Validly married bishops and priests

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I recall someone mentioning validly married Catholic bishops, not even priests, in unusual circumstances even in the 20th century.

Because special circumstances are mentioned, I assume it means married people being ordained and not vice versa, although sometimes dispensations are issued for ordained people to marry.

However, I’ve never heard of a priest marrying someone in the Church without being laicised (like defrocked, just not as a punishment) in the process. I’ve only really heard about convert pastors being ordained married.

Ah, we are speaking about the Latin rite, of course.
 
It’s a statement of my knowledge so far and the wish to expand it, so I guess it qualifies as a question. 😉
 
I think you are refering to the 1980 “Pastoral Provision” that allowed Episcopal and later Lutheran ministers who convert to Catholicism to be ordained priests even though they are married. We have one in my diocese. I know of no history of Catholic or Orthodox bishops being married; although Orthodox priests marry, bishops are only chosen from celibate ranks. “Old Catholic” bishops had apostolic succession although changes in their theology have caused some to question whether valid orders are still handed down.
 
Although celibacy is a discipline and could *theoretically *be given a dispensation in special circumstances, I haven’t heard of any ever being given for priests/bishops who, once ordained, wish to marry. Priests at their ordination make a promise of celibacy. Those who wish to be relieved of that promise must be laicized. In addition, I have never heard of a married priest being elevated to bishop. Not that this couldn’t occur, but I think thus far it has been a matter of prudence to only select bishops who fit a basic example of what the Church normally requires of a priest.
 
CHRISTOS VOSKRES!
He might be referring to the story of Bishop who was ordained in the Underground Church in the former Czechoslovakia. His name was never sent on to Rome. He was a Latin Rite but was transferred to the Byzantine Rite at a later date and was “demoted”(for lack of a better word) to the rank of a parish priest because there was no way to prove his claim.

I don’t know what has become of him…

CHRISTOS ANESTI!
 
Yeah, Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic priests can be married but they have to marry before ordination. Bishops are handled differently. Depending on the particular denomination, they either have to be celibate or are required to separate with their wives.

Latin Rite priests being given dispensations to marry are probably even more common than those married prior to ordination, although such dispensations are typically given ten years after they leave the active priesthood. Haven’t heard about a single active Latin Rite priest being allowed to marry, nor about a single married bishop.

Theoretically, a Protestant bishop ordained by an Old Catholic, Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox or renegade catholic bishop with valid orders could afterwards marry within his church and then decide to transfer to the Catholic Church with his orders having to be recognised. Wonder if he would end up laicised from the point of conversion or not.
 
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Patchunky:
He might be referring to the story of Bishop who was ordained in the Underground Church in the former Czechoslovakia. His name was never sent on to Rome. He was a Latin Rite but was transferred to the Byzantine Rite at a later date and was “demoted”(for lack of a better word) to the rank of a parish priest because there was no way to prove his claim.
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I don’t know what has become of him…

The story is actually a bit more complex than that, but I don’t have my notes at hand presently. Several married men were ordained to the episcopate; Rome held the episcopal ordinations to be invalid.

Many years,

Neil
 
I thought i read some where that if Protestant Minister was to convert to Catholocism to become a priest he could keep his wife.
 
That’s correct. A consummated Christian marriage can’t be dissolved, so it’s either keeping the wife or not getting ordained.
 
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