Questions about Eastern rite priests

[Mystical_Rose]

I’m writing an essay about celibacy in the Catholic Church and have to cover both the East and West. Problem is I really have no idea about the Eastern Catholic Churches and how the priesthood works.

What I do know is that Eastern rite priests can get married - but only prior to their ordination to the diaconate (correct me if I’m wrong). However am I right in thinking that if any of their training for the priesthood is spent in a monastery then they’re classed as monastic and are therefore celibate, and that Bishops are celibate and are therefore usually monastic? I’ve read all these things somewhere, please correct me if I’m wrong!

But what I’m wondering is how it works having married priests practically. I read somewhere that only a low percentage of Eastern rite priests are married, is this true? But for those that are, how does it work balancing a parish and a family? I assume they don’t get moved around by the Bishop…?

Basically anything that anyone can tell me about any of this would be really fantastic!

 

[bpbasilphx]

What I do know is that Eastern rite priests can get married - but only prior to their ordination to the diaconate (correct me if I’m wrong).

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To be precise, it would be better to say that married men may be ordained to the diaconate and priesthood in Eastern Churches.

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However am I right in thinking that if any of their training for the priesthood is spent in a monastery then they’re classed as monastic and are therefore celibate, and that Bishops are celibate and are therefore usually monastic? I’ve read all these things somewhere, please correct me if I’m wrong!

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**No, you’re not right in thinking this.

Many seminaries, especially in Orthodox Churches, have been connected with monasteries (for example, St. Tikhon’s in Pennsylvania). Where one receives his training has nothing to do whether he will be ordained as a celibate, monastic, or married priest.

Bishops are at least technically chosen from among the monks, though many receive a pro-forma tonsure before the episcopate. Many bishops, especially in Orthodoxy, are widowers.

So, for that matter are many monks. More than a few widows enter monasteries after their children are grown. Many abbesses are widows themselves.**

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But what I’m wondering is how it works having married priests practically. I read somewhere that only a low percentage of Eastern rite priests are married, is this true? But for those that are, how does it work balancing a parish and a family? I assume they don’t get moved around by the Bishop…?

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**In the United states, because of decades of interference by the Latin hierarchy, most of the parish clergy are celibate. This is not the case in the old countries, much less among the Orthodox here or elsewhere.

In my city there are 4 married Eastern Catholic priests (one a widower ordained before his wife died).

This is one reason why the canonical age for ordination in the Orthodox Church is 30: wait until you’re married and have your household in order.

Yes, married priests of both Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches get moved around by the bishop. Though the original discipline is that a priest was ordained for a particular parish and stayed there until death.**

 

[Aramis]

As a further complication, The Roman Church also accepts widowers for priestly ordination, as do most of the ECC’s.

Further, protestant ministers converting to the Roman Church may be ordained, even if married. The Eastern Catholic churches have, from time to time, done likewise; one such man was on “The Journey Home”.

Note that some ECC’s don’t have married clerics at all; most allow married deacons, many allow married priests. Technically, all allow widowers as bishops, but in practice, due to the education requirements, it’s far less common in Catholicism.

One other side note: The tradition in Orthodoxy is that a Married cleric, when widowed, moves to a monastery. While never universally enforced, it is common enough that a notable minority of monastic priests are widowers.

 

[gloria97000]

The Maronites follow Western tradition in the US and don’t have married clergy here - but in the East it is more widely possible to have married Maronite clergy.

 

[Diak]

But what I’m wondering is how it works having married priests practically. I read somewhere that only a low percentage of Eastern rite priests are married, is this true? But for those that are, how does it work balancing a parish and a family? I assume they don’t get moved around by the Bishop…?

Basically anything that anyone can tell me about any of this would be really fantastic!

Actually in my Eparchy (parallel Eastern term for Diocese) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC as it is often abbreviated) here in the US we have about 2/3 married parish clergy. In Ukraine outside of religious orders and monasteries typically all of the parochial clergy are married.

It does create additional challenges in balancing family life. Even as a married Deacon I can testify to that - although it also brings unique opportunities for growth of the entire family into the vocation as well.

And yes, any clergy in major orders (priests or deacons) can get moved by the Bishop. In reality deacons generally do not get moved as frequently, since most have alternative means of support outside of the Eparchy.

A good friend of mine, a priest in our Eparchy, was moved not too long ago and he has two daughters. Another priest of my old parish had to leave about two months before the end of the school year (he had four kids, two in high school) because of an emergency situation with a priest’s sickness. I suppose “it goes with the badge”. When the bishop lays hands on you, your obedience is expected.