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Balcerhouse
Guest
If the discipline of celibacy in the western rite were changed and priests could be married how would the process go? A meeting of all of the cardinals?
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1ke
Guest
Let’s be clear, priests will never be able to marry. They never have been able to do so, and never will be able to do so. Not in the Latin Rite, Eastern Rite, or Orthodox Churches.
What could change is admitting already married men to the priesthood. This would be a change that the Pope could make himself, or in concert with the bishops via a council or other exercise of the Magesterium. It would require a change to canon law.
What could change is admitting already married men to the priesthood. This would be a change that the Pope could make himself, or in concert with the bishops via a council or other exercise of the Magesterium. It would require a change to canon law.
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hank3fan
Guest
So can the Pope do that? I mean can the Pope just declare something to be the case without consulting anyone? I am not suggesting any Pope would, but I am curious if it is theoretically possible.
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TheDoctor
Guest
Yes, the Pope can just declare it so and change Canon Law without consulting anyone.
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hank3fan
Guest
The fact that the Pope has this power but yet so little of the true doctrine changes is surely proof that the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit.
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Cider
Guest
They have to be married prior to ordination.
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Monkey1976
Guest
As are several Eastern Catholic priests, and even some Latin Rite priests who had converted from Protestant denominations. The distinction is that these men entered into the sacrament of Marriage first, then Holy Orders later. Both Catholic and Orthodox (AFAIK) hold that one cannot enter into Marriage once one has received Holy Orders. What I believe the OP is talking about is that the current discipline for Holy Orders in the Latin Rite requires that the man be unmarried (subject to rare and special dispensation), and what would the process or consequences be to remove this discipline and allow married men to receive Holy Orders.
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Tarpeian_Rock
Guest
Just like deacons today. A married man can be ordained a deacon, but a deacon cannot marry - or as it is usually put, cannot re-marry if his wife dies. Being in Holy Orders is a canonical impediment to contracting marriage in the Church.
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Armor_of_Light
Guest
Deacons can get permission to re-marry I think.
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Aramis
Guest
It would have no effect on current priests.
It would merely allow married men to enter the seminary, and proceed past the diaconate into the priesthood. Most priests have some free time, many in fact have part time jobs outside the parish - some in special ministries, some as educators. Having a family would be a burden, but not an insurmountable one, and many families live on less than the typical priest’s salary.
Episcopal celibacy is much older, and much more a matter of practicality; a bishop usually has little free time. Many find they barely have time for their kinfolk. (ABp Francis Hurley of Anchorage and Bp Mark Hurley of Santa Rosa both complained of how little time they could spend together… I happened to be present for a coffee table chat with the both of them.)
Remember, without special exceptions married clergy may not contract new marriage. And when granted, it involves them having small children or leaving the ministry.
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johnmann
Guest
Correct me if I’m wrong but it seems marriage after ordination is invalid because the vow of celibacy precludes marriage but the pope can eliminate the vow of celibacy and there would be no doctrinal impediment for priests to get married after ordination.
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chimo
Guest
It would not take much for the Catholic Church to permit the Semarians a choice before ordination if they do choose to. The only problem with this is the laity’s decision to accept this if it was implemented. Because of the way the Laity sees her Church I don’t believe this change will come soon. It has to be brought in slowly when it will not conflict the interests of the Catholic lay person. However in due time once the next generation becomes more opened to this discipline I will see your Pope and the Catholic Church implementing it. The Holy Father has to be careful before implementing such changes. He has to wait until the Holy Spirit has guided the Catholic Church to accept this. You are probably not that far off before such changes will take place. It will be good to have both celibates and married men working together in the same priesthood.
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R_C
Guest
He can…like a boss.
But I doubt it will happen, and definitely not without consulting anyone.
After all, there’s a big fuss in the media about it because they don’t understand what that means and because they think the idea of celibacy is either crazy or sick, or both.
Notice that according to some flawed-but-good-enough statistics, there are something like 400,000 priests and only about 28,000 (permanent) deacons in the Church. When those numbers are reversed, maybe we can start arguing about the possibility of allowing married men into the highest order of the Holy Orders.
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Joy2day
Guest
The cardinals and bishops would gather at the annual pig flying contest (usually held at eastertide) to welcome in the doubly married priests = 2 rings! 
. (probably can’t bend their ring fingers at all…) Simultaneously the flying nuns would also join in the celebration. So… here’s hoping!!!
. (probably can’t bend their ring fingers at all…) Simultaneously the flying nuns would also join in the celebration. So… here’s hoping!!!
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QuestingKnight
Guest
A great many lay people and media commentators are excited by the thought of priests marrying. The seem almost obsessed by it.
Very few priests are, I hear. Except those Associations of Priests.
Celibacy is considered a higher spiritual estate. You are being a eunuch for Christ. It’s a sacrifice.
You don’t hear prople saying “I think monks should marry” because it would be an absurd contradiction, but hey, I’d say our forefathers would have thought insane a lot of the things that are now commonplace in the Church.
Romans do love to tinker, methinks. Just can’t leave their religion alone.
Very few priests are, I hear. Except those Associations of Priests.
Celibacy is considered a higher spiritual estate. You are being a eunuch for Christ. It’s a sacrifice.
You don’t hear prople saying “I think monks should marry” because it would be an absurd contradiction, but hey, I’d say our forefathers would have thought insane a lot of the things that are now commonplace in the Church.
Romans do love to tinker, methinks. Just can’t leave their religion alone.
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dixieagle
Guest
Unless they’ve really changed the requirements, I don’t think your take is quite accurate. Talk about a way to scare off candidates for the priesthood!
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babochka
Guest
I think the post was referring to this:Unless they’ve really changed the requirements, I don’t think your take is quite accurate. Talk about a way to scare off candidates for the priesthood!
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