Posted on 03/08/2017 12:27:14 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Crux has the scoop:
https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/03/08/pope-francis-signals-openness-ordaining-married-men/
Pope Francis has expressed openness to a renewed consideration of married priests in the Catholic Church, especially the possibility of ordaining the so-called viri probati, meaning tested married men, who could be called into clerical service.
“Then we have to consider what tasks they could perform, for instance in isolated communities,” the pontiff said.
While the question put to Francis specifically referred to ordaining viri probati as deacons, many theologians and some bishops have also suggested they could be considered for priestly service.
The pope’s comments came in a new interview with the German newspaperDie Zeit, excerpts from which were published on Wednesday, with the full version set to appear on Thursday.
At the same time, Francis appeared to rule out simply making priestly celibacy optional, saying that approach “is not a solution.”
Calling diminishing vocations to the priesthood an “enormous problem,” Francis said the first response must be prayer, coupled with a more intense focus on “working with young people who are seeking orientation.”
A lack of priests, Francis said, weakens the Church “because a Church without the Eucharist doesn’t have strength – the Church makes the Eucharist, but the Eucharist also makes the Church.”
Francis called for the question to be faced in the Church “fearlessly.”
“Fears close doors, freedom opens them, and even when [the space for] liberty is small, it opens a window,” he said.
At present, most Catholic are expected to remain celibate, although Catholicism does include 23 Eastern churches in full communion with Rome whose clergy are allowed to marry. In the United States, there are also a few hundred former Protestant ministers who’ve entered the Catholic Church as married men and permitted to remain married after being ordained as Catholic priests.
In April 2014, a Brazilian bishop said he and Pope Francis had discussed the idea of ordaining the viri probati in a private conversation and the pontiff appeared open to the idea, suggesting it’s up to bishops’ conferences to make proposals along those lines.
Last November, Francis crossed Rome to meet with a community of seven families, all led by men who had left the priesthood to become married. There had been speculation that Francis might choose to devote the next Synod of Bishops in 2018 to the topic of married priests, but instead the focus of that gathering will be on youth, faith and vocational discernment. In another portion of the interview, Francis, as he has on other occasions, sounded an alarm about the rise of political populism in the West today. “Populism is evil and ends badly, as the past century has shown,” he said, arguing that it means “using the people” by offering them a messiah.
Francis also rejected the suggestion that he’s something special, saying, “I am a sinner and I am fallible.”
As he has many times in the past, he suggested that exaggerated celebration of a pope is actually dangerous.
“We must not forget that the idealization of a person is always a subliminal kind of aggression,” he said. “When I am idealized, I feel attacked.”
Something like that...
 'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, ' it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.'
'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.' 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master - that's all.' |
Marginal analogy at best. Airline pilots go through simulated crises (in simulators and in actual a/c). The cabin attendant does not. Being able to fly an a/c in rotten weather (icing in the air, horrible visibility, turbulent winds, etc.), and losing one engine (most airliners have more than one), would put a cabin attendant in a very bad situation. Fortunately losing both pilots very rarely happens (sept 11). An attendant trying to land a mechanically sound plane on a clear day, could be deadly with only a 10 knot crosswind.
That’s why Paul taught that church leadership is not for a novice.
I just looked at your home page. Now I’m REALLY surprised that you would use the analogy you used!
Marriage is a life experience that you experience everyday. I am not married nor do I intend to. I love my career and am devoted to it. C/A’ have gone through simulators as part of what’s called Crew Resource Management. They learn what pilots have to go through to better understand what is happening. It’s all part of the flying experience but they never get to actually fly the plane; just like in marriage there are trials and expectations. Using the analogy of a doctor of psychology not experiencing what his or her patient is going through does not qualify him or her to treat them the same way our group was talking about someone who is not married being able to talk about marriage and how to live as two. Anyway, the post was not meant to be disparaging. R/Janey
**You certainly read all sorts of things into scripture, don’t you?**
Iscool, you probably couldn’t believe your eyes when you saw that response. Reminds me of the ‘mote’ and the ‘beam’.
Hands on experience is the best teacher. Paul’s missionary calling (almost deadly at times) was clearly best for an unmarried man. But by God’s wisdom, he was able to instruct those that were not sent ‘to the front’ as he was.
But, I most certainly appreciate your polite response.
Take Care, Best Regards, Janey
Not surprised. Th Eastern Rite Catholics/Orthodox Churches have married priests.
Yet the Church is credited with putting together the Bible in its complete form.
Yes the ekklesia, not the RCC. There is a difference.
“Most of them single and celibate”
“Most” is not an ‘exclusivity’ of either one or the other in the eyes of God.
Isn't that something??? God's scripture is meaningless to those who claim they are the one, real Church...
You'll be hard pressed to find any Catholic using the name Jesus...It's always 'Christ'...Wonder why that is...
Exactly...And I didn't read anything into it...The verse is self explanatory...
Apparently the Orthodox are a little better at believing the scriptures than the Catholics are...The scriptures side with the Orthodox...Don't you find that troubling???
Or a dictatorial, Marxist Pope.
I am so upset that Pope Benedict resigned and failed in his duty to the Church. I never would have thought he would do something like that. Now we’re stuck with a very power hungry false prophet for Pope.
Mary is much more prevelant than Jesus in writings of Catholicism.
Just look at the daily threads about Catholicism.
They always do.
Rather the Catholic church takes credit for putting the Bible together.
But it goes beyond that. there are too many claims that the Catholic church WROTE the Bible.
Which is NOT true.
And as for simply assembling it, that's no big deal. it certainly doesn't give them any legitimate claim to ownership of it or special ability to *correctly* "interpret" it.
And a redefinition of words also!
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