Married priests

[twf]

There is currently a thread on the Byzantine Catholic forums regarding the Holy Father “lifting” the “ban” on the ordination of married Eastern priests outside of the traditional territories. Any truth to this? Any thoughts?

 

[adawgj]

Hope it is lifted, maybe it will increase vocations in the Eastern Rites.

 

[phil19034]

I hope it’s lifted. Like the previous poster said, it may increase vocations in the Eastern Rites. But it could also be seen as another olive branch reached out towards our Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox brethren.

If the Roman Rite allows the Anglican Use to ordain married men, then the Eastern Rites should be allowed too.

NOTE: That’s not to say that I think the Roman Rite should change our discipline. I don’t.

 

[Seraphim73]

I hope it’s lifted. Like the previous poster said, it may increase vocations in the Eastern Rites. But it could also be seen as another olive branch reached out towards our Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox brethren.

If the Roman Rite allows the Anglican Use to ordain married men, then the Eastern Rites should be allowed too.

NOTE: That’s not to say that I think the Roman Rite should change our discipline. I don’t.

Unless the Pope states that he never had the authority to restrict it to begin with then it is no olive branch.

 

[Vico]

There is currently a thread on the Byzantine Catholic forums regarding the Holy Father “lifting” the “ban” on the ordination of married Eastern priests outside of the traditional territories. Any truth to this? Any thoughts?

It was published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis July 2014. Vol CVI. pp. 496-499. The decision was given December 23, 2013 that the faculty to allow pastoral service by married Eastern clergy outside of the traditional eastern territories,

• will continue to be reserved to the Congregation for the Eastern Churches for eastern faithful without a specific administrative structure who are entrusted to the care of the Latin Bishops of the place, but
• for those with a specific administrative structure (Metropolitan, Eparchy, Exarchy, or an Ordinariate for the eastern faithful), the ordinary now has the faculty.

AAS also stated that presently all Eastern Catholic Churches may allow married men to the diaconate and the priesthood, except the Syro-Malabarese and Syro-Malankara Churches.

 

[5Loaves]

Vatican Insider

The decision** became official when Francis approved a document by the Congregation for the Oriental Churches titled Pontificia Praecepta de clero Uxorato Orientali.** The document was signed by teh dicastery’s Prefect, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri on 14 June 2014.

In the US bishops of at least three different ECCs had already ordained married men to the priesthood to serve here.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/medio-oriente-middle-east-oriente-medio-37522/

 

[Vico]

It was published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis July 2014. Vol CVI. pp. 496-499. The decision was given December 23, 2013 that the faculty to allow pastoral service by married Eastern clergy outside of the traditional eastern territories,

• will continue to be reserved to the Congregation for the Eastern Churches for eastern faithful without a specific administrative structure who are entrusted to the care of the Latin Bishops of the place, but
• for those with a specific administrative structure (Metropolitan, Eparchy, Exarchy, or an Ordinariate for the eastern faithful), the ordinary now has the faculty.

AAS also stated that presently all Eastern Catholic Churches may allow married men to the diaconate and the priesthood, except the Syro-Malabarese and Syro-Malankara Churches.

In North America it applies in these ritual Church jurisdictions:

• Ukrainian
• Byzantine
• Maronite
• Melkite
• Armenian
• Chaldean
• Romanian
• Syrian
• Slovak

 

[Thomas48]

Well the Syro Malabar Catholics traditionally do not have married priests, however I’m curious to why Malankara Catholics are excluded from this decision when this Church does ordain married men.

 

[ahs]

Unless the Pope states that he never had the authority to restrict it to begin with then it is no olive branch.

My understanding was that it was the local Ordinary (their own Bishop) who imposed teh restriciton…not the Pope. I may be wrong.

 

[ahs]

There is currently a thread on the Byzantine Catholic forums regarding the Holy Father “lifting” the “ban” on the ordination of married Eastern priests outside of the traditional territories. Any truth to this? Any thoughts?

It was published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis July 2014. Vol CVI. pp. 496-499. The decision was given December 23, 2013 that the faculty to allow pastoral service by married Eastern clergy outside of the traditional eastern territories,

• will continue to be reserved to the Congregation for the Eastern Churches for eastern faithful without a specific administrative structure who are entrusted to the care of the Latin Bishops of the place, but
• for those with a specific administrative structure (Metropolitan, Eparchy, Exarchy, or an Ordinariate for the eastern faithful), the ordinary now has the faculty.

AAS also stated that presently all Eastern Catholic Churches may allow married men to the diaconate and the priesthood, except the Syro-Malabarese and Syro-Malankara Churches.

This work was referenced on Christian Forums, in the One Bread One Body (Catholic) subforum in a thread on the same topic. Since there’s no English translation I could find, I did my best to seek the pertinent section (for the OP) and ran it through a translator. It looks to me like it simply restates the rule…that permission should be sought to ordain Married men to the Priesthood in the pertinent Rite. I admit I know little of Italian, so perhaps someone else with some experience can read this and chime in.

On page 497, 3 items are listed, item 3 being pertinent to the OP:

"3) il Decreto Graeci-Rutheni del 24 maggio 1930, col quale si stabilì che solo degli uomini celibi avrebbero potuto essere ammessi in seminario e promossi all’ordine sacro.6
Privato dei ministri del loro proprio rito, un numero stimato a circa 200.000 fedeli ruteni passò all’ortodossia.7

La citata normativa è stata estesa su altri territori non considerati ‘regioni orientali’: le eccezioni venivano concesse solo dopo aver sentito la Conferenza Episcopale in loco ed aver ricevuto l’autorizzazione della Santa Sede."

It continues:

"Poiché la problematica persisteva, la Congregazione per le Chiese Orientali interessò la Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede. Essa, in data 20 febbraio 2008, nella Sessione Ordinaria ha riesaminato l’intera questione, addivenendo alla seguente decisione: « si mantenga la norma vigente – che vincola i Sacerdoti Orientali in servizio pastorale presso i fedeli in diaspora all’obbligo del Celibato, similmente ai Sacerdoti latini – prevedendo, in casi concreti ed eccezionali, la possibilità di una dispensa da essa, riservata alla Santa Sede ». Quanto sopra venne approvato dal Santo Padre Benedetto XVI.

Va rilevato che anche in Occidente, nei tempi recenti, con il motu proprio
Anglicanorum coetibus, benché non riguardante il clero orientale, si è adottata una disciplina attenta alla concreta situazione dei presbiteri e delle rispettive famiglie passati alla comunione cattolica."

Here’s what the translator kicked back:

"*3) Decree Graeci-Rutheni of 24 May 1930, by which it was determined that only celibate men could be admitted to the seminary and promoted to the order sacro.6
Private ministers of their own rite, a number estimated at around 200,000 faithful Ruthenian passed all’ortodossia.7

The above legislation has been extended to other areas not considered ‘eastern’: the exceptions were granted only after hearing the Bishops’ Conference on the spot and have received permission from the Holy See."

"Since the problem persisted, the Congregation for the Oriental Churches interested in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It, on February 20, 2008, in the Ordinary Session reviewed the whole issue, addivenendo the following decision: "you keep the existing rule - which binds the priests in the Eastern pastoral ministry among the faithful in the diaspora to the obligation of celibacy, similar Priests Latin - providing, in specific cases and exceptional circumstances, the possibility of a dispensation therefrom reserved to the Holy See. "The above was approved by Pope Benedict XVI.

It should be noted that even in the West, in recent times, with the motu proprio
Personal ordinariate, although not on the eastern clergy, has adopted a discipline attentive to the concrete situation of the priests and their families went to Catholic communion*." (Unofficial translation from Italian to English, using Google Translator)

 

[RyanBlack]

My understanding was that it was the local Ordinary (their own Bishop) who imposed teh restriciton…not the Pope. I may be wrong.

The restrictions came from Rome.

 

[Nickles1237]

1. When was the ban on priests marrying imposed?
2. By whom?
3. For what reason(s)?

 

[ahs]

Here is the preceding text from that page. PLEASE NOTE: I do NOT speak Italian, and am using a web-based translator, and am drawing NO conclusions regarding the verbage:

Italian original first [2-posts] followed by “translation” (as described above) [in subsequent 2 posts]:
[Beginning on Page 496, footnotes not included]
vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/2014/acta-giugno2014.pdf

A riguardo dell’ammissione agli ordini sacri dei coniugati si osservi il diritto particolare della propria Chiesa sui
iuris o le norme speciali stabilite dalla Sede Apostolica ».
Ciò consente che ciascuna Chiesa sui iuris possa decidere circa l’ammissione
dei coniugati agli ordini sacri.
Al presente, tutte le Chiese orientali cattoliche possono ammettere uomini sposati al diaconato e al presbiterato ad eccezione delle Chiese siro-
malabarese e siro-malankarese.
Pertanto, il canone prevede che la Sede Apostolica possa emanare norme speciali al riguardo.
Il Santo Padre Benedetto XVI nella Esortazione apostolica post-sinodale Ecclesia in Medio Oriente del 14 settembre 2012, dopo avere affermato che « il celibato sacerdotale è un dono inestimabile di Dio alla Sua Chiesa, che occorre accogliere con riconoscenza, tanto in Oriente quanto in Occidente, poiché rappresenta un segno profetico sempre attuale »1 ha ricordato « il ministero dei presbiteri sposati che sono una componente antica delle tradizioni orientali »2 e li ha incoraggiati poiché « con le loro famiglie, sono chiamati alla santità nel fedele esercizio del loro ministero e nelle loro condizioni di vita a volte difficili

[497]

La problematica del ministero dei sacerdoti uxorati fuori dei tradizionali territori orientali risale agli ultimi decenni del XIX secolo, specialmente a partire dal 1880, quando migliaia di cattolici ruteni emigrarono dalle regioni sub-carpatiche, nonché dall’Ucraina dell’ovest, negli Stati Uniti d’America. La presenza dei rispettivi ministri uxorati suscitò la protesta dei Vescovi latini secondo i quali tale presenza avrebbe provocato un gravissimum scandalum
presso i fedeli latini. Perciò la Congregazione di Propaganda Fide con decreto del 1 ottobre 1890 proibì al clero ruteno uxorato di risiedere negli USA.
Nel 1913 la Santa Sede decretò che in Canada solo dei celibi avrebbero potuto essere ordinati sacerdoti.
Negli anni 1929-1930 l’allora Congregazione per la Chiesa orientale (CCO) emanò tre decreti con cui proibiva l’esercizio del ministero ai sacerdoti orientali uxorati in certe regioni:

1. il Decreto Cum data fuerit del 1° marzo 1929, con cui si proibì l’esercizio del ministero al clero ruteno uxorato in emigrazione nell’America del Nord;4
2. il Decreto Qua sollerti del 23 dicembre 1929, col quale si estese la proibizione del ministero a tutto il clero orientale uxorato emigrato in America del Nord e del Sud, in Canada e in Australia;5
3. il Decreto Graeci-Rutheni del 24 maggio 1930, col quale si stabilì che solo degli uomini celibi avrebbero potuto essere ammessi in seminario e promossi all’ordine sacro.6
   Privato dei ministri del loro proprio rito, un numero stimato a circa 200.000 fedeli ruteni passò all’ortodossia.7
   La citata normativa è stata estesa su altri territori non considerati ‘regioni orientali’: le eccezioni venivano concesse solo dopo aver sentito la Conferenza Episcopale in loco ed aver ricevuto l’autorizzazione della Santa Sede.

 

[ahs]

[498]

Poiché la problematica persisteva, la Congregazione per le Chiese Orientali interessò la Congregazione per la Dottrina della Fede. Essa, in data 20 febbraio 2008, nella Sessione Ordinaria ha riesaminato l’intera questione, addivenendo alla seguente decisione: « si mantenga la norma vigente – che vincola i Sacerdoti Orientali in servizio pastorale presso i fedeli in diaspora all’obbligo del Celibato, similmente ai Sacerdoti latini – prevedendo, in casi concreti ed eccezionali, la possibilità di una dispensa da essa, riservata alla Santa Sede ». Quanto sopra venne approvato dal Santo Padre Benedetto XVI.
Va rilevato che anche in Occidente, nei tempi recenti, con il motu proprio
Anglicanorum coetibus, benché non riguardante il clero orientale, si è adottata una disciplina attenta alla concreta situazione dei presbiteri e delle rispettive famiglie passati alla comunione cattolica.

B) Disposizioni approvate dal Santo Padre
La Sessione Plenaria della Congregazione per le Chiese Orientali, tenutasi dal 19 al 22 novembre 2013 al Palazzo Apostolico, ha trattato la questione ampiamente ed ha in seguito presentato al Santo Padre la richiesta di concedere alle rispettive Autorità Ecclesiastiche la facoltà di consentire il servizio pastorale del clero uxorato orientale anche fuori dei territori orientali tradizionali.
Il Santo Padre, nell’udienza concessa al Prefetto della Congregazione per le Chiese Orientali, card. Leonardo Sandri, il 23 dicembre 2013, ha approvato la richiesta
contrariìs quibuslibet minime obstantibus,
con la seguente modalità:

— nelle Circoscrizioni Amministrative orientali (Metropolie, Eparchie, Esarcati) costituite fuori dai territori tradizionali tale facoltà viene conferita ai Gerarchi orientali, che la eserciteranno secondo le tradizioni delle rispettive Chiese. Essi hanno, altresì, la facoltà di ordinare i candidati orientali uxorati provenienti dalla rispettiva circoscrizione con l’obbligo di informare previamente per iscritto il Vescovo latino di residenza del candidato onde averne il parere ed ogni informazione utile;
— negli Ordinariati per i fedeli orientali privi di Gerarca proprio, tale facoltà viene conferita agli Ordinari, che la eserciteranno informando nei casi concreti la rispettiva Conferenza Episcopale e questo Dicastero;

[499]

— nei territori dove i fedeli orientali sono privi di una struttura amministrativa specifica e sono affidati alle cure dei Vescovi latini del luogo, tale facoltà continuerà ad essere riservata alla Congregazione per le Chiese Orientali, che la eserciterà in casi concreti ed eccezionali dopo aver sentito il parere delle rispettive Conferenze Episcopali.
Dalla Sede della Congregazione per le Chiese Orientali, 14 giugno 2014
LEONARDO Card. SANDRI
Prefetto

 

[ahs]

[Page 496]

In respect of admission to holy orders of the conjugates observe the particular law of each Church sui
iuris or special norms established by the Apostolic See. "
This allows each Church sui iuris to decide on the admission
conjugates to holy orders.
At present, all the Eastern Catholic Churches can admit married men to the diaconate and the priesthood with the exception of the Syriac Churches
Malabar and Syro-Malankara.
Therefore, the fee is expected that the Apostolic See may establish special rules in this regard.
The Holy Father Benedict XVI in the Apostolic Exhortation Exhortation Ecclesia in the Middle East on 14 September 2012, after having stated that "priestly celibacy is a precious gift of God to His Church, are to be welcomed with gratitude, both in the East and in the West as a prophetic sign is always present, “one recalled,” the ministry of married priests who are a part of the ancient traditions of the East, "2 and encouraged them as’ with their families, are called to holiness in the faithful exercise of their ministry and in their living conditions are sometimes difficult.

[497]

The problem of priestly ministry-married outside the traditional eastern territories from the last decades of the nineteenth century, especially since 1880, when thousands of Ruthenian Catholics emigrated from sub-Carpathian, Ukraine and the West, in the United States 'America. The presence of respective ministers-married aroused the protest of the Latin Bishops in which it has presence would have caused a scandal of Gravissimum
at the Latin faithful. Therefore, the Congregation of Propaganda Fide by decree of October 1, 1890 forbade a married Ruthenian clergy to reside in the US.
In 1913 the Holy See decreed that only bachelors in Canada could be ordained.
In the years 1929-1930 the then Congregation for the Eastern Church (CCO) issued three decrees which forbade the exercise of the ministry-married Eastern priests in certain regions:

1. the decree Cum data fuerit March 1, 1929, which forbade the exercise of the ministry to the Ruthenian the married clergy in exile in North America, 4
2. Here sollerti Decree of December 23, 1929, in which extended the prohibition of ministry to all the married clergy emigrated to eastern North America and South America, Canada and Australia; 5
3. Decree Graeci-Rutheni of 24 May 1930, by which it was determined that only celibate men could be admitted to the seminary and promoted to the order sacro.6
   Private ministers of their own rite, a number estimated at around 200,000 faithful Ruthenian passed all’ortodossia.7
   The above legislation has been extended to other areas not considered ‘eastern’: the exceptions were granted only after hearing the Bishops’ Conference on the spot and have received permission from the Holy See.

 

[ahs]

[498]

Since the problem persisted, the Congregation for the Oriental Churches interested in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It, on February 20, 2008, in the Ordinary Session reviewed the whole issue, addivenendo the following decision: "you keep the existing rule - which binds the priests in the Eastern pastoral ministry among the faithful in the diaspora to the obligation of celibacy, similar Priests Latin - providing, in specific cases and exceptional circumstances, the possibility of a dispensation therefrom reserved to the Holy See. "The above was approved by Pope Benedict XVI.
It should be noted that even in the West, in recent times, with the motu proprio
Personal ordinariate, although not on the eastern clergy, has adopted a discipline attentive to the concrete situation of the priests and their families went to Catholic communion.
B) Provisions approved by the Holy Father
The Plenary Session of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, held 19 to 22 November 2013 to the Apostolic Palace, discussed the issue extensively and subsequently presented to the Holy Father’s request to grant to the respective Church authorities the power to allow the pastoral care of married clergy eastern territories outside of the traditional oriental.
The Holy Father, during an audience granted to the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Cardinal. Leonardo Sandri, December 23, 2013, approved the request
contrariis quibuslibet minimum ostantibus,
with the following modalities:

• Administrative Districts in the Eastern (metropolitan provinces, eparchies, Exarchates) incorporated outside of their traditional territories that power is given to the eastern hierarchs, the exercise according to the traditions of their churches. They have also the authority to order the eastern-married candidates from the respective district with the obligation to inform in writing prior to the Latin Bishop of residence of the applicant in order to have the opinion and any relevant information;
• Ordinariates for the faithful in the eastern without their hierarch, that right is given to the Ordinary, that the exercise by informing in concrete cases the Episcopal Conference and this Department;

[499]

• In the areas where the Eastern faithful are without a specific administrative structure and are under the care of the Latin Bishops of the place, this option will continue to be reserved to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, which will put in concrete cases and exceptional after hearing the opinion of the respective Episcopal Conferences.
  From the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, June 14, 2014
  Leonardo Card. SANDRI
  prefect

 

[ByzCathCantor]

My understanding was that it was the local Ordinary (their own Bishop) who imposed teh restriciton…not the Pope. I may be wrong.

ahs, there is a long history here…

In fact, the excerpt you included in your latter post referenced the third such statement coming from Rome on the subject.

As to your post above, you are actually somewhat correct factually in that Latin hierarchy in America first had jurisdiction over Eastern Catholic immigrants, absent their own established hierarchy in the United States here at the time.

That said, instructions on the matter did in fact come from Rome at the insistence of the Latin hierarchy, sighting fear of “grave scandal” from the presence of married Catholic clergy here in America.

 

[ahs]

ahs, there is a long history here…

In fact, the excerpt you included in your latter post referenced the third such statement coming from Rome on the subject.

As to your post above, you are actually somewhat correct factually in that Latin hierarchy in America first had jurisdiction over Eastern Cathoilc immigrants in America, absent their own established hierarchy in the United States here at the time.

That said, instructions on the matter did in fact come from Rome at the insistence of the Latin hierarchy in America, sighting fear of “grave scandal” from the presence of married Catholic clergy here in America.

Ah, that makes sense then. Thank you for the clarification.

 

[ahs]

1. When was the ban on priests marrying imposed?
2. By whom?
3. For what reason(s)?

You might be on a different topic. The norm is (in the Western Rite, and apparently certain Eastern Rites in North America) to select candidates for the Priesthood from among the celibate. The reasoning no more or less than what Paul gave in 1Corinthians 7 (especially verses1, 8, 25-35) (cff. Mt 19:12, 2Tim2:3-4, 1Tim 5:9-12)