And well you shouldn't but I believe freeper Mad Dawg has touched on some sensitive aspects regarding this particular ordination. Excuse my suspicious nature but married priest converts have been accepted into the Catholic Church since 1980 (with scrupulosity by the local ordinary). It strikes me a bit strange that over the span of the past 27 years, this is the first Anglican married priest to be considered as 'worthy' by Roger Cardinal Mahony.
You're absolutely right ... there is nothing wrong with admiting married men to the priesthood. This has been the practice of all the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches since the 1st century. So, in the Diocese of Los Angeles, why now? Why this particular priest?
As you already know, I am a Roman Catholic practicing my faith in the Maronite Catholic (Eastern) Church. In October 2005, Pope Benedict XVI convened a Synod of bishops to discuss various issues, including a married priesthood. As expected, the Eastern Catholic bishops came out in support of this but one of them delved deeper into the topic.
Speaking to the 11th General Synod Fathers, gathered for their eighth meeting this morning at the Vatican, Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, who is Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites in Lebanon--a Catholic rite which allows for married priests--addressed the issue, which has been brought up by many, particularly in light of the U.S. sex abuse scandal, of commonly permitting married priests in the Roman rite.
Vatican City, Oct. 07, 2005 (CNA) - The Cardinal defended the practice of the celibate priesthood and discussed the beauty of the tradition, calling it the "most precious jewel in the treasury of the Catholic Church."
While pointing out that "the Maronite Church admits married priests" and that "half of our diocesan priests are married", the Cardinal Patriarch said that "it must be recognized that if admitting married men resolves one problem, it creates others just as serious."
"A married priest", he said, "has the duty to look after his wife and family, ensuring his children receive a good education and overseeing their entry into society. ... Another difficulty facing a married priest arises if he does not enjoy a good relationship with his parishioners; his bishop cannot transfer him because of the difficulty of transferring his whole family.
He noted that "married priests have perpetuated the faith among people whose difficult lives they shared, and without them this faith would no longer exist."
"On the other hand," he said, "celibacy is the most precious jewel in the treasury of the Catholic Church,"
Lamenting a culture which is all but outright opposed to purity, the Cardinal asked: "How can [celibacy] be conserved in an atmosphere laden with eroticism? Newspapers, Internet, billboards, shows, everything appears shameless and constantly offends the virtue of chastity."
Suggesting that their are no easy solutions to the problem of priest shortages in the Church--an oft brought up point during the Synod--he noted that, "Of course a priest, once ordained, can no longer get married. Sending priests to countries where they are lacking, taking them from a country that has many, is not the ideal solution if one bears in mind the question of tradition, customs and mentality. The problem remains."
The Maronite Catholic Church has always held strong bonds to the Holy Father. The Patriarch allows for married men to enter the priesthood but, most wisely, acknowledges that their first vow is to their spouse. For that reason, the Maronite Church still advocates and only sends single, celibate priests to serve in the diaspora. Over the past century, the Maronite Catholic Church has spread to every continent in the world. Surprisingly, the largest growth of this Church has been in Mexico, Australia, South America and the US.
The Maronite Catholic Church has been a veritable blessing in my life, especially in a RC diocese subjected to 30+ years under a bishop of the caliber of Roger Cardinal Mahony. As I continue to read and post articles about the Catholic Church as a whole, it comforts and consoles me to see the shift we are all witnessing towards the more definitive teachings of the Catholic Church as a whole. God bless our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI!
Oh I don't know. We just have a new priest here in Pasadena this year, another new one two years before. They are both orthodox, too. The Lord is in charge. I did hear a Monseignor at the liberal church we RCIA'd in mention, "I'm having a hard time finding new priests. All the new ones coming out of Seminary are conservative (and we want a liberal one)." I still think the problem is in the liberals' eyes.