Switching Rites to be Ordained

[Placidus]

I have always heard rumors of Roman Catholics becoming Eastern Catholics and becoming ordained as married priests. Does this really work? Does anyone here actually know of any men who have done this? And how did they do it? Thank you!

 

[Placidus]

And to clarify I am not interested in doing this. I love being Roman and prefer the TLM and would not do well with a lot of vernacular and no kneeling; I am just curious! Thanks!

 

[ByzCathCantor]

I have always heard rumors of Roman Catholics becoming Eastern Catholics and becoming ordained as married priests.

Frankly, I know many more American-born Roman Catholics who became celibate Eastern Catholic priests than married priests.

I would add that my own particular EC Church (Ruthenian) is still very gun-shy about ordaining married priests here in the U.S.

That said, across EC Churches and jurisdictions, I still know and know of many more married priests from the “Old Country” vs. American born and ordained married priests.

Practically speaking, even if the married priesthood was more common in regards to American born candidates, I would find it hard to believe that a RC bishop would approve a canonical transfer of a cradle RC who simply wants to transfer in order to enter the priesthood as a married clergyman. The reasons usually have to be honestly spiritual.

 

[TrueLight]

 

[TrueLight]

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Practically speaking, even if the married priesthood was more common, I would find it hard to believe that a RC bishop would approve a canonical transfer of a cradle RC who simply wants to transfer in order to enter the priesthood as a married clergyman.

I doubt he would be honest about it.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

I doubt he would be honest about it.

One would hope that ANY candidate for the priesthood in Catholicism would ALWAYS be honest with their bishop. It would not be a healthy start to one’s vocation, otherwise.

Seriously, TL - it’s hard enough for a cradle EC born in this country to pursue the vocation as a married candidate. If it were only so simple …

 

[Placidus]

Frankly, I know many more American-born Roman Catholics who became celibate Eastern Catholic priests than married priests.

QUOTE]

Does the “than” in your quote mean that you do though know some American-born Roman Catholics who became married Eastern clerics?

 

[TrueLight]

Seriously, TL - it’s hard enough for a cradle EC born in this country to pursue the vocation as a married candidate. If it were only so simple …

I think you’re right. I’m mixing up Orthodox and EC. Isn’t it almost encouraged in the Orthodox church that the candidate marry first?

 

[ByzCathCantor]

ByzCathCantor;9481496:

Frankly, I know many more American-born Roman Catholics who became celibate Eastern Catholic priests than married priests.

Does the “than” in your quote mean that you do though know some American-born Roman Catholics who became married Eastern clerics?

I only know of one, and the circumstances were quite exceptional - certainly not even close to the scenario outlined in your OP.

In this case, the priest was RC, became Orthodox and was married then ordained in Orthodoxy, and later converted and was received into an EC eparchy.

BTW - I’m surely not advocating that as a “path forward” for anyone to consider. I mention it only to illustrate that the path to the married Catholic priesthood in the U.S. is not an easy one, even for cradle ECs.

 

[Placidus]

Isn’t that worse? The man defected from the Church and aren’t there laws in place against that? I know some of the Anglicans coming back to the Church can not be permitted to Holy Orders for just that reason.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

I think you’re right. I’m mixing up Orthodox and EC. Isn’t it almost encouraged in the Orthodox church that the candidate marry first?

Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say “encouraged”. Monastic life is still held in high regard, and bishops still primarily come from the celibate monastic ranks.

Some of our frequent Orthodox posters might be able to shed more light on this, but our sister (to the Byzantine Ruthenians) Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox church, the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA (ACROD), is currently in a situation where they have a shortage of candidates from their own ranks to fill the vacancy of their Metropolitan. It is becoming increasingly likely that their new bishop will come from another Orthodox tradition.

As you likely remember from our exchanges and other threads, the Byzantine Catholic-Ruthenian Church in the U.S. bore the brunt of the vehement reaction of American RC hierarchs to the presence of married clergy, who came with the waves of immigrants in the latter part of the 19th century. ACROD was formed largely as a reaction to this imposed prohibition. Here we are in 2012, where they do not have enough eligible (celebate) candidates in their own ranks to fill their episcopal vacancy.

Some say that the particular EC Churches in the US might suffer the same fate if the married priesthood becomes more the norm. There is some merit to that concern, and monastic life would (and surely should, nonetheless) have to be promoted and nurtured in tandem in order to avoid that situation. IMHO doing so - promoting and nurturing both - would be most faithful to our tradition and Eastern roots, contrary to promoting one or the other.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

Isn’t that worse? The man defected from the Church and aren’t there laws in place against that? I know some of the Anglicans coming back to the Church can not be permitted to Holy Orders for just that reason.

Like I said, an exceptional (rare) case, and there is likely far more to the story than I know and/or could/should get into here.

Suffice it to say, a cradle American RC who thinks they might be able to pursue a path to the married priesthood through the Eastern Catholic Churches faces nearly insurmountable odds.

 

[robertericleech]

I think you’re right. I’m mixing up Orthodox and EC. Isn’t it almost encouraged in the Orthodox church that the candidate marry first?

Some Orthodox seminarians will finish their education but delay ordination until after they find a wife.

 

[TrueLight]

Some Orthodox seminarians will finish their education but delay ordination until after they find a wife.

This is something like I was referring to.

 

[ConstantineTG]

This happens a lot. Not necessarily to the priesthood as they need to be ordained to minor orders first. I’ve already known quite a number of people who just got their canonical transfers approved right before their ordination to the subdiaconate. But of course these people have faithfully attended the Eastern Church they are in for years while remaining canonically Roman. So the reason for transfer is certainly for ordination. I highly doubt an Eastern Bishop will just accept your transfer and ordain you if you show up at the cathedral door one day and say you’d want to be an Eastern priest. You have to partake of the life of the Church you are transferring to first, and this involves years of being an active member, before you will even be considered to become a subdeacon.

 

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[smad0142]

I was suprised to hear you say it happens a lot.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I was suprised to hear you say it happens a lot.

Okay, maybe not a lot. But it happens more often that people would admit. In the beginning I heard this was not possible at all. Then I was told that you can transfer first and only after a few years of “proving” yourself can you actually be ordained. But as I have noted, I do know people who have been actively on a path to ordination even before they transfer canonically. So it does happen, and it’s not that rare.

 

[Madaglan]

Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say “encouraged”. Monastic life is still held in high regard, and bishops still primarily come from the celibate monastic ranks.

Some of our frequent Orthodox posters might be able to shed more light on this, but our sister (to the Byzantine Ruthenians) Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox church, the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA (ACROD), is currently in a situation where they have a shortage of candidates from their own ranks to fill the vacancy of their Metropolitan. It is becoming increasingly likely that their new bishop will come from another Orthodox tradition.

As you likely remember from our exchanges and other threads, the Byzantine Catholic-Ruthenian Church in the U.S. bore the brunt of the vehement reaction of American RC hierarchs to the presence of married clergy, who came with the waves of immigrants in the latter part of the 19th century. ACROD was formed largely as a reaction to this imposed prohibition. Here we are in 2012, where they do not have enough eligible (celebate) candidates in their own ranks to fill their episcopal vacancy.

Some say that the particular EC Churches in the US might suffer the same fate if the married priesthood becomes more the norm. There is some merit to that concern, and monastic life would (and surely should, nonetheless) have to be promoted and nurtured in tandem in order to avoid that situation. IMHO doing so - promoting and nurturing both - would be most faithful to our tradition and Eastern roots, contrary to promoting one or the other.

ACROD is very small compared to other jurisdictions (e.g. OCA, GOA) and presently does not have any monasteries in the U.S. ACROD is a diocese of the EP and is under the spiritual care of the Greek primate in America, so while it may be looking outside its particular tradition, it has relationships with other Orthodox jurisdictions. The most recent episcopal candidate I’ve heard for ACROD is a Greek priest.

Ideally, ACROD should have its own monasteries that worship along Carpatho -Russian traditions and are the source for future bishops. However, I see it more likely that ACROD will be combined into a larger jurisdiction (perhaps one American jurisdiction) before monastic endeavors are made in ACROD.