Posted on 12/30/2013 9:10:34 AM PST by Welchie25
This Christmas was particularly joyous for Father Albert Scharbach, who celebrated its liturgies just a few weeks after his ordination as a Catholic priest for the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.
“I feel like myself again, but much more,” Father Scharbach said of his Nov. 15 ordination. “I am humbled and grateful to be part of the gracious exception (the ordinariate) in the life of the church.”
Initially ordained an Anglican priest in 2005, Father Scharbach was ordained a Catholic priest through the ordinariate, established in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI to make it easier to welcome former Anglicans into the Catholic Church.
Equivalent to a diocese but national in scope, the ordinariate allows former Anglicans to join the Catholic Church while maintaining aspects of their liturgical traditions. It accommodates Anglican priests who are already married, such as Father Scharbach.
Abby, his wife since 1996, and their seven children were among the worshipers Christmas Eve at St. Mark in Catonsville when Father Scharbach celebrated an 8 p.m. Mass in the chapel for the congregation of St. Timothy’s, a former Episcopal Church that was received into the Catholic Church in 2013 as part of the ordinariate.
Father Scharbach had presided at his final Christmas liturgies as an Anglican priest in 2008.
“I felt like a fish out of water,” Father Scharbach said of leaving the Anglican priesthood and faith tradition he practiced for years. “It was always a hope to serve at the altar again.”
Accepting the Catholic faith became a matter of conscience for Father Scharbach.
“I could live without being Roman Catholic,” he said, “but could I die without being Roman Catholic?”
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicreview.org ...
One foot on boat and one on dock regarding celibate priesthood.
former Anglicans can be married Priests in the Catholic Church, but not current Catholics? I don’t understand their position...
The Anglicans go through severl years of theology at a seminary before they are ordained as a Catholic priest. In other words “grandfathered in.” If their wife dies they cannot marry again, but must remain celibate.
Thanks for the explaination. A Catholic church that I have attended in northern WI has a Priest who divorced his wife (marryed with kids) and then entered the Priesthood. I thought that was an unusual combination, but apparently it’s acceptable.
I am skeptical of that. There must be more to the story, such as, did the wife die prior to ordination?
I don’t doubt you, but doubt what was presented to you.
Their position is that they are against divorce MORE THAN being for celibate priests ... :-) ...
Perhaps the divorced person was granted an annulment in the Church prior to being accepted into the seminary. That would mean that the marriage was not valid in the eyes of the Church.
It could happen.
I don’t believe she died, so they must have recieved an annulment. Form what I have read, this is “legal” in the Catholic church, but I was suprized as well.
The apostle Peter was married...
I still do not understand why current Catholic priests are forbidden from enjoying one of God's greatest gifts...
Very unusual, very, very unusual.
Without going into the history and theology, we frequently see our priest informal circumstances, many times he has had to get up in the middle of the night to give Last Rites, etc. His Sunday schedule is impossible and the rest of the days are very full as well. It simply would be unfair to a wife and children, as Fr must be available 24/7 for a very large number of people.
Possibly to keep the heterosexuals out...
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If it was annulled. Not divorce.
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