Scottish Cardinal Suggests Priests Should Marry

[JRKH]

Didn’t have time to listen to the whole interview. Did the Cardinal say he supported the idea of allowing married men to be ordained to the priesthood, or did he say he supports allowing ordained priests to get married ? If it’s the latter, then I’m very uncomfortable with this man.

                                   Theoretically I see nothing wrong with the Eastern Rites having married priests, but realistically speaking, even there, economic times are changing and it may not be workable in many places.

I too would be uncomfortable with the idea of men who are already priests being allowed to marry. The problem that I would see in this is - how does one “court”? There are so many aspects to this that could be difficult, especially for a pastor who is in such a highly visible position.

Peace
James

 

[mburn16]

The problem that I would see in this is - how does one “court”? There are so many aspects to this that could be difficult, especially for a pastor who is in such a highly visible position.

How does anyone else of a respectable position “court”? Do you think all dating is bars and nightclubs?

 

[SonSearcher]

Well since I am a relatively new revert as of two years ago… Why are our Priests celibate?

 

[JRKH]

How does anyone else of a respectable position “court”? Do you think all dating is bars and nightclubs?

lol…Of course not. I didn’t even think of those things.
What I was thinking more about is how the woman (and the pastor) would be scrutinized by the parishioners.
Or -
How a nice looking, unmarried young priest might find himself fawned over by unmarried women in the parish.

Such things as this would be avoided if (as in the Eastern Churches) the man must be married before ordination - or commit to celibacy.

Note - I don’t say these would be a problem - only that they could be.

Peace
James

 

[Hasire]

There is a reason for the sacrament of marriage and the sacrament of Holy Orders.
Specifically separate. Unique in their own. Time consuming in their own.
Otherwise, it would be the sacrament of Marriage or Holy Orders.

*False Dilemma *
Ask your local Melkite priest.

Lastly I would suggest that if Rome were to revisit this issue, they would look east for examples and guidelines. As we know the eastern Catholic Churches have had married priests all along. So why “re-invent the wheel”? I’d look for something very much like that used by the Eastern Rite Churches.

Didn’t have time to listen to the whole interview. Did the Cardinal say he supported the idea of allowing married men to be ordained to the priesthood, or did he say he supports allowing ordained priests to get married ? If it’s the latter, then I’m very uncomfortable with this man.

Such things as this would be avoided if (as in the Eastern Churches) the man must be married before ordination - or commit to celibacy.

Of course, the person would have to be married before ordination. A priest marrying would be* so *wrong.

 

[R_C]

It doesn’t really matter what each of us individually thinks There has been a lot of debate at high levels as well as amidst theologians on the celibacy of the clergy in the Latin sui iuris Catholic Church, and it would seem to be a major departure from tradition to all of a sudden introduce this.

It’s like arguing that the big wall of a church needs a window, and that many other walls have it with no problem, and thus let us smash a huge hole in it with a wrecking ball…ultimately, some structural damage may occur, and it may as well affect the smaller walls attached to it…

*“Volo autem vos sine sollicitudine esse:
qui sine uxore est, sollicitus est quae Domini sunt, quomodo placeat Deo;
qui autem cum uxore est, sollicitus est quae sunt mundi, quomodo placeat uxori,
et divisus est.”
I Corinthios 7:32-33 (en)
*

 

[JRKH]

It doesn’t really matter what each of us individually thinks There has been a lot of debate at high levels as well as amidst theologians on the celibacy of the clergy in the Latin sui iuris Catholic Church, and it would seem to be a major departure from tradition to all of a sudden introduce this.

It’s like arguing that the big wall of a church needs a window, and that many other walls have it with no problem, and thus let us smash a huge hole in it with a wrecking ball…ultimately, some structural damage may occur, and it may as well affect the smaller walls attached to it…

I agree that this matter has indeed been thoroughly discussed and will continue to be so.
That is why I would suggest that any departure from the current practice would NOT be suddenly introduced. Like so many other things it would come about gradually.

Secondly - I don’t think that you analogy of the window works very well. Even if it is determined to put a window there it does not follow that a “wrecking ball” need be used.

Peace
James

 

[Lucky7]

Didn’t have time to listen to the whole interview. Did the Cardinal say he supported the idea of allowing married men to be ordained to the priesthood, or did he say he supports allowing ordained priests to get married ? If it’s the latter, then I’m very uncomfortable with this man.

I just read the whole article and it is not clear which one he is supporting. Considering it appears he is orthodox otherwise, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that he is referring to the former.

 

[R_C]

Well, to me the very idea of married priests in the Latin Church is the wrecking ball If introduced, no matter how quietly, the impact will resound throughout history.

I’m not trying to be negative here Let’s see what happens in the future.

 

[JRKH]

Well, to me the very idea of married priests in the Latin Church is the wrecking ball If introduced, no matter how quietly, the impact will resound throughout history.

Well we can be sure that there will be a wide range of responses should it ever occur. There will be those wailing and gnashing teeth to those dancing about in joy. Most will fall somewhere in the middle…take some time to adjust and move on.

I’m not trying to be negative here Let’s see what happens in the future.

Understood. We really don’t have any choice in the matter…we will just have to wait and see what happens.

Peace
James

 

[Midwest88]

news.yahoo.com/cardinal-married-catholic-priests-possibility-172115510.html

LONDON (AP) — Roman Catholic priests should be allowed to marry and have children, Britain’s most senior Catholic cleric said Friday.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who heads the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, said the requirement for priestly celibacy is “not of divine origin” and could be reconsidered.

He told BBC Scotland that “the celibacy of the clergy, whether priests should marry — Jesus didn’t say that.”

He said that “many priests have found it very difficult to cope with celibacy,” and while he had never considered marriage himself, “I would be very happy if others had the opportunity of considering whether or not they could or should get married.”

 

[Midwest88]

Sorry, my eyes didn’t catch the already existing thread about this issue. Can a mod delete this? Thanks.

 

[catholicmom2010]

Catholic priests are called by God to enter the priesthood. It is not a lifestyle choice- it is a vocation to serve the Lord completely, to submit themselves totally to the will of God. Not everyone is able to receive this as Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:9-12:

“And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery; and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.” But he said to them, “Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.”

This is a church discipline and not dogma. Has this always been strictly followed? Of course not- not everyone was able to receive it.

 

[Hasire]

It doesn’t really matter what each of us individually thinks There has been a lot of debate at high levels as well as amidst theologians on the celibacy of the clergy in the Latin sui iuris Catholic Church, and it would seem to be ***a major departure from tradition ***to all of a sudden introduce this.

It’s like arguing that the big wall of a church needs a window, and that many other walls have it with no problem, and thus let us smash a huge hole in it with a wrecking ball…ultimately, some structural damage may occur, and it may as well affect the smaller walls attached to it…

The Latin Church had married priests as a norm before the 700’s - 800’s. If anything it would be a return to tradition.

 

[mburn16]

Where I live, in Detroit, the Priest shortage is painfully apparent. Two blocks north of where I go to college, there is a church with a very elderly pastor. He uses a hearing aid, walks with a cane, and relies on two stoled women to do much of the work during the liturgy. A couple miles away, there is a much more traditional parish where the Priest remains seated for almost the entire service, using a bar stool placed behind the altar for the consecration - he stands only to give the homily. A little bit closer to campus on the other side, there are three churches that have been clustered together for want of Priests, relying on a single young Polish priest who is also responsible for offering the TLM. Directly on campus, a Priest was brought in from Canada to serve the Newman center. Before he arrived, mass was frequently cancelled because there was nobody to offer it, or else we simply used a Deacon who was related to one of the students. Sometimes we had an Italian Priest or one born in Ghana.

There is a very real need for more vocation…and I think allowing marriage would go a long ways.

 

[Lucky7]

The Latin Church had married priests as a norm before the 700’s - 800’s. If anything it would be a return to tradition.

That certainly is a good point. I think oftentimes when we speak of tradition we only think about what things were like just prior to Vatican II.

I would not have an issue with a change back to married priests because it is a discipline and it is not doctrine. However, I happen to admire the sacrifice of our celibate priesthood.

And it is totally and completely CATHOLIC.

 

[sw85]

Well, to me the very idea of married priests in the Latin Church is the wrecking ball If introduced, no matter how quietly, the impact will resound throughout history.

Realistically, the practical abrogation of the expectation of clerical continence was a bigger deal than this. The fact that we accept and ordain convert ministers without expecting them to swear a vow of perfect and perpetual continence for the kingdom of Heaven sort of prefigures all the present clamorings for an end to priestly celibacy.

 

[ajecphotos]

I for one would welcome a change so that priests could marry. It would make them more rounded in society.

 

[brierpatch1974]

I think what disturbs me the most is so many people wanting to make this an economic issue and not an issue of faith or doctrine. Keep greed and the love of money out of it.

 

[CarolNoel]

I thought our late Blessed John Paul closed that book! I hope they don’t let priests get married.