First off, I am not Catholic.
However, doesn’t this bother anyone, other than me? Doesn’t this shift in policy seem more inspired by the demands of ‘man’ rather than the commandments of ‘God’? What does the Catholic church stand for? What is the next change?
Gosh, Hodar, I think you just might have created a new category for yourself: The traditionalist Catholic non-Catholic.
This is very wonderful news. Can you explain your questions a bit more? It's difficult to address them the way they're stated. What makes you think this "shift" in man-centered vs. God-centered? In what way do you see this as a change? A change from what to what?
Many of these Anglicans are disenchanted with the way their church has gone. In my opinion, that is why this is happening — they have asked to come over the Tiber to Rome. And the Pope is granting that wish.
One anecdote involved Anglican British soldier conversions to Catholicism during WWI. Catholic priests were far more numerous as chaplains serving where they were needed, in the filthy trenches.
As a Catholic, I will attempt to explain what is change and what is not. To do so, you must understand the difference between a dogma of the faith and a discipline.
A dogma is an unchanging tenent of the faith- the trinity, the incarnation, basically the Apostles creed. These things cannot be changed ever. They are the faith. Another dogma is women priests. This will never be changed no matter how hard they try. Jesus only chose men, tho as GOD, he certainly could have chosen women for the role of apostle if he wanted to. It was not unheard of, and there were many religous groups then that had priestesses, so it would not have been counter cultural. Jesus considered the church his bride. He is the bridegroom. The only way a Catholic priest can act in persona christi (as another Christ) is if he is male, so he too can stand in for Christ and his bride.
Disciplines are things that are right and good, and have long been practiced within the church. They do have a basis in scripture, or, they are in harmony with it. Unmarried priests fall into this catagory. We know Peter was married, and we know that scripture tells us a bishop should be the husband of only one wife. But other scriptures point to the fact that priests are told the better way is to remain single, so they can devote all they have to the priesthood and the church. Jesus also speaks about becoming a unich for the kingdom of God, as well as promising anyone who gave up wives or husbands or children for the kingdom would be rewarded. He would never advocate leaving a family in order to follow him, as that would be against scripture, so he was referring to those who chose not to have those things in the first place for the sake of the kingdom.
Disciplines can and do change. They are often given exceptions based on individual circumstances. The anglican church has left these priests. They are left with nothing, yet their call to the priesthood may have been absolutely legitimate. They answered it, and in their churches rules, clergy could marry. They have now looked to Rome to bring them home so exceptions will be and should be made.
The priesthood, like marriage, is a vocation. We can really only have one vocation as it is who we are, not what we do. Catholic priests accept their vocation to the priesthood, just as married couples accept their vocation to marriage. It is sad that the splintering of the faith has caused this to become an issue, but I am glad to see Rome working on repairs.
“Doesn’t this shift in policy seem more inspired by the demands of ‘man’ rather than the commandments of ‘God’?”
Your point is well taken. This institution will do anything to gain power. What God wants can be twisted and bent into their plans.
Nope. Former Episcopalian, current Roman Catholic here. No change in Catholic doctrine is involved (the state of marriage or non-marriage is a discipline, not a doctrine, and, as such, can be changed by the Pope at any time). And the "Anglican rite" has been modified to remove any elements that contradict Catholic doctrine.
Actually, the Roman Catholic Church has been ordaining married men as priests for quite some time. Married Lutheran and Episcopalian priests have been brought in. IIRC there have been numerous married Africans that have been so ordained. And there are the married priests of the Eastern Catholic Church, which is in full communion with the RCC.