If a priest is defrocked or laicised, is he free to marry?

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I just read a story about a priest who is being defrocked or laicised (forgive my ignorance about what these terms mean), because he has fathered a child with a woman he met at a spiritual program of some sort.

Setting aside his personal decisions, and speaking merely hypothetically, if a priest fathered a child with a woman and was defrocked or laicised, would he be free to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony, or does there exist an impediment due to his having previously received the Sacrament of Holy Orders?

I am leaving out the details of this particular priest because I do not want to heap scorn upon him for his mistakes, but I have wondered from time to time, when I hear about such stories, how can the priest be reconciled to the Church and returned to a state of grace and shoulder his natural fatherly duties all at the same time.
 
No they cannot marry simply due to such (unless it was an invalid ordination.)

Can they ever marry? Yes if they are dispensed by the Pope from the obligation the assumed of celibacy.

However they certainly may repent and confess and be absolved and thus returned to a state of grace.
 
The two terms are distinct.

"Defrocked’ is a removal of faculties. The priest may not say Mass, hear confessions, or otherwise perform priestly duties. But he remains in the clerical state.

“Laicized” is a removal of the priest from the clerical state. This often, but not always, carries with it the freedom to marry.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders is a bar to the reception of the Sacrament of Matrimony, but can be dispensed with

But the priest would have to request that as part of the laicization process, or have such a request included in the request by the priest’s bishop or abbot.
 
Holy Orders is a canonical impediment to marriage. Dispensation from this canon is reserved to the Holy See, so for a laicized priest (who retains the character of a priest) to marry validly, he must received a papal dispensation.
 
Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders all leave an ontological mark on the soul, so once a priest, always a priest, even if laicized or defrocked. As the others have stated, once a priest is released from his vow of celibacy, he is free to marry, but that release has to come from Rome. Until then, he is not free to marry.
 
Elizium23 said:
Or promise. In the case of secular clergy, promises are made and not vows as with religious clergy.
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Yes, true, a diocesan priest makes a promise of celibacy to his bishop and all his bishop’s successors. And he is not bound to poverty as most religious orders are. Diocesan priests get paid a salary.
 
In college, I went on a few dates with a girl who’s dad was a laicized priest and her mom used to be a nun.

I don’t know if they married after she was born or before. But considering she we born in 1978, it was during and after all the crazy stuff during the 1970s.

But I believe they were married in the Church, though they did move to the other side of the country to live.
 
Thanks everyone. I had no idea what defrocked and laicised meant, and I didn’t know about the papal dispensation from celibacy being needed. All I ever knew was that there is the vow or promise of celibacy for ordained clergy. Now I understand a bit better. Thank you.
 
jmjZelie said:
I just read a story about a priest who is being defrocked or laicised (forgive my ignorance about what these terms mean), because he has fathered a child with a woman he met at a spiritual program of some sort.

Setting aside his personal decisions, and speaking merely hypothetically, if a priest fathered a child with a woman and was defrocked or laicised, would he be free to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony, or does there exist an impediment due to his having previously received the Sacrament of Holy Orders?

I am leaving out the details of this particular priest because I do not want to heap scorn upon him for his mistakes, but I have wondered from time to time, when I hear about such stories, how can the priest be reconciled to the Church and returned to a state of grace and shoulder his natural fatherly duties all at the same time.
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I want to point out these are 2 separate events.
The priest acted wrongly - and he was apparently laicised. To my knowledge, this was not something automatic, based on the fact he had sex. That caused his situation to be reviewed, and a discretionary decision was made, in this particular instance, by him and his bishop. I believe in some cases he might not have been laicized.

I believe if he had attempted “marriage” - i. e. gone before a J.P., that might be an automatic.
I believe the Church makes a distinction between the act of perhaps one night, and a decision towards a life change. They may have different consequences.
 
TheDoctor said:
They are not free to marry unless they are also released from their vow of celibacy. This might provide the answers to your question:

catholic.com/quickquestions/does-laicization-remove-a-priests-powers

We have known two priests who have “left the priesthood” to get married after falling in love after being in parish life for some years. It must be the hardest decision a man can make.
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Only religious take a vow of celibacy. A diocesan priest makes a promise, not a vow. Big difference in Canon law.
 
Lily_Bernans said:
Yes, true, a diocesan priest makes a promise of celibacy to his bishop and all his bishop’s successors. And he is not bound to poverty as most religious orders are. Diocesan priests get paid a salary.
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Correct; but as a diocesan priest I knew quite well once said, “The religious priests take a vow of poverty; we just live it.”
 
phil19034 said:
In college, I went on a few dates with a girl who’s dad was a laicized priest and her mom used to be a nun.

I don’t know if they married after she was born or before. But considering she we born in 1978, it was during and after all the crazy stuff during the 1970s.

But I believe they were married in the Church, though they did move to the other side of the country to live.
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well, that could have made for some “interesting” inlaws"! 😃
 
otjm said:
Correct; but as a diocesan priest I knew quite well once said, “The religious priests take a vow of poverty; we just live it.”
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I don’t know. I guess it’s relative. My family is filled with priests, and they actually live pretty well. They have free housing, receive a stipend for a car, have no utility bills, etc. They have about $45,000 - $50,000 of disposable income a year, which is more than the average family has. They take luxury beach and ski vacations. They do have to buy all their own books, TVs, clothes, etc. But a priest does not need an extensive wardrobe! LOL

I guess it’s relative. If one grew up wealthy, then the life of a diocesan priest would seem filled with poverty. If one grew up middle class, it wouldn’t seem filled with poverty at all. I guess it’s all relative. I know I could live on $50,000/year if someone were paying all my bills, and I wish they were. 😃
 
commenter said:
I want to point out these are 2 separate events.
The priest acted wrongly - and he was apparently laicised. To my knowledge, this was not something automatic, based on the fact he had sex. That caused his situation to be reviewed, and a discretionary decision was made, in this particular instance, by him and his bishop. I believe in some cases he might not have been laicized.

I believe if he had attempted “marriage” - i. e. gone before a J.P., that might be an automatic.
I believe the Church makes a distinction between the act of perhaps one night, and a decision towards a life change. They may have different consequences.
Click to expand...
I know three priests who left the Church to marry. Two were friends of mine. Frankly, I could not marry a man knowing he was a priest. It would not sit “right” with me, but then I do not want to EVER marry in the first place.🤷
 
Lily_Bernans said:
I don’t know. I guess it’s relative. My family is filled with priests, and they actually live pretty well. They have free housing, receive a stipend for a car, have no utility bills, etc. They have about $45,000 - $50,000 of disposable income a year, which is more than the average family has. They take luxury beach and ski vacations. They do have to buy all their own books, TVs, clothes, etc. But a priest does not need an extensive wardrobe! LOL

I guess it’s relative. If one grew up wealthy, then the life of a diocesan priest would seem filled with poverty. If one grew up middle class, it wouldn’t seem filled with poverty at all. I guess it’s all relative. I know I could live on $50,000/year if someone were paying all my bills, and I wish they were. 😃
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$50,000 is definitely on the high end. The median is about $30,000.
 
Lily_Bernans said:
I don’t know. I guess it’s relative. My family is filled with priests, and they actually live pretty well. They have free housing, receive a stipend for a car, have no utility bills, etc. They have about $45,000 - $50,000 of disposable income a year, which is more than the average family has. They take luxury beach and ski vacations. They do have to buy all their own books, TVs, clothes, etc. But a priest does not need an extensive wardrobe! LOL

I guess it’s relative. If one grew up wealthy, then the life of a diocesan priest would seem filled with poverty. If one grew up middle class, it wouldn’t seem filled with poverty at all. I guess it’s all relative. I know I could live on $50,000/year if someone were paying all my bills, and I wish they were. 😃
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Many religious priests live quite well too. The Jesuits here in the US have community homes at Universities, parishes, etc, summer retreat homes in prime locations, and all the perks that come with it. And then there are those who live a more simpler way of life. I guess it all depends on where you are serving.
 
I believe that Benedictine Monks are self sufficient and build their own monasteries and convents does anyone know if there are anyother religious orders that are self sufficient
 
otjm said:
well, that could have made for some “interesting” inlaws"! 😃
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yeah, I never met them so I have no idea what they are like. The girl I was dating and I didn’t really talk too much about them. We didn’t date long enough for me to pry into their history more.
 
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