Some religious analysts said with the possibility of a new Pope, that the celibacy standard in the Catholic Church today will be lifted, and there will be married priests.

What are your thoughts?

won't happen

they said the next pope will most likely be conservative

nope, doubt it. Though the Church is having a shortage of priest, the quality vs. quantity theory is at play. The priest we have today are few in number, but are truly in it for God and His plan. While back in the day, joining the priesthood was socially acceptable and, in some cases, required and many priest and many did it for their reasons and not Gods.

Having a married priesthood is possible. It was done long ago, and technically can happen today. Actually, it does happen today in the case of married Episcopalian priests who convert to the Catholic Church. St. Peter was married, we know that because in the Gospel Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law. The rule to have celebate priests wasn't written down in the Church until only about 1000 years ago, maybe a little earlier.

The thing is, though, that being celebate frees you to be a really awesome priest. Instead of being the father of a few people, you can be the father of soooo many! And if you're the Holy Father, you're the father to 1 billion people!

Perhaps, if it was a dire emergency somewhere, maybe would do something, but as it looks now, we do not need married priests. I have no idea what the next pope will do or be like. He will be different than JP2, that's for sure. And also, the Holy Spirit will guide him and make sure he doesn't do anything ridiculous.

However, the rule has always been, since the very beginning, that married men became priests, but priests never could become married.

What is theologically impossible is the ordination of women to Holy Orders. Jesus is not a woman. Our Lady and St. Mary Magdalene are saints, but they weren't bishops, presbyters, or deacons. Deaconesses back in the day did the jobs that consecrated sisters do today.

It is possible yet it is unlikely

I do not think that will happen. I see no way.

It is dissenting americans that are the biggest voice for women ordination anyway. It has nothing to do with the priest shortage but that femenist agenda.

Of course it's the agenda. How irrational and unfaithful it is to have an attitude of dissent and distrust of the Pope! Here, at the death of Pope John Paul II, maybe people will think "Ah, this man was so great. Maybe I should listen to what he wrote."

If you really love someone, if you really follow someone, you'll do what they tell you.

JMJ
4/4 - Annunciation of the Lord

Citing St. Peter and the apostles as married men is a favorite of Americans (and some Europeans) who push the non-celibate priesthood junk. They seem to forget that there is nothing in the Gospels that asserts that they were married at the time of their ministry. There is a lot to show that they were, in fact, not married at the time of their ministry - why would the Lord call a bunch of men to irresponsibly leave their families and stop providing for them?

One alternative makes sense, the other does not.

Be Not Afraid!

Why would one want to be a married Priest?????

Priests marry the Holy Church! Why would one want to be married twice? Priests have more children then any 100 parents could ever have. Priests are the Spiritual Fathers, parents are the biological fathers.

"Husbands love your wives as Christ Loved the Church."
A Husband gives everything he has to his wife.
Priests give everything they have to the Church.
How can a married Priest give all he has to his wife and also to the Church. The only way is if the Priests wife IS THE CHURCH!

Totus Tuus,
Andrew Joseph

I totally agree with you guys. I just want to point out that there are very special cases, for example, when an Episcopalian priest who is married wants to convert. Sometimes, the bishop will give him a special dispensation.

My point is that a married man becoming a priest is not a theological impossibility like a woman becoming a priest is. We had them in the past, and we have them today (in the Eastern rites and in aforementioned special cases) but we will probably not make it a norm. Why? Because the Church is 2,000 years old now, and it is better tohave celibate priests than married ones.

I pray that the sacred priesthood would remain this way for another one thousand years.

I really want to be a priest.


I really want to father children and be a husband.


I don't want to do both. They would would conflict, and I wouldn't be able to do either.

It might happen, but I don't think it would work.

Please forgive any nievity (or misspelling) in this post. I'm young (about 25) and a terrible typist.

I often deliberate hard on this topic, internally that is.

I have some questions that seem to relate so I'd thought I'd post.

First, I'd like to premise by stating that I completely and humbly submit to the authority and magisterium of the Catholic church. Given that premise, I note the two following facts. (1) I hear a conrete calling to the sacramental priesthood. However, (2) I'm currently engaged to be married in August, and thus also hear a concrete calling to be the head of my own "domestic church" (a.k.a. ecclesia domestica).

I was raised in the roman rite of the Catholic church, but have recently (i.e. since I was seventeen) been enamoured with some of the Eastern rites. However, what I like in the East, can of course be found in the West and vise versa. I've read church father's from both area's and particularly enjoy Athenasous and Chrysostum. However, truth be told, I really enjoy the rich heritage and theological contributions from Catholics in boths rites. What I'm trying to say is that I don't feel compelled towards one or the other. For instance, I truly cherish some of PP JPII's recent works on the theology of the body. However, I feel that the Eastern rite, edifies these teachings by specifially providing for married preists - allowing the presbyter to express to his flock a deeply sacramental expression of marriage through his own life. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, both rites are equally Catholic, and both hold equally compelling and true expressions of the truth.

I realize that it is NOT "my right" to be a priest, and of course considered (and continue to consider) the permanent diaconate. I realize that the Vatican moves slowly. I just can't seem to ignore these callings (a.k.a. vocari, ie. vocations) to both the sacramental priesthood and the married life. I want to serve God and just wonder how it is that he wants me to fullfill his will here.

Does God want me to go to an eastern rite seminary in the U.S. and have the respective Bishop ask for special ordinal permission pursuant to current Canon Law? Does he want me to go to a seminary outside the U.S. and then come back (which is what one married priest I talked to did)? Should I be sending this message to my local Bishop instead?

Anyone who might have an idea as to what God's trying to tell me please post a reply explaining your thoughts. References to scripture, encyclicels, or theoligical treatises are greatly appreciated?

I cannot truely quote any of those things, but I can offer my opinion. I am Eastern Catholic by birth, but Roman Catholic by practice. The Eastern Rites allow the reconciliation of marriage to the priesthood, because both are a marriage, one to the Church and one to the human bride. The priest is allowed to show the congregation the beauty of being married and lead an exemplry life so that the parishoners can reciprocate, copy, and learn from the priest's marriage and servitude to wife and Church. This is truely beautiful.

However, I cannot tell you what to do, nor can anyone else. Make sure you have a vocation to marriage, not just an urge. If truely it is both you are called to, enter an Eastern Rite. Write to your Bishop, however, and see what he says. Albeit, the Eastern Rites are more receptive to the married priests (some, other have been latanized so the practice is to not marry the priests), any Rites will accept one with proper permission. Just make sure you know, before you switch, if you do switch, the rules of the Rite you switch to about marriage and priesthood.

Again, talkin to the bishop will only benefit you.

God bless,
Mikey

NO MARRIED PRIESTS. my Religion teacher is unbelieveable- she actually told us once that she considered leaving the Catholic Church because they wouldn't allow priests to marry or have woman priests how weird...

I'm all for a group of celibate priests, but let's not forget, there are married priests in the Latin Rite, and it is standard practice in other rites. There is nothing sinful or wrong with a married priesthood, as is there nothing wrong with a celibate priesthood. In the end, I doubt there will be any changes in the RCC.

yeah, i hope so

ryanseeley.............you may also want to get in touch with the vocation director for your parish, or find a spiritual director. they help people wrestle w/ these questions all the time and they would be in the best situation to give you the guidance and advice that you need.

phat....best advice yet.....

Cam

i get really angry at my parish- we have NOTHING. No vocations director, absolutely nothing. We have three priests and that's it and one of those gets nervous breakdowns now and again and he has malaria..... there isn't much hope....

ryanseeley,

Have you ever thought of becoming a deacon?

I wonder why the Church doesn't encourage more deacons. Anyone have an answer?

I happen to know a married priest. Great guy, and he has like 10 children too!

He was a former Episcopalian minister who converted. Just ask his wife if priests should be allowed to marry. Her answer is a resounding "NO."

You really can't be both husband and father and married to the church at the same time. One will inevitably get left out and that's not fair to the wife or the church.

Our Parish Priest was married. His wife died, and he became a priest (he was already in the process of becoming a decon when she died, and the Bishop asked if he would like to continue on and become a priest). And while having been married gives him a different perspective into family life, it gets really hard sometimes because he has family obligations for his children and grandchildren, not all of whom live near by. He would definitely say that priests should not be married (I mean while they are priests. He did like being married.)

it may happen with converts, like an example above, but the Church will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever make it a norm.

Well with Papa Ratzi, No adn i hope with the others No. It just Dosen't seem right!

Dear Rev.


No, I do not see Priests getting married in the future because our new POPE Benedict is conversative. It just would not feel right after all these years having priests celibate.

God bless all.

Sister Mary

Should we apply political titles to our Pope. The only word that should be affiliated with B-16, is orthodoxy, orthodoxy to the faith.

I personally think that priests should be married. I myself is hoping to be a priest with the Diocese of Hamilton in Ontario.

If you were to look, before Vatican II there was a great number of priests and after there was hardly any.

Vatican II changed the church and they went to far.

I have no desire to be a priest and I don't see the need for women to be priest.
For married priests? No, they are married to the Church.

Mrvoll, so what if after Vatican II there were less priests? Now we can be more sure that our priests are in it for the 'right reasons'. We have priests who are wholly devoted to the Church. It happened in the 5th Century in Ireland that when people heard about the Desert Fathers, most of the Irish population went to become nuns or monks. But many of them weren't in it for the right reasons. It offered women and slaves security, a place to stay, it offered people education, that's why so many were there, not because they really wanted to serve God in that way, but because of what it offered them. Yes, there are fewer priests, but would you rather have lots of married priests who also have their families to think about and possibly aren't meant for the priesthood, or a few who really thought about what they were being called to do and went even though they knew they couldn't have a family? Quality, not quantity

There are a few things that need to be clarified about married clergy:

(1) The Church has never allowed a man who has received Sacred Orders to get married. If a man is unmarried when he is ordained he is required to remain celibate, and this practice is universally followed in both the East and the West.

(2) The Western Church in the past has ordained married men to the presbyterate and the diaconate, and the Eastern Churches continue to follow this practice in the present day. But it should be noted that although the Western Church has ordained married men in the past, the man ordained was required to abstain from any further sexual relations with his wife; and as a consequence of this requirement, the man's wife had to agree to his ordination. If she agreed she would then become a consecrated woman, and would live the rest of her life in a convent. This was the standard practice in the West during the first millennium.

(3) In both the Eastern and the Western Churches ordination (consecration) to the episcopate has been reserved to celibate males only.

Finally, I think it is important to point out that there is a shortage of clergy even in the Eastern Churches, which of course allow the ordination of married men, and so I don't believe that celibacy itself is the main cause of the lack of vocations in the Church at the present time. Instead, I believe that the shortage of vocations is related to the hedonistic materialism of Western culture, since the number of vocations in the newly evangelized regions of the Third World is rather high, and has continued to increase over the past 40 years.

A great resource for this, in the West is Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
and
PRESBYTERORUM ORDINIS.

God Bless