Should the Church allow married Priests?

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Well, if the Church allows it for the Latin Rite (Roman Cathoics), then so be it.

But I should mention here that a deacon of the Ukrainian Catholic Church (where married priests are allowed) had once commented in a class I was taking on this very topic.

This very intelligent man, who has a Phd in world history, had said that if the Latin Rite permitted their priests to become married on the hopes of increasing the number of priests worldwide - that they were going to be very disappointed.

He went on to say that he felt this would do little or nothing in increasing the number of men seeking to enter into the priesthood.

That was his opinion …

frank
 
I voted “Yes, it’s time we allowed this.” but want to change it to read “Yes, it already does.”

As the Church already ordains married men. This is the tradition of the Byzantine Catholic Churches and many other Eastern Catholic Churches and it is also done by the approval of the pope in the Latin Catholic Church.
 
As far as I know preists were’nt always required to be celibate. Wasn’t that started in the 10th century?
 
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ChristopherMich:
Comments?
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I would like Priests to have the option of marrying. I think that those who would choose marriage would be suited for that and still be excellent Priests.

I think the effect would be that Priests would be less alone and lonely. Those who chose to not marry would like being alone and those who would choose marriage would thrive being married.
 
None of the above, the true question is complicated.

YES in communities where there is already a strong tradition of married and celebate priests working side by side in the Lord’s vineyard. In many of the Eastern churches, this is the norm. Each compliments the others’ gifts and those who have chosen to be “eunichs for the sake of Christ” are held in higher esteem than those who are married – with good reason. From among their ranks alone come their bishops.

NO at least for now in the Roman Rite where those who have chosen to be “eunichs for the sake of Christ” are grossly misunderstood and often maligned. When the charism of celebacy is truly valued for the great gift of God that it is, the Church may be ready to allow married priests to assist their celebate brothers in the the Lord’s vineyard, bringing their special charism for ministry with them. I pray for this to come about, but I don’t foresee it happening any time soon.

:twocents:
 
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WanderAimlessly:
I chose “Yes, but only if they are converting and already married.” since that is what it allowed now in some cases.

This, however, is only for the Latin Rite.

PF
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I think that if married priests are allowed to covert to Catholocism and remain married, then it only stands to reason that our ordained priests who have chosen marriage should be allowed to practice as priests. Only seems fair to me. Some married can practice, some married (our own to boot) can’t practice,…doesn’t make sense to me.
 
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feather:
I think that if married priests are allowed to covert to Catholocism and remain married, then it only stands to reason that our ordained priests who have chosen marriage should be allowed to practice as priests. Only seems fair to me. Some married can practice, some married (our own to boot) can’t practice,…doesn’t make sense to me.
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“Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called.” (I Cor 7) If a married man is called to the priesthood (in the East and in cases of conversion only), he may be ordained and keep his existant marital commitment. When a single man is called to the priesthood (East or West), he makes the commitment to celebacy as part of the package. He can no more break the commitment to celebacy than the married priest can divorce his wife.

The charism of celebacy is a magnificent gift. Those that live it out faithfully are a testimony to our resurrected life in Christ. May God grant us more faithful men.
 
kaygee said:
“Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called.” (I Cor 7) If a married man is called to the priesthood (in the East and in cases of conversion only), he may be ordained and keep his existant marital commitment. When a single man is called to the priesthood (East or West), he makes the commitment to celebacy as part of the package. He can no more break the commitment to celebacy than the married priest can divorce his wife.

The charism of celebacy is a magnificent gift. Those that live it out faithfully are a testimony to our resurrected life in Christ. May God grant us more faithful men.
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Very true indeed KG

But still a waste of good priests when we need them desperately, just my oopinion
 
If it is between married priests and women priests I guess that married won’t be too bad… but priests at my parish claim that they have no time for themselves anyway so why would being married not make their lives any less busy???
 
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FiremanFrank:
Well, if the Church allows it for the Latin Rite (Roman Cathoics), then so be it.

But I should mention here that a deacon of the Ukrainian Catholic Church (where married priests are allowed) had once commented in a class I was taking on this very topic.

This very intelligent man, who has a Phd in world history, had said that if the Latin Rite permitted their priests to become married on the hopes of increasing the number of priests worldwide - that they were going to be very disappointed.

He went on to say that he felt this would do little or nothing in increasing the number of men seeking to enter into the priesthood.

That was his opinion …

frank
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I believe we get the number and quality of priests we deserve. I find it amusing so many agitate for married men to become priests in the Latin rite when the vocation to marriage is in such a state of crisis.

The last pope said to many decress of nullity are granted in this culture. Poll after poll reveals most “catholics” contracept, abort and sterilize to the same extent as the neo pagan culture. Fonication prior to marriage is almost a sacrament and civil divorce is seen as a rite of passage.

Married priests indeed.

Before Cardinal Ratzinger became pope he gave an interview and part of it discussed the origin of married priests in the Eastern Church. There is conflicting historical data about why it started and how prevalent it was.
 
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coralewisjr:
The Church already allows married priests in the Eastern rite and for certain Protestant ministers who were already married before they converted.
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I think, it would be better, if catholic priest could be married, because, I think many sexual problems, which we are reading in a newspaper e.g. from Boston would come clear.

Kostja
 
Should the Church allow married Priests? No.

There are several theological reasons that have been posted before.

Can a Man be a Mother? No!

Can a Woman be a Father? No.

Can a married man tend to the duties of a Roman Catholic Priest? No.
 
I heard this recently:

A priest became aware that there was a group in his parish praying that priests be allowed to marry.

When he heard about this, he went to the group and said "I hope you’re NOT praying for ME to be able to marry! The last thing I need is a WIFE AND KIDS!"

lol!
 
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Exporter:
Can a married man tend to the duties of a Roman Catholic Priest? No.
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The experience of the Eastern Churches and the Orthodox Church tend to be a yes on this, so in here I don’t see the reason why a married man cannot tend the duties of a priest in the Latin rite.
 
Rand Al'Thor:
this may have been answered earlier, but i havent read all the posts. isnt it already allowed for someone to be married if they convert? i read an article once about a protestant minister who was converting to catholicism and was going to be a priest (or maybe already was).
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Slider Stuernol (I may not have spelled that correctly) is pastor of St Agath’s, in the Sellwood area of Portland. He was previously a Presbyterian minister (and married) and was ordained by Archbicshop Levada. Everyone (inclduding him) seems to be doing just fine with that

By the way, I think he is the only Presbyterian minister to be ordained; the majority of our married priests are from the Episcoplian/Anglican, and the rest from Methodist and Lutheran churches.
 
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Exporter:
Should the Church allow married Priests? No.

There are several theological reasons that have been posted before.

Can a Man be a Mother? No!

Can a Woman be a Father? No.

Can a married man tend to the duties of a Roman Catholic Priest? No.
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Well, they are doing it now, and there are even more in the Eastern rites tending to the duties.
 
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kaygee:
None of the above, the true question is complicated.

YES in communities where there is already a strong tradition of married and celebate priests working side by side in the Lord’s vineyard. In many of the Eastern churches, this is the norm. Each compliments the others’ gifts and those who have chosen to be “eunichs for the sake of Christ” are held in higher esteem than those who are married – with good reason. From among their ranks alone come their bishops.

NO at least for now in the Roman Rite where those who have chosen to be “eunichs for the sake of Christ” are grossly misunderstood and often maligned. When the charism of celebacy is truly valued for the great gift of God that it is, the Church may be ready to allow married priests to assist their celebate brothers in the the Lord’s vineyard, bringing their special charism for ministry with them. I pray for this to come about, but I don’t foresee it happening any time soon.

:twocents:
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However, the gift of, or charism of celibacy may be more valued when it is truly a gift. It is not intrinsic to the priesthood.

What baffles me is why those who are against lifting the discipline refer to it as"throwing it out", or “destroying it”, or use similar language. I don’t know anyone who suggests that celibacy be “done away with”. I think it should be treated as a gift, highly prized, celibrated, honored, and not demanded. Then those who are called but do not have the gift (or rather, have the charism of marriage) can be ordained, and those who have the charism of celibacy can also be ordained.
 
I was unable to vote in this pole because it didn’t provide an option for the obvious.

The Church ALREADY ALLOWS married priests.

The question aught to be, “should the Latin Rite Catholic Church change it’s discipline regarding priestly celibacy”.

To which I would answer… No. Not at this time. Especially when our culture is so “oversexed” as it is. We need the celibate priests in the Western world to provide a witness to the virtue of chastity and celibacy.

If our culture had a healthy perspective on sex and family life I could understand why the ecclesial authority might allow for some married priests. (presuming it was within the accepted tradition of marriage before ordination)
 
Also…
What’s wrong with the diaconate?
If the problem with vocational numbers was a problem of not allowing married men to be ordained wouldn’t there be an overwelming number of deacons? Well I don’t see men beating down the cathedral doors to get ordained to the diaconate. The problem is our screwed up culture and how much we have allowed modernism to subvert our faith. Orthodox diocese have far more priestly vocations than the “modernist” “enlightened” “relevant” “hip” “?liberal?” diocese.
 
We have a married priest. He was a Methodist pastor for 20 years, had already raised a daughter, and has a grandchild.

Father James is so well-schooled that he out-Catholics the cradle Catholics. He really knows how to make us sit up, listen, and think. We are very lucky to have him.

I have no problem with married priests so long as their wives are past child-bearing age and their children are grown. We have quite a few deacons who would make excellent priests.

On the other hand, a cousin of ours, also Methodist by persuasion, tried to be a full-time pastor while still a newlywed with a young wife and two toddlers. He truly had “the gift”; his church grew by leaps and bounds, until the membership “needed” both him and his wife 27 hours a day. His marriage and his boys got lost in the shuffle.

He’s not a pastor any more. He’s a life insurance salesman now.
 
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