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catharina
Guest
I agree - beautiful and newsworthy.
Married father of eight ordained a Catholic priest for Pennsylvania diocese
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LittleSoldier
Guest
I knew you are happy when a priest is ordainedPlease don’t misunderstand my post. I too am happy whenever a man is ordained to the diaconate, priesthood or the episcopal order. I was just saying that it is not important if he has no children or 25.
I do understand the laity’s point of view on this subject. Trust me. My order has closed over 50 parishes, because we can no longer continue to ordain men. We have a surplus of priests and we are no longer allowed to minister to the middle class. The bishops do not have enough secular priests to put into those parishes. In addition, other religious orders are following the example of the Franciscans and are not putting men into parishes. I know that the SOLTs, Fr. Corapi’s community is putting all of their man power into preaching and the immigrants. The Franciscans of the Eternal Word are not allowed to serve in parishes or to ordain more than a small number. The Franciscans of the Renewal must leave any community that becomes middle class and find another poor community. The Franciscans of the Primitive Observance may never celebrate sacraments, even if they are ordained, except in cases of life and death or to help a sick priest or a poor parish on a Sunday. But they may never take on parishes. The Franciscans of the Eucharist have a freeze on ordaining anyone, as do the Franciscans of Peace, the Franciscans of Penance and the Franciscans of Life. The Capuchins, Conventuals and Franciscans of the Leonine Union have to reduce the number of parishes that they have to allow the friars to spend more time alone, in silence, community prayers, manual labor and in the service of immigrants, homeless, the unborn, and other vulnerable groups.
The Benedictines are pulling back to the monastery. The young monks are upset that they have to be in contact with the laity when Benedict clearly said that they should be enclosed. The abbots are reluctant to disobey their subordinates. They are not replacing the men that they had in parishes.
Dominicans and Jesuits are returning back tot he world of education and preaching, also to missionary work.
All of this return to the roots places a stress on the laity in parishes, but there is not much that we can do about it. It just was never God’s plan that religious men take up so many parishes. This was a big mistake that the bishops made during the 1900s. They asked the religious to take up these parishes and they opened more and more. Now, as the number of religious orders who are ordaining cuts back and the number of religious order priests in parishes climbs downward, the secular priests are stuck with such situations as two parishes 50 miles away.
This would never have happened if the bishops and the superiors of the Pre-Vatican II Church had complied with the wishes of the founders and not committed so many religious to parishes. The faithful would have been more mobile. But we spoiled everyone by giving them a parish around the corner. There are cities like NY where there is a parish every four blocks. That was insane. What were they thinking?!!
Ohe well, we can’t cry over that now. The bishops will just have to fix it, because the religious are leaving the parishes by the hundreds (hundreds of religious not hundreds of parishes). Those that are staying are not ordaining too many men. The superior are not giving the permissions. I have had to turn down many requests for Holy Orderrs from our brothers. We just don’t need that many priests and St. Francis would roll over in his grave if we ordained that many.
But I’m always glad for those dioceses and orders who can ordain.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
but thank you for the clarification. It sounds like we are in a mess. From what I’ve read, people get very upset if their parish is closed. I can’t remember the state but when it was announced that a parish was being closed the some of the parishioners went ballistic. I believe people were protesting during Mass (I could be completely wrong about this). Where I grew up (in the church that was recently horrendously vandalized - St. Rose of Lima), we had three priests and a monsignor. That’s what we were used to.One reason I’m so comfortable in the Catholic Church is because of the one priest we had for many years. Like our “new” priest, our “old” priest (I don’t think I’m allowed to even give first names) was the only priest in the two parishes. But he always had time to talk to me and I never saw him without a smile and a look of joy in his eyes. It may sound silly but it’s true. He was so popular among Catholics and non-Catholics. Everyone in town knew him and loved him.
He didn’t want to become a priest. He was making a lot of money, had his own business, and a girlfriend. He kept getting the calling and he kept ignoring it. He would avoid driving by the church because every time he did he felt such a pulling towards it.
Finally he gave in and is very happy he did.
He received two extensions, which is practically unheard of around here. He tried for a third and was denied. Our new priest is a wonderful priest. But he is tired. He looks tired. He has so much work to do. If the two parishes were closer together maybe they could combine them, but the way towns are set up here, each one sits by a river (because this used to be logging country). Between the towns is forest. There is no place to put a church and we just finished building a new one anyway. The population of our town is rapidly increasing and during the summer we have a large influx of tourists.
We need help. I just wish we had another priest or a deacon. I feel guilty about going to Confession because I don’t want to bother our priest and I know that is a bad attitude.
I hope the new priest gets used to the routine but I don’t think he has the energy level of our “old” priest and that worries me.
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ProVobis
Guest
It doesn’t seem to be consistent with the Pope’s refusal to change the celibacy rule.
articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/11/world/la-fg-pope-20100611
Just saying.
articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/11/world/la-fg-pope-20100611
Just saying.
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Rich_Olszewski
Guest
I agree. Say there are two childhood friends, a Catholic boy and a Protestant one. Both grow up in their own churches, get married, have some children, are married to good women, and then believe that they have a vocation to the Catholic priesthood. The Protestant converts and now has at least a chance to be ordained, The Catholic is out of luck.
As celibacy is only a discipline, it can be changed and there’s no reason why Catholic men can’t want it changed and make that desire for change known.
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Rich_Olszewski
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JRKH
Guest
The thing you must remember is that there is only a small window through which a married person can become a Roman Catholic Priest.
The person you describe in your scenerio above would not fit that profile.
In order for a man to be considered he would have to **already be an ordained priest **of the Anglican communion.
So far as I know no other men are considered for this.
Peace
James
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Rich_Olszewski
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You are correct. I should have specified that the Protestant had the option of going via ordination in the Anglican communion. In either case, the Catholic had no opportunity.
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KostyaJMJ
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I agree with you. For one, changing the rule would do away with the practice of celibacy and for another you would see a large increase in unworthy vocations. If you aren’t willing to sacrifice a family for Christ maybe you really don’t have any calling to begin with. The priesthood does require you to be willing to sacrifice much more than just a family after all.Maybe not…but wanting to not necessarily married priest doesn’t make you negative either. I for one, would don’t want to…maybe because I’ve spent so much time as a Protestant and can see how it divides one’s time. I can’t image our priest doing all that he does AND still have time for a wife and eight children! Just my preference.
Good point about the responsibility of dealing with a family and a parish. I can’t imagine any superman who is able to deal with all of the crazy people in a parish and take care of a wife and kids on top of that. Dealing with just half of the cases that priests see would be enough to drive me absolutely crazy.
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CathFaith1
Guest
Rich, I spent many years not understanding (as the Church does) the gift of priestly celibacy.
But it’s more than “only a discipline.”
** SACERDOTALIS CAELIBATUS **
Another relevant link,
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Rich_Olszewski
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Is marriage not allowed to some of our Eastern Rite priests? If not, then I agree that it may be a gift. If they may marry, then it is only a discipline.
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CathFaith1
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Regardless if you or I believe it is a gift the Church has said it is.
In addition, celibacy is a sacrifice. One Christ holds in high regard.
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OriginalJS
Guest
No, there are a lot of married priests who were ordained long after they were married. The law is that ordained priests cannot marry. We had a married priest at the church I used to attend. He had three children at the time he was married. What interests me is that this priest had 8 children. That’s a lot of children to watch out for. Wonder how much he makes?
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OriginalJS
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I respectfully disagree. The priest with a family who was ordained and served at our church had been a Lutheran pastor. Also, the priest who is the subject of this thread was a pastor at the reformed episcopal church,whatever that means.
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RyanBlack
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Rich, the Eastern Catholic Churches have traditionally ordained married men to the presbyterate. However, we have historically been denied that aspect of our tradition in the Americas. However, some Eastern bishops in the Americas have returned to ordaining married men.
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Christiano
Guest
I hope one day every men will be able to chose between getting married or staying celibate and still be able to become priests. I think there are no biblical basis for celibacy being mandatory for a person to become priest.
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Yeoman
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A truly remarkable story. What an inquiring mind he must have, and his new Parish will be blessed indeed.
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Ahimsa
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I think eight is enough.
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The_Inquisitor
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Do you even need to ask that question? Hmm…all the vast responsibilities of being a diocesan priest which even celibate priests get worn out from PLUS the responsibilities of a wife and EIGHT children. God bless him, he is in my prayers!!
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MarkBrown
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James,
Any ordained protestant minister can apply for a review of vocation to the priesthood. Besides Anglicans, on CAF only there have been threads of Lutherans, the local Catholic Diocese recently ordained a former Lutheran, I think a former Lutheran was ordain recently in Camden Diocese. A former Baptist in Pennsylvanian, if I remember the location correctly. EWTN has a program, Coming Home, that routinely showcases former protestant pastors who are now a Catholic priest.
The process begins with the local Bishop who sets the tone. Rome has the final approval.
Under the Ordinariate, for former Anglicans, the process will remove the local Bishops. Rome still has final say.
Mark+
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OriginalJS
Guest
I know a priest who was a Lutheran minister; he is married and has several children. I have heard that many married priests are former Anglicans but that has never been a requirement for a protestant to become a priest.
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