[floridaobserver]

Where's the so-called principles of the Catholic Church? This is an outrage. Either let priests be married or don't, but don't play games here with Gods' word.


This reminds me of the marriage nullification legalities.

[CheyennePress]

This has been around forever. Orthodox priests can convert, as well.

[sinkspur]

Where's the so-called principles of the Catholic Church? This is an outrage. Either let priests be married or don't, but don't play games here with Gods' word.

Well, outrage is a bit harsh. But it makes little sense that married Protestants can convert and be ordained to the Catholic priesthood, but married Catholics cannot.

[RobbyS]

This is letting married men be ordained, not letting priests who promiosed to be celibate to marry. In any case. the exceptiosn are being applied mainly to former Episcopal clergy. Their church is breaking up, in case you didn't know.

[onyx]

This isn;t new. But do rave on.

[NYer]

Where's the so-called principles of the Catholic Church? This is an outrage. Either let priests be married or don't, but don't play games here with Gods' word.

The principles of the Catholic Church are sound and intact! In fact, the Catholic Church allows for a married priesthood in the Eastern Catholic Churches and, in this instance, for converts.

The Latin Church adheres to the words of St. Paul.

"But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please [his] wife. There is difference [also] between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please [her] husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction." - 1 Corinthians 7:32-35

The Latin Rite priest takes a vow of celibacy - freely chosen, to follow in the footsteps of our Lord, who was not married.

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[msnimje]

Either let priests be married or don't, but don't play games here with Gods' word.

God said priests could not be married??

[Boiler Plate]

Where's the so-called principles of the Catholic Church? This is an outrage. Either let priests be married or don't, but don't play games here with Gods' word.

1 Timothy 4

Instructions to Timothy

1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

What principles are we talking about the catholic church or the Word of God?

[WhiteGuy]

"don't play games here with Gods' word"

Perhaps it's the church's spin on God's word that is the problem.

[right-wingin_It]

Where's the so-called principles of the Catholic Church? This is an outrage. Either let priests be married or don't, but don't play games here with Gods' word.

While I am cautious about too many protestant ministers converting while simultaneously choosing to become Catholic priests, the policies of the Church are fully in line with what Paul preaches in the Bible. You can be married or celibate, but celibate is prefered. I don't see the conflict.

What I am somewhat concerned about though, is how one can go from preaching upon one theoretical foundation and instantly change to preach upon a new conflicting one??...It's like imagining how instantaneously fast can a liberal change to a conservative (or vice versa) with out leaving any room for moderate views. What percentage of these Priest-converts would uphold what percentage of Catholic teachings?? As a layperson, all I can do is trust that the Bishop closely follows each case, and at the end of the day the prayers are made and the right people are approved. It's possible this is program is doing fine...that is to say, I didn't read anyting to indicate the program was a severe problem. And of course people can drastically change. Paul was once Saul for one prime example.

[Salvation]

There's no outrage. Just a lot of discussion.

Pope Defends Clergy Celibacy Order
Has the Time Come to Consider Making Celibacy Truly Optional In the Western Church?
Catholic Scandals: A Crisis for Celibacy?
Celibacy of the priesthood is a church strength, not a liability
Celibacy s history of power and money

Pope: Priests Must Stay Celibate
Giving Thanks for the Good Shepherds ( A Defense of Priestly Celibacy)
Don't end celibacy for priests
The celibate superhero
Priestly Celibacy And Its Roots In Christ

How to Refute Arguments Against Priestly Celibacy
Priestly Celibacy Reflects Who - and Whose - We Are[Father George W.Rutler]
Celibacy
Tracing the Glorious Origins of Celibacy
God’s call to celibacy for the sake of His Kingdom - by Card. George

Vatican Says Celibacy Rule Nonnegotiable
Bishop Attacks Move to End Celibacy
A response to Fr. Joseph Wilson's defense of mandatory celibacy
The gift of Priestly celibacy as a sign of the charity of Christ, by Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Archbishop Dolan:"We Need to Be Renewing Our Pledge to Celibacy, Not Questioning It"

Celibacy is gift cherished by church
Celibacy Will Save the Priesthood
Celibacy Defended by EWTN's Fr. Levis
Call To Action: Dump Celibacy
The (Catholic) Church Has Always Prospered When Celibacy Is Honored

John Paul II Hails "Inestimable Value" of Priestly Celibacy
For Priests, Celibacy Is Not the Problem
Fr. Shannon Collins Discusses Celibacy
5 Arguments Against (Catholic) Priestly Celibacy and How to Refute Them
Why A Married Priesthood Won't Remedy the Priest Shortage

New Vatican Document on Homosexuality and the Priesthood Coming Before Fall 2005
Catholic priests demand the right to marry
Catholic priests urge Church to reconsider celibacy rules
Alternative Priests´ Council Hits Back on Mandatory Celibacy
Married Priests? The English Experience

Saying Yes to God: a Look into Vocations
New Vatican Document to Eliminate 1961 Papal Ban on Ordaining Homosexuals
Saying Yes to God: a Look into Vocations
Is it time to ordain married men to the Catholic priesthood?
40% of Scots priests want end to celibacy

A small, sturdy band of 'John Paul priests'(JPII legacy of conservative priests)
Yes, Gay Men Should Be Ordained
Cardinal says Priests will marry
Fathers, Husbands and Rebels: Married Priests
An Unneeded Headache (Vatican document on [NOT] admitting homosexual to the priesthood)

Vatican Prepares Draft Directives Against Admitting Gays as Priests
From Anglican to married Catholic priest
Spain gets first married priest
Spain (R) Catholic Church ordains first married priest
The Catholic Church - East-West Difference Over Priestly Celibacy

ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF SCRANTON TO RECEIVE FIRST ECUSA PRIEST
Defending Chastity in the Priesthood
Ordination of married men is raised at Vatican synod
Patriarch of Venice deemphasizes ordination of married men to the priesthood
Cardinal Pell: Ending Celibacy Rule Would Be a Blunder

Priest shortage stems from crisis of faith, ignorance of the infinite, not celibacy, say Bishops [at Synod]
Synod Affirms Priestly Celibacy
Married Priests Aren’t the Answer (a seminarian states his view)
5 Arguments Against Priestly Celibacy and How to Refute Them
(Catholic) Church makes a clear distinction between chastity and celibacy, says Priest

Why Not Married Priests? The Case for Clerical Celibacy
Married, ex-Episcopalian ordained a Catholic priest in California

[cherry]

I don't think it was "God's Word" that said Catholic priests couldn't be married....well after Christ died, priests were married, and that only changed many centuries later.....IIRC.......then again, I could be remembering wrong.....

[RKBA Democrat]

"Where's the so-called principles of the Catholic Church? This is an outrage. Either let priests be married or don't, but don't play games here with Gods' word."

Huh? How is allowing a married man to be a priest (or not) playing with God's word? And how are the internal policies of the Catholic churches an outrage?

Infanticide is an outrage. Murdering Christians because of their faith is an outrage. The only individuals who are personally affected by whether they may be both married and ordained are priests and would-be priests themselves.

There is no consensus of opinion on whether priests should or should not be married, even amongst the Catholic churches. The western Catholic church (Roman Catholic church) in general does not allow married men to be priests. However, there are exceptions such as this one where former episcopal priests who happen to be married are allowed to be come Catholic priests.

In the eastern Catholic churches, married priests are the norm, not the exception.

[Mrs. Don-o]

You wrote: "Where's the so-called principles of the Catholic Church? This is an outrage. Either let priests be married or don't, but don't play games here with Gods' word."

It's a little-known fact --- not even most Catholics seem to grasp this --- that the "Church" is actually a number of Churches in communion with the Bishop of Rome, but each with its own distinct traditions, and some with their own separate Canon Law. The Catechism lists these seven Catholic rites: the Latin Church (Western); and the Byzantine, Alexandrian, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite, and Chaldean Churches (the "Eastern" Churches.)

Returning to the question of priestly celibacy, it is ONLY the Latin rite which has historically required an unmarried priesthood. All the other Catholic Churches ordain married men.

This underlines the fact that clerical celibacy is NOT a doctrine or dogma of the Catholic Church. It is only a devout custom (a "discipline") of the Latin, Western tradition. It is a valuable custom, a 1,000-year-old custom, and not one which I think is likely to change. But it COULD change. That's the point.

So the Catholic Church is not betraying its principles by ordaining formerly-Episcopalian married clergy under the Pastoral Provision. It's just startling (and maybe disturbing) to some because the Western Church has been so dominant that all its customs seem absolute and unchangeable, when in fact they are not.

Do not confuse this with the bedrock doctrines on faith and morals which really ARE unchangeable.

[VOYAGER]

There's nothing new about this, is there, since the rules have to be flexible in order to meet the needs of any particular change in a church's growth or need for revitalization and/or modernization!

What happens when "an irresistible force meets an immovable object" or is this an oxymoron?