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Posted on 02/19/2006 6:07:23 AM PST by RKBA Democrat
From Byzcath blogger: "what I understand, Sunday, February 12, 2006, at 4 pm, Deacon Joseph Marquis became the first US-ordained, married Byzantine priest. This took place in Parma, and Father Marquis will take over as pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Livonia, Michigan."
I couldn't find another confirmation of the news online, but I expect that the ordination will be annnounced in the Eparchial newspaper this next week.
Ping!
(About 5 years earlier than I expected!)
Good thing to do! AXIOS! God Bless him, his Matushka and his parish! Xronia Pola!
Well, hate to disappoint you, news in the west does not necessarily make news in the east. That is an ordinary thing for us. Deacon you said? it should be full ordained priest.
God bless you all.
Sorry, I've just woke up after a 3 hour night sleep. It seems that he was finally ordained priest. Good thing. We hope Mother Church comes back again on this problem, at least for parrishes in the countryside. In the 19th century, we had an orthodox married priest serving on foot 3 or 4 villages in Mount Lebanon, despite the very harsh weather in winter. Now obviously, it is much easier.
For the most part, the Eastern Catholic Churches here in the diaspora, have followed the Latin Church's policy on celibate clergy. Hence, this ordination of a married deacon signifies a breach with that policy.
As for the Maronite Church, the Patriarch will not assign married priests outside of Lebanon. In comments he made last October before the Synod of Bishops convened at the Vatican, he explained the challenges confronted by bishops in assigning married clergy within Lebanon. He then acknowledged celibacy as the greatest treasure of the Catholic Church. Here in the US, all of our Maronite priests are celibate, as they are in South America, Mexico, Canada, Australia and western Europe. Will this policy change? I doubt that will happen during the tenure of Patriarch Sfeir.
I think there is a problem with the wording of this article. It leads one to believe that none of the Byzantine Catholic Churches have ordained married American men which is erroneous.
The Pastor of this Melkite Parish is a Manchester, NH man and former cop:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4ndg9/index.htm
In addition the Melkite Eparchy's Economos The Rev. Armand St. Germain is married and was ordained in the mid-90s. And then there is always Emmanuel Charles McCarthy with his nine kids who used to be Seminary Rector at St. Gregory's before it closed...he's from Dedham, MA.
Perhaps the article meant the first American trained int he U.S.
Oops, St. Germain was ordained by Bishop Elya at Annunciation Cathedral in Roslindale, MA (1996?)
"I think there is a problem with the wording of this article. It leads one to believe that none of the Byzantine Catholic Churches have ordained married American men which is erroneous."
There's a lot of (understandable) confusion over the name: Byzantine Catholic Church. The Byzantine Catholic Church in the U.S. actually refers to the Ruthenian Catholics. While the Melkites celebrate the Byzantine Rite, they're in a different sui iuris church. And yes, they've already ordained some married men in the U.S.
The significance of this in my view is that the Ruthenian church is (I think) the largest eastern Catholic church in the U.S. Until last week, the church had not ordained any married men in the U.S. since the early part of the 20th century.
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