and embrace heresy.

 

[Peter_J]

Not just the Anglican Church, but anywhere. My priest made that comment when he said why do other churches/denominations/etc. are offended when people leave their group but they expect everyone to join their group. They should understand it is a two way street. For various reasons people will come and people will go.

I think one of the most significant changes in the Catholic Church since Vatican II is that we now recognize that “two way street”.

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

Apostasy is repudiation of the Christian faith. What he did was commit schism and embrace heresy.

There is more than one type of apostasy. You are referring to apostasy a fide. I believe this type of apostasy in question is referred to as apostasy ab ordine.

 

[Peter_J]

There is more than one type of apostasy. You are referring to apostasy a fide. I believe this type of apostasy in question is referred to as apostasy ab ordine.

Ah yes, you are correct. (The Catholic Encyclopedia describes those 2, along with “Apostasy a religione”.) But I would recommend specifying “apostasy ab ordine” (since the more common meaning is “apostasy a fide”).

Also, I’m not entirely convinced that this would be considered “apostasy a fide” (any more than e.g. an Orthodox priest who left Orthodoxy to become a Catholic priest).

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

Also, I’m not entirely convinced that this would be considered “apostasy a fide” (any more than e.g. an Orthodox priest who left Orthodoxy to become a Catholic priest).

There is a major difference, since the Orthodox have valid sacraments. Episcopalians do not. A Catholic priest becoming an Episcopalian priest would mean rejecting very fundamental beliefs of Catholicism.

 

[Peter_J]

There is a major difference, since the Orthodox have valid sacraments. Episcopalians do not. A Catholic priest becoming an Episcopalian priest would mean rejecting very fundamental beliefs of Catholicism.

I’m not familiar with the process of becoming Episcopalian … is there a renouncing ceremony?