...and there are many of us utterly opposed to it. The "Mass" said at these parishes is odd, the attitude toward children is shameful - and the sense of entitlement by the "priests" is unacceptable.
Since you are in San Antonio, my AU Priest/Parish comes to mind. Our Mass is reverent and beautiful, and many Parishioners drive sixty miles or more to attend. There's no guitar music, no hand holding, and my Priest certainly doesn't think of himself as "entitled" to anything.
I don't understand the "attitude toward children" comment. There are many families in my Parish with eight or more children-one has fourteen, and our Parish School has been named one of the top fifty private schools in the US for years.
I have watched my Priest confront a Hawaiian shirted, "hey, dude, you're leading the way for the rest of us to get wives" Priest, and defend the Church's discipline on celibacy. He is a staunch defender and preacher of Catholic teaching. His homilies are not a bunch of feel good fluff.
He doesn't take his Priesthood for granted, and realizes that it is an awesome gift. I have seen tears on his cheek when he holds up the Consecrated Host because he, a humble Priest, has been blessed with such an awesome responsibility.
Have you seen him in I am the Living Bread, or This is my Body. This is my Blood, and heard what he says about the Eucharist, the Catholic Faith, and the Priesthood?
He has been a Priest for over twenty years now, and though I've only been Catholic for ten, I am most grateful for the Anglican Use Parish of which I am a member, and thank God every day for my AU Priest.
The unfortante comments about the AU being a mistake sounded sour rather than reasoned.
The heroic arguments about how a celibate clergy make for a better, holier and harder working clergy ring rather hollow in the face of the ongoing scandals. A bit like whistling through the graveyard, in my opinion.
A celibate clergy makes for a much simpler ecclesiastical governance. End of a argument (in my ever so humble opinion).
Christian bodies that encourage married clerics have an entirely different set of challenges. These churches have to deal with clerical divorces, alimony, child support, inheritances, rights of survivorship, remarriages, providing living wages for a family and associated benefits, providing for wayward or rebellious minor children of married clerics, and so much more.
Certainly the Roman Catholic Church did have to deal with these issues. Ultimately, she decided that the best way to handle these issues was NOT to handle them.
Roman Catholic clerics are dying faster than they are being ordained. Allowing for a married clergy would solve that issue while opening the door to a host of other problems.
I believe that the average Roman Catholic ordinary would rather chew off his left foot than deal with a clerical divorce, alimony, child support etc.. Those that are hoping to see married RC priests will have to keep holding their breath.
I've been to these places in more than one location, sockmonkey. I've had bad experiences each time. There's a habit I've found with these AU parishes -- they like to portray themselves as traditional Catholic.
It's a good bait to use, isn't it?
That whole traditional thing sort of falls apart when you meet the the priest's wife and kids.