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Stuffy robes ruin marriage chances, say Greek priests
BBC ^ | Saturday, October 3, 1998 Published at 20:40 GMT 21:40 UK | BBC

Posted on 04/21/2002 12:54:01 AM PDT by Spar

Saturday, October 3, 1998 Published at 20:40 GMT 21:40 UK

World: Europe

Stuffy robes ruin marriage chances, say Greek priests.

Archbishop Christodoulos in traditional robes - but is it a turn off?

Greece's Orthodox priests say their long black robes, pipe hats and overgrown beards are ruining their marriage prospects.

And they are calling for a makeover in an attempt to increase their chances of attracting a wife.

Father Efstathios Kollas, head of the union of parish priests, says only 3,000 of Greece's 11,000 priests are married.

"If the robes create an obstacle for finding a wife, and you know they do, then the church's leadership must do something to modernise our appearance," he added.

Father Kollas, who favours a more simplified frock, argues that the frumpy cassocks are also discouraging educated Greeks from becoming men of the cloth.

He says many candidates for the priesthood fear they will repel potential partners with such attire - not to mention the obligatory long whiskers.

Archbishop says priests can wear earrings

The priests' plea to shed their head-to-foot robes comes ahead of a meeting of the Holy Synod, the Greek Church's governing body.

But it is not yet certain whether Father Kollas's call to revamp the strict dress code will come up for discussion.

The 10-day meeting to begin on Tuesday will be presided over by Archbishop Christodoulos, who at 59 is the youngest archbishop to head the Greek Orthodox Church.

Since his election in April, he has stressed the need to modernise the church, a bastion of conservatism, without abandoning its age old traditions.

In a surprise move last month, he even told young men they could wear earrings when they visit their pastors.

More than 90% of all Greeks are baptised Greek Orthodox, which is the country's official religion.

Unlike Catholicism, Greek Orthodoxy permits priests to marry.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
KEYWORDS: catholiclist; orthodoxy
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To: Orual; aculeus
"I'm not making this up, you know."
21 posted on 04/21/2002 1:15:17 PM PDT by dighton
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To: Spar
I think it is unfair to Catholics that Uniate Catholic priests can marry and in that Papal recognized church divorce is allowed just as in the Orthodox rite, but it is denied to the Roman Catholics of the Latin tradition.

"Fairness" is not a concept that one can apply to Traditional Roman Catholic priests. Marriage is not denied to them, it is understood and accepted when they become priests that they cannot marry. If marriage were a goal, they wouldn't have become priests. If they change their minds, they are free to leave the priesthood and marry, or to become priests in a sect that allows marriage.

22 posted on 04/21/2002 1:26:18 PM PDT by Orual
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To: dighton; aculeus
Franco Uomo has a nice alternative.
23 posted on 04/21/2002 1:35:33 PM PDT by Orual
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To: dighton ; Orual
They could hire a clever Greek to design new outfits ... the person who created those mascots for the Athens Olympics.
24 posted on 04/21/2002 1:41:13 PM PDT by aculeus
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To: Orual
You still did not address the point I made. Eastern rite Catholics can marry and divorce up to three times, and priests can be married something denied the Catholics of the Latin rite.

I call it unfair or a double standard, that I would like explained.

In addition even though under some rare conditions Catholic priests can be married, once ordained they have to be married and celibate, again something the Eastern rite Catholic priests does not have to be. This is called the law of continence:

However, there was another Apostolic practice which the Western/Roman Church insisted upon from the very beginning. That is: absolute continence. In other words, the Apostles were married but from the time that they began to follow Christ, they never engaged in sexual intercourse with their wives again and, in most cases lived separate from them from the day that Christ called them on ward, though they provided for them. Remember that according to ancient custom, Peter’s daughter Petronilla died with him during the persecutions in Rome. The earliest local (the third and fourth centuries) Synods and council of the Church insisted upon this absolute continence and the West continued to do so consistently into the second millennium. The East, at a council not recognized by the West, repealed the law of continence.

For further reading see Council in Trullo

Once again I call it unfair or a double standard, that I would like explained and I find few Latin Catholics able to do so.

25 posted on 04/21/2002 3:46:40 PM PDT by Spar
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To: De Fide
my #25 might intrest you.
26 posted on 04/21/2002 3:51:25 PM PDT by Spar
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To: Spar
Not bad.
27 posted on 04/21/2002 7:34:20 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Spar
I call it unfair or a double standard, that I would like explained.

It doesn't require any further explanation than that which I have already given. Priests cannot marry. They are fully cognizant of this fact when they are ordained, they enter into the priesthood knowingly and willingly and no one drags them kicking and screaming into the religious life. There can be no equivocation. As I said before, if they change their minds and wish to break their vows there are alternative avenues open to them.

28 posted on 04/21/2002 8:25:11 PM PDT by Orual
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To: Orual
Why is it that a Latin rite priest has this restriction placed on him but an Eastern rite priest is free of it? Both come under the Pope's jurisdiction so again I ask why?

You will agree it is a restriction for the Latins, no?

29 posted on 04/21/2002 8:39:28 PM PDT by Spar
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To: Spar
Okay, I read the link but can find nothing on Uniate churches following the Orthodox error of allowing divorce (albeit "only" twice)...
30 posted on 04/21/2002 9:00:15 PM PDT by De Fide
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To: Spar
Yes,it a restriction, a rule, just as celibacy is a restriction, but the question of "fairness" does not enter into whether or not a man decides to become a priest in the Traditional Roman Catholic Church. Once he decides, he must obey the rule or forfeit his right to be a priest. I see no contradiction here. He is free to become a priest in whatever sect allows marriage if that is his wish or free to choose another religion.
31 posted on 04/21/2002 9:47:04 PM PDT by Orual
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To: De Fide
Uniate churches following the Orthodox error of allowing divorce (albeit "only" twice)... How can the original be in error?

Marriage after divorce, Eastern Catholic way

32 posted on 04/22/2002 12:14:01 AM PDT by Spar
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To: Orual
OK once again, I find Catholics have a hard time dealing with this.

Why is the Latin Catholic clergy restricted in this way and not the Greek Catholic? They are both Catholic under the Pope, so why?

If an Irish Catholic man wanted to join the preisthood but he wanted to be wed first he would not be allowed to join, but if he was a Ukranian Greek Catholic he would be ordained a preist and he could father children legaly with full approval of the Catholic Church.

Again I ask why?

33 posted on 04/22/2002 12:21:05 AM PDT by Spar
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To: Spar
OK once again, I find Catholics have a hard time dealing with this.

I don't know where you are getting your information, but it is not correct. Traditional Catholics do not have a "hard time" dealing with this, in fact it is not even an issue with them. Those who are liberalized, and represent the Protestantized American Catholic Church, which is a pale and sad copy of the Roman Catholic Church, represent the group who are calling for women in the priesthood, acceptance of gay priests and married priests.

If an Irish Catholic man wanted to join the preisthood but he wanted to be wed first he would not be allowed to join, but if he was a Ukranian Greek Catholic he would be ordained a preist and he could father children legaly with full approval of the Catholic Church.

I would suggest your Irish Catholic man go directly to a seminary under the jurisdication of the Ukranian Greek sect in order to become a priest and if he wants to get married before entering the priesthood, he should convert to some other religion.

34 posted on 04/22/2002 3:46:52 AM PDT by Orual
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To: Orual
I did not mean to badger you. I just find such a division puzziling and I can get no clear answer as to why the Pope sanctions two sets of rules for Catholics. It seems you accept it with no question as a Papal edict and that is your duty as a Catholic (I assume). If you ever run across something that might explain this I would love a link. Thanks.
35 posted on 04/22/2002 9:54:18 AM PDT by Spar
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To: HiTech RedNeck
It is bogus indeed. Marriage is permitted prior to ordination, but Greek Orthodox priests cannot marry after they are ordained.
36 posted on 04/22/2002 10:01:31 AM PDT by tracer
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To: Spar
Greek (and all other) Orthodoxy is governed by its own ecclesiastical leadership and, being separate and distinct from the Roman Catholic Church since the Schism of 1066 A.D., is not under the aegis of the Pope....
37 posted on 04/22/2002 10:05:38 AM PDT by tracer
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To: trevorjohnson
If that is the case, these old guys in ornate robes can land some pretty bodacious Greek babes!!

Not if they can't dance, don't drive Ferarris, and don't care about saving the rainforest...

38 posted on 04/22/2002 10:07:07 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves
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To: tracer
Uniates are both Orthodox in rites and Catholic in submission to the Pope (if that is the term for it).
39 posted on 04/22/2002 10:07:23 AM PDT by Spar
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To: Spar
Were I not happily married, I would have to say: "AIIEE, CARAMBA!!
40 posted on 04/22/2002 10:10:07 AM PDT by tracer
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