Married vs. Celibate Priesthood

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NFrancis

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Do you think that married men should be allowed to be priests.

I would like to say that I think that celibate priests are definitely preferable over married priests for multiple reasons:
  • The married priest would have less time to spend with both his family and his parish.
  • More responsibilities and therefore more stress
  • More money needed for the priest
  • Celibacy builds discipline
  • Easier for Celibate Priests to move for new assignments
  • Biblical Reasons
However the Church does have need for more priests. Maybe already married men may feel called to the priesthood. They then may decide to become deacons so that they can serve the Church. Maybe it could be allowed to have have these deacons ordained priest provided that: their children be mature enough to take care of themselves, there is a real need for priests in that diocese, and there would probably be other requirements. The Bishop would ask the Deacon if he wanted to be a Priest and then the Deacon would have to attend seminary and then could be ordained a Priest.
 
I say we should have the same rules as now. They have served us well for a long time so why not keep the rules like they are?
 
As I understand it, Eastern Rite Churches (the ones in conformity with Rome) do allow married priests. Also, within the US, married Episcopal priests that convert to Catholicism are allowed to become Catholic priests, with a similar caveat applied to deacons today; i.e., if your wife dies, then you agree not to re-marry.

There is obviouisly a group of active priests that are married within the Catholic Church. How are they doing? Are there any unique problems that are arising from these priests being married? Surely somebody has done some study of this phenomena. What are the results? 🙂
 
I voted for “same rules as now.” The Church is the bride of Christ, and the priest, personifying Jesus, should live as he lived. Nothing should distract a priest from his vocation. Since marriage is also a lifelong vocation, how could one have two vocations?
 
Were not some of the original apostles chosen by Jesus married? if it was so then why not today?
 
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