[Spar]

Why do Eastern rites catholic get a pass at celibacy? Their priests can marry.

I guess if I was for example Irish and wanted to a wife and wanted to be a priest in the Catholic church I would head on out to one of those Uniate Churches and get all that I want via a very big Papal loophole.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

Maybe you can address spar's question.

[cgk]

Good question... I'm afraid I'm rather naive about the different factions of the Church. I wasn't honestly aware that Eastern rite priests had a "pass."

Mrs Kus

[Salvation]

Why do Eastern rites catholic get a pass at celibacy? Their priests can marry.

So can priests in the Anglican branch of the Catholic Church.

However, if a priest wants to become a bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church he must be leading a celibate life. I don't know about the Anglican bishops.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Why do Eastern rites catholic get a pass at celibacy? Their priests can marry.

While married men may be ordained in the Eastern Rite, once ordained, single priests may not then get married. Should the spouse of the priest die, then the priest must adopt the discipline of celibacy. Same for those Protestant clergy who convert to Catholicism and get ordained as priests. Also, in the Eastern Rite, bishops are selected exclusively from celibate priests.