Priest to deacon?

[Joseph]

Could a laicized validly ordained priest, now married, become ordained a permanent deacon? How would the church handle such a situation in terms of dispensations and ordinations, when the individual is still a “priest forever”? Would the church simply reaffirm his prior diaconate ordination? If so, how? Partially reactivate certain of his priestly faculties? If so, what would that ceremony look like? Normally ordain him a permanent deacon, since the permanent diaconate is intended to be different from his transitional diaconate? Just curious.

Thanks!

 

[dylanschrader]

Could a laicized validly ordained priest, now married, become ordained a permanent deacon?

No. He’s already received that degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders.

How would the church handle such a situation in terms of dispensations and ordinations, when the individual is still a “priest forever”? Would the church simply reaffirm his prior diaconate ordination? If so, how? Partially reactivate certain of his priestly faculties?

It would be more accurate to say that he is a priest who can exercise only certain priestly functions (e.g., witnessing marriages, preaching, conducting funeral rites, baptism) but not others (e.g., hearing confessions, celebrating Mass). He would still be a priest but he could be given certain faculties again (with major dispensations that would have to come from Rome not just the local ordinary).

Canon Law says:

Can. 293 A cleric who loses the clerical state cannot be enrolled among clerics again except through a rescript of the Apostolic See.

If so, what would that ceremony look like? Normally ordain him a permanent deacon, since the permanent diaconate is intended to be different from his transitional diaconate? Just curious.

There would be no ceremony; Rome would authorize the bishop to grant him certain faculties and the bishop would do so officially in writing.

This is an unbelievably hypothetical situation.

 

[MusicMan]

I doubt Rome would ever allow such a thing to even be considered.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

No man, once ordained to major Holy Order may attempt to contract a marriage.

A man who is ordained a Deacon and is to remain one as a permanent Deacon rather than moving onto the priesthood is called to celibacy in the same way that a transitional Deacon is.

 

[Thursday1]

No man, once ordained to major Holy Order may attempt to contract a marriage.

A man who is ordained a Deacon and is to remain one as a permanent Deacon rather than moving onto the priesthood is called to celibacy in the same way that a transitional Deacon is.

There is the exception for Widowed deacons or Eastern Rite Priests with small children, but I think that situation is rather rare, and must come from Rome.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

 

[puzzleannie]

Could a laicized validly ordained priest, now married, become ordained a permanent deacon? Thanks!

he is already ordained a deacon, it happened during his preparation for priesthood, so it cannot be repeated. A laicized priest cannot full any ecclesial role in the Church.

 

[MusicMan]

It would be illogical to grant a lacidized priest deacon’s faculties after he marries. There are a lot of problems with trust in this situation, and I would think the authority would conclude that they could not place the trust necessary for a cleric in this man.

Further, if they felt he could serve as a cleric, it would be more logical to give him limited or full priestly faculties and serve as a vicar in a parish setting.

 

[porthos11]

First of all, he cannot be ordained a deacon, since he has already been ordained as such before his priesthood.

But theoretically, VERY theoretically, the Apostolic See can grant a restoration of his faculties of deacon, or even priest.

It’s highly unlikely, but Canon Law does allow for this possibility.