Nigerian ex-Catholic Priest fixes wedding date months after resignation

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I am glad that he left the church if he wanted to marry. I have no problem with married men becoming priest, they would just have to be older men in their late 50’s
 
So how does one resign? I would have thought vows were pretty binding. Of course it’s better to let someone loose than for him to be keeping a mistress on the side as a priest.
 
It is a process, but the church can make priests lay. They retain the irremovable mark of the priesthood.
 
Would you please explain what age has to do with it, and why you chose 50 as the age? Thanks.
 
By the time a man is in his late 50’s he raised his children and may very well be an empty nester. He has experience in living a life. he is also approaching retirement. Start them out a deacons and by the time they retire than can be priest. Now if their spouse were to die they may not remarry.
 
I don’t know that someone’s leaving the Church, whether a priest or a layman, is something to be glad about, and we should certainly pray for this priest and everyone in his situation. I would say however that I am not completely opposed to the idea of allowing married men to become priests in a somewhat limited capacity. When this topic comes up I usually say that the ideal candidate, in my non-expert opinion, would be a man who has served at least 5-10 years as a deacon, has permission from his wife, is financially stable either through suitable employment (his, his wife’s or a combination) or some other moral means, and who preferably already has an advanced degree in theology or a related discipline from a recognized Catholic college or university in good standing. It would also be helpful if his children were all grown and self-sufficient, but I personally wouldn’t make this an absolute requirement.

Such men, in my imagined scenario, would be able to go through a somewhat abbreviated formation and training program that would not significantly disrupt their family lives, given their education and experience. They would serve their dioceses by being available to offer at least one Mass on Sundays and holy days, and by hearing confessions for a few hours a week. They would also of course be able to celebrate other sacraments according to the desire of their bishop and their own availability, but would not be eligible to serve as pastors or be consecrated bishops.

This would not serve as an absolute cure for the shortage of priests, and I don’t believe that it would have prevented the above scenario (I think that not only leaving the priesthood, but the Church, is an indication that marriage was not this priest’s only issue with Catholicism), but it might be worth a try when the Church is ready.
 
philipl said:
By the time a man is in his late 50’s he raised his children and may very well be an empty nester. He has experience in living a life. he is also approaching retirement. Start them out a deacons and by the time they retire than can be priest. Now if their spouse were to die they may not remarry.
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Would the Church think it a worthwhile investment to accept a man in his fifties as a first-year seminarian?
I know a priest who had quite a job to persuade his order to accept him when he was in his thirties. He’d been working as an accountant for ten years or more, and they told him he was too old for “formation” to work satisfactorily. He was finally ordained at the age of 41.
 
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So is he going to stay catholic and have a catholic wedding or would he be unable to do so
 
BartholomewB said:
Would the Church think it a worthwhile investment to accept a man in his fifties as a first-year seminarian?
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Yeah, good point…that’s the obstacle an older guy faces…in my diocese, even for the permanent deaconate, formation must be complete and ordination take place prior to the candidates 60th birthday.
 
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I didn’t word that right. Reading the article he left the priesthood. Doesn’t say he left the church.
 
It says that he was speaking from his church, named as grace family. It’s an African-based evangelical/born again type denomination.
 
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I went and did a google search on his name and yes he left the church.
 
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