Married Clergy
Deacon Leonard Klein is preparing to be the first married transitional deacon ordained to the priesthood in Delaware. He is a convert from Lutheranism and had been a Lutheran minister before his conversion.
There is nothing canonically wrong with ordaining to the priesthood a man who is already married - indeed it happens all the time in Europe in the Eastern Catholic Churches. However, I think it makes it more and more difficult to prevent married men from being ordained especially in the Eastern Catholic Churches here in the United States but also in the Roman Catholic Church. I understand that this case is an exception but it seems to me to be setting up an unnecessary double standard.
I'm also not attacking the notion of clerical celibacy. I have taken that vow and I intend to keep it. All I'm saying is that if you allow a married convert to be ordained to the priesthood, why not someone who has been a member of the Church their entire life?
There is nothing canonically wrong with ordaining to the priesthood a man who is already married - indeed it happens all the time in Europe in the Eastern Catholic Churches. However, I think it makes it more and more difficult to prevent married men from being ordained especially in the Eastern Catholic Churches here in the United States but also in the Roman Catholic Church. I understand that this case is an exception but it seems to me to be setting up an unnecessary double standard.
I'm also not attacking the notion of clerical celibacy. I have taken that vow and I intend to keep it. All I'm saying is that if you allow a married convert to be ordained to the priesthood, why not someone who has been a member of the Church their entire life?
posted by Fr. Seraphim Beshoner, TOR | 9:37 AM
1 Comments:
As I understand it, Father, the deal is essentially that Lutheran and Anglican married clergy who convert to Catholicism may be ordained. The case you speak of may be the first in that diocese, but it's far from the first in the nation.
I prefer to keep our celibate priesthood, and I greatly appreciate the sacrifice that priests make, but even more I prefer for people to come home to Rome. I don't see it as any sort of "slipperly slope".
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