Posted on 01/26/2005 8:45:26 AM PST by tvn
TONY EASTLEY: With their numbers in radical decline, Australia's Catholic Priests are urging the Vatican to overturn its ban on married clergy. The National Council of Priests has written to Rome urging it to re-consider the rules on celibacy. There's concern that sex and marriage have become an obstacle to recruitment.
Priests argue that their dwindling ranks could be boosted if they were allowed to marry and have families. Presently, only Priests who convert to Catholicism from other churches are allowed to be married.
The parish priest of Melbourne St Simon's Church, Father Martin Dixon, sits on the executive committee of the National Council of Priests.
AM's Nick Grimm spoke to Father Dixon.
MARTIN DIXON: Well, I think the issue of married Priests can be an issue that should be looked at and can be looked at. Marriage is not a bar to Priesthood, there are a large number of married men who are Priests in Australia already.
Melbourne has two of them here already, so it is happening, and I suppose we're saying, why just restrict it to particularly men who are Anglican Priests who have now become Catholics? It should be open to all men.
NICK GRIMM: The vow of celibacy has long been one of the defining features of the Catholic Priesthood though, hasn't it?
MARTIN DIXON: It has been, but it hasn't been for the whole history of the church. Half the history of the church has been married clergy, and the clergy in the beginning were married. Peter had his wife – the first Apostle. So, it's never been a restrictor for a long time within the church.
NICK GRIMM: So you would argue that this is a tradition which shouldn't be considered a sacred tradition?
MARTIN DIXON: No, I think it's one of the traditions we have to look at in the light of the present situation of the world we live in. It's not an unchangeable thing. The practice has been shown now that we can ordain married men. It therefore is not unchangeable.
NICK GRIMM: It is argued at times, isn't it, that there's a view that Priests can't really minister effectively if they live a life which is still quite remote from the everyday experience of many people?
MARTIN DIXON: If you live in the Parish and you're working among the people, you're not remote. You know the feelings, you know the pains, and you know the joys of it. You don't have to be married to know what it's like.
TONY EASTLEY: The parish priest of Melbourne St Simon's Church, Father Martin Dixon, speaking with AM's Nick Grimm.
Ive heard this before on another thread I think.
This is true, but its not common. If these priests' wives die, they are not permitted to re-marry. Same way for permanent deacons, they can be married when ordained, but are not permitted to re-marry after the death of their spouse.
We have the Bible because of the Church not the other way around. Christ built a Church not a book. He built it on the rock, Peter. Read the bible, its in there.
Peace -
And many are rejected because their superiors sense that they don't have a vocation in the first place. The road to Catholic priesthood in the Latin Rite is 9 years long. These men know what they are getting themselves into.
The vast majority of Catholics don't have a clue about their faith.
Thank God the Church isn't a democracy.
No one is suggesting that. What is being suggested is to allow married Catholic men to be ordained, just as the Anglican dispensation has brought married Episcopalian converts to the priesthood.
If your definition of marriage is so shallow as to limit it to permitted sex, then I certainly hope you aren't married. If so, Heaven help your spouse.
I'm not Catholic, so take my comments as those of an outsider, but I think its quite ironic that a priest is addressed as "Father" when he is barred from being one! The experience gained from being a father and a husband is irreplaceable, in my opinion as both.
They don't seem to realize that the Church and Western Civilization are in a crisis and that there are folks out there who want to destroy both. The most effective way to exacerbate it and destabilize further is to step up the pace of change. The enemies' focus is to change things faster and introduce new systems,activities and disciplines at every opportunity.
Your sample headlines are a perfect example of what is in store if the drum beaters for a non-celibate priesthood get their way.
Currently when I see subtle and/or not so subtle attacks on the Holy Father or the role of the Papacy,or a big push for relaxing the rules on celibacy by those who call themselves catholic,I see persons with an agenda that is not Catholic,or in some cases people who are just becoming aware and need to be better informed.
If after two or three rounds,I see the same folks saying the same thing,I know they are not interested in keeping the Deposit of Faith as given to the Church by Jesus Christ but instead are trying to bring or"sing" a new church into being and destroy the old Church.
I believe that we must pray unceasingly and seek,speak and live the Truth to fulfill God's plan for His people on earth.
The list goes on. By the way, I was raised a Roman Catholic and I also read the Bible.
You must not have read much of the Bible, because 1 John 5 16-17 specifically talks about sin that is "deadly" or "mortal" (the two words are equivalent) and sin that isn't. So I guess it's your tradition that directly contradicts the Bible, huh?
It seems like many are.
But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. (Matt 5:22)
The orthodox church allows for marriage and has since before there was a roman catholic church.
The caviate is that you have to BE married when becomeing a priest and you can't get married after being a priest. Which is why many decons wait to get married before taking the final vows.
The other caviate is that the priest can only go up to a certain rank as a married priest and the higher ranks are for unmarried only. (arch bishop)
And just for added information, the nicean creed includes the line "one holy catholic and apostolic church..." So technically there is a catholic (which just means universal) church which allows marriage.
I think these priests have a valid point worth discussing. No snap judgments either way.
Well, you know what they say, sometimes a majority just means that all the fools are on the same side. ;-).
Anyway, if the whole Church were allowed to vote, not just the Church Militant, but the Church Suffering and the Church Triumphant celibacy would be the clear choice of course.
so according to the link, the leftist homosexuals in the catholic church don't want marriage because it would mean more heterosexuals in the priesthood. Men with children would cramp their leftist agenda.
Requiring celibacy of priests has absolutely nothing to do with the Deposit of Faith.
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