How does Church view priests leaving priesthood 2 marry?

[Traugs]

It’s funny that I found this discussion today… I was reading the “classifieds” of a secular magazine the other day and came across an ad for “Rent a Priests”. I was absolutely befuddled so looked them up online. www.rentapriest.com They claim that they are Roman Catholic priests who “resigned”, got married and are ALLOWED to perform sacraments. Their big push is for marriages and baptisms.

This is from their website:

Who are we?
CITI is a lay organization that locates, recruits, and promotes the availability of married and other resigned Roman Catholic priests to fill the spiritual needs of God’s people. According to church law (canon law), “Once a priest, always a priest.” Therefore, married priests are not “ex” or “former” priests, they are still priests. In fact, Canon Law says they cannot refuse to ministry to someone who asks (Canon 843). Other canons

Whom do we serve?
With a growing number of Catholics no longer attending church, more than 70 percent by a recent survey (CARA, 1996), and the growing shortage of un-married parish priests, married Roman Catholic priests are available for spiritual and sacramental ministry to anyone who asks for their help. They respond positively and non-judgmentally to Roman Catholics who have not attended a parish for some time or feel uncomfortable approaching their local parish priest at a time of need. Jesus always acted quickly to help people. Jesus never turned anyone away, and neither will married priests. Our ministry is ecumenical and open to Christians of all traditions.

Our ministries?
Married priests provide spiritual guidance, counseling, home Masses, first or second marriages, funerals, confession, and other spiritual services. Like the early church that was closest to Jesus, the ministry is home-based. Married priests make “house calls”. We are working towards the day when church authorities will welcome married Roman Catholic priests back to their local parishes. Many bishops clandestinely support the peacemaking efforts of Celibacy Is The Issue and look forward to the day when the officials at the Vatican will allow them to welcome married priests back into full parish ministry.

My first impression was NO WAY, that is not in accordance with Catholic teaching. Am I wrong???

 

[Joe_Kelley]

It’s funny that I found this discussion today… I was reading the “classifieds” of a secular magazine the other day and came across an ad for “Rent a Priests”. I was absolutely befuddled so looked them up online. www.rentapriest.com They claim that they are Roman Catholic priests who “resigned”, got married and are ALLOWED to perform sacraments. Their big push is for marriages and baptisms.

. . .?

They claim to be allowed to perform sacraments. Our bishop sees it differently.

Since they are not authorized by the pastor or the bishop, the marriages they purport to perform are sacramentally invalid. In RCIA I have had to get one such marriage convalidated.

I was told, by a reliable source, that at least one funeral home in this area hired one of these to conduct a funeral service in their chapel. They were informed that if it happened again they would be barred from participating in any funeral conducted in a Catholic Church in this diocese. That stopped that.

 

[cjforJesus]

i think this scripture sums up what is desirable in regards to holy orders.

And they that use this world, as if they used it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away. [32] But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God. [33] But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided. [34] And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband. [35] And this I speak for your profit: not to cast a snare upon you; but for that which is decent, and which may give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.

 

[Alex2008]

There seems to be this firmly cemented idea in many Catholic’s heads “that all priests who leave do so to get married!” But that is not true at all. When priests such as Alberto Cutie leave, they get big press and seem to reinforce the above-mentioned idea.

Of those who leave, the reasons are many and varied: mental illness, loss of faith, realization that they discerned incorrectly, perhaps to get married, and some were even manipulated into becoming priests by family pressure. I could go on, but I want to at least show that there is not only ONE reason.

I suffered a nervous breakdown as a priest (even tried to commit suicide), but after getting help discovered that I was boderline bi-polar. Living the life of a priest was not good for me and by extension not good for the Church. The same can be said for those who leave…if their very heart and soul is not in it…the Church does not need them, even if there are less celebrations of the sacraments, and parishes must be closed/consolidated.

Lastly there is one other idea that needs to be dislodged from our brains…it is that weird idea of “the priests being married to the church.” Nowhere in the ordination rite is this mentioned. Priests are ordained for service to the Church NOT married to the Church!

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Just because he is running for office, leaving his roll as bishop, it does not mean he does not maintain Catholic orthodoxy which he will use to govern as president of Uruguay.

How can a bishop, or any priest or religious, who chooses not to follow their promise (secular clergy) or vow (religious) of obedience be considered to be maintaining “Catholikc orthodoxy”?

 

[mark_a]

There seems to be this firmly cemented idea in many Catholic’s heads “that all priests who leave do so to get married!” But that is not true at all. When priests such as Alberto Cutie leave, they get big press and seem to reinforce the above-mentioned idea.

Of those who leave, the reasons are many and varied: mental illness, loss of faith, realization that they discerned incorrectly, perhaps to get married, and some were even manipulated into becoming priests by family pressure. I could go on, but I want to at least show that there is not only ONE reason.

I suffered a nervous breakdown as a priest (even tried to commit suicide), but after getting help discovered that I was boderline bi-polar. Living the life of a priest was not good for me and by extension not good for the Church. The same can be said for those who leave…if their very heart and soul is not in it…the Church does not need them, even if there are less celebrations of the sacraments, and parishes must be closed/consolidated.

Lastly there is one other idea that needs to be dislodged from our brains…it is that weird idea of “the priests being married to the church.” Nowhere in the ordination rite is this mentioned. Priests are ordained for service to the Church NOT married to the Church!

Thank you for this thoughtful, informative post.

Best wishes.

 

[cjforJesus]

Holy orders is a very solemn vocation which one should not take lightly.

Seminary students have a very long intense course of study in order to determine if the calling is what they truly desire.

I believe God has something to do with it ,as He is the one who is supposed to put the true calling in ones heart.

Love and marriage are honorable,but true love is a gradual process which occurs over a period of time. That initial attraction one feels can often be just lust. My dad always said "You don’t fall in love,you dig your way in.’

That being said,priest are human beings ,but I doubt the church will ever change its laws on celibacy.