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To: Tax-chick
Fascinating information. I was not aware of most of this history.

You learn something new every day.

My pastor is Maronite, an Eastern Catholic Church that allows for married priests. His grandfather was a (married) priest. Yet, when he (my pastor) chose the priesthood, he chose celibacy. The Patriarch of the Maronite Church strongly encourages celibacy to the seminarians because it allows for greater flexibility and attention. While the Maronite Church allows for a married priesthood, the Patriarch on several occasions has pointed to the obstacles confronted by the married priests. First and foremost, the primary vow is marriage; the priesthood is their secondary vow. It is more difficult (and costly) to place a married priest than a celibate one since the married priest often has a family. The Maronite Church never assigns married priests outside of Lebanon.

32 posted on 10/16/2006 5:07:16 PM PDT by NYer ("It is easier for the earth to exist without sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.” PPio)
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To: NYer

The Eastern Catholic experience is instructive in many ways, as is the experience of married Protestant pastors. Marriage takes a great deal of time and effort; so does a ministerial vocation. Doing both effectively is a great burden.

A survey of Protestant pastors a while back found that something like 60% said that their families suffered because of their work. When you consider the divorce statistics, 60% probably just identifies the ones who admit that their families suffer.

And it's not just pastors, of course - any vocation/profession that doesn't come with fixed hours is going to make family life much more difficult. Conversation in my family, "If we go to the beach for the weekend, is the office going to call you?" "I don't know; maybe." "Fine, then we won't go. If you're going to spend the weekend on the phone with the office, I'd rather be at home with my washer and dryer."


36 posted on 10/17/2006 6:01:32 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("And now ... let the Wild Rumpus start!")
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