Yes indeed. But a news story that appeared in the Pittsburgh Gazette(?) about nine months ago calls that type of arrangement into question. One of these married priests was profiled, and it was implicit that he was on the edge of burn-out. It was explicit that his family was unhappy with the situation -- his responsibilities made it impossible for him to be home more than minimal amounts of time. His wife and children were suffering as a result.
Pius XII rightly condemned what he termed a "false archaeologism" that during his reign was showing the first signs of life. This movement essentially made the assumption a priori that the practices of the early Church were superior to those of later centuries. The movement of course excluded any notion of a return to the early Church's severe penitential practices from its agenda, since those practices do not comport with the arm-chair radical, bourgeois mentality that has so distinctly marked this movement from the beginning.
We must remember that Church practices were not instituted on capricious whim. They were instituted after the Church learned -- from the experience of centuries -- that a new or different practice would be better than the particular practice of the early Christians. Celibacy, aside from being a higher state in life in a metaphysical sense, helps the priest to better model the great High Priest, whose instrument He is.
As with Christ, the priest's spouse is the Church. A married priest's heart is divided between his wife and family and his flock. All parties suffer as a result.
Interesting, but anecdotal.
I know three married Episcopal priests in the Ft. Worth diocese, and they, and their families, are ecstatic at the support they've received and in being in the Catholic Church.
Ask the priest and his wife if they would return to the Episcopalian Church.
True celibacy teaches the value of sacrifice to the laity. On the downside, I haven't heard one priest yet who could preach about REAL family life the way protestant preachers can. I know they grew up in families, but their experience as a child in a family does NOT translate to the married state.
Very well said. Thank you.