Should the Church allow married Priests? - Page 3

FiremanFrank · #31 May 2, '05, 3:15 pm

Well Christopher, here's why I addressed the question.

I have personally witnessed a tremendous amount of divisive, self-orchestrated mental theologizing in my own local parishes to NOT know where it will go. Where it always goes.

As these types of discussions invariably de-evolve into mere privatized affairs of people deciding on "How WE want to run God's Church".

Now this may certainly NOT have been your intention Christopher, but this is what almost always happens. Really, I'm not kidding you about this here.

So the question that I always ask myself Christopher is this:

If Jesus Christ, who is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, and who is the only Son of the Living God - had given over sole authority for such decisions on earth to be carried out directly by Peter and to his successors ....

Then why would I really give a hoot as to what anybody's opinion is on the matter?

Bottom line is I don't. I seek Truth Christopher.

Why would anyone settle for anything else? How could anyone desire anything more .........

frank

FiremanFrank · #32 May 2, '05, 3:23 pm

Oh sorry, forgot something.

You said that this was not a moral discussion, that you just wanted opinions. Well, that's hard for me to do.

As I am a 2 graduate of the Formation for Ministry Program, and I had completed several years of training towards the diaconate in the Eastern Rite Catholic Church. So for me, and as a result of my rigorous studies - I've only become concerned with official Church Teaching.

And nothing more.

Windmill · #33 May 2, '05, 3:30 pm

I think people mistakenly think that allowing priests to marry would somehow open the floodgates for vocations. Studies show they are mistaken in that assumption.

Another assumption is that celibacy is what has caused all of the priest scandals. Wrongo, moose-breath. Studies have shown that the supermajority of these cases were by homosexuals. I find it interesting that instead of focusing on that fact and addressing hte problems within that paradigm, people (catholic and noncatholic) focus on celibacy as a possible cause. Why? Well, it sure is a lot easier to talk about THAT than saying we need to raise the bar on active homosexuals continuing on in seminary. However, there are just as many cases of child abuse among Protestant clergy as there are in the Catholic church - and I guarantee you there are more MARRIED Protestant clergy than Catholic. So, celibacy is a non-issue in the priest scandals.

I think the church should continue this discipline of celibacy. This world is oversaturated with sex. We are told it is the ultimate fulfillment. It is used to sell anything and everything. So, to have men (and women religious) voluntarily giving up this gift for the Kingdom is a HUGE witness in and of itself. To give oneself TOTALLY to God! WOW!!! The world looks at priests and nuns and they KNOW there is something real in that relationship with God because this religious person gave up that which the world tells us is the end-all-be-all of life.
Finally, I'd say that, given the current discipline of priestly celibacy, God is not going to call ANYONE to that vocation if they are married. The poster above should examine the likely possibility that the "calling" he perceives is not genuine. No more than God calling a woman to be a priest.

"Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven."

Badcat · #34 May 2, '05, 7:15 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChristopherMich

Comments?

Hi Badcat here if a man is going to pick up his cross and serve as a Priest he should be ready to be the husband to all the widow's and father to all the orphan's and good sheperd to his flock and that is a full time job that god calls you to do.

P.S. as a priest you become married to god anyway and gods service is more important than that of the flesh anyway.

In Christ Love, badcat

Kyenta · #35 May 2, '05, 9:50 pm

I pray for vocations every day especially at Mass. I feel it's not the quantity but the quality. We don't need tons of priests, we need GREAT priests!

One married priest on tv said he just didn't have the time to spend a lot of time with parishiners. He had a family with children. Also the other religions are also losing people because being married is not going to bring people in droves to the Catholic Church and any church. Are those the type of worshipers we want?

PRAYER...PRAYER...PRAYER! Pray the Rosary everyday for vocations.

Christian4life · #36 May 2, '05, 11:24 pm

I was going to say yes but ya'll have changed my mind.

Therefore,

Nope.

stbruno · #37 May 4, '05, 8:42 am

If we are trying to use the argument that by allowing married priests, we are reducing the risk of sexual abuse...then think again. Children and adults are abused more by married heterosexual men than by priests. Sexual predators cross all boundaries.

Also, the Russian Orthodox church near us has a married pastor, and he has to work an additional job as a salesmen to support his family. therefore his time in the church is limited. Good thing he has a small congregation.

stbruno · #38 May 4, '05, 8:45 am

Married serve well as deacons in our diocese. They are prayerful and purposeful.

Rand Al'Thor · #39 May 4, '05, 6:15 pm

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).

Rand Al'Thor · #40 May 4, '05, 6:18 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by stbruno

If we are trying to use the argument that by allowing married priests, we are reducing the risk of sexual abuse...then think again. Children and adults are abused more by married heterosexual men than by priests. Sexual predators cross all boundaries.

this is true. not being married does not turn someone into a child molester. if a priest was having a hard time with the celibacy thing, wouldnt they turn to a woman? they sure would...unless they were already a pedophile. that's why there was child abuse--the priests were already prone to that type of thing and never should have become priests in the first place.

FiremanFrank · #41 May 5, '05, 6:37 am

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

**Friar David, O.Carm** · #42 May 5, '05, 8:36 am

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.

cynic · #43 May 5, '05, 5:22 pm

As far as I know preists were'nt always required to be celibate. Wasn't that started in the 10th century?

feather · #44 May 5, '05, 9:44 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChristopherMich

Comments?

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.

kaygee · #45 May 6, '05, 5:13 am

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.