Former Lutheran to be Sacramento diocese's first married Catholic priest

Sacramento Bee ^ | 12/12/10 | Anita Creamer

[P-Marlowe]

Do you really think that he was double minded since he converted from Lutheran to Catholic?

Yes. Do you have any evidence that he is not a double minded man?

I sincerely think other Lutheran pastors may follow and we might see what is now happening in the Anglican Church happening in the Lutheran Church.

I would agree that in those cases, it the ECLA is not much better than the Church of Satan. That being said, I don't think the Catholic Church has a special dispensation for men who are married and leave the Church of Satan to become Catholics. Would they be eligible to become Catholic Priests?

[Salvation]

**Yes. Do you have any evidence that he is not a double minded man?**

The evidence that he is NOT double-minded is that he continued to seek the truth, and as a result, converted.

So are you saying that all converts are double minded?

Would someone with no religion who converted to your church be called double-minded by you? Or would you rejoice that he had found the truth as you know it?

[mlizzy]

He also began a course of study at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park [2005], and with the guidance of Weigand and, in turn, Soto, he began the long application process for pastoral provision.

Okay, he started schooling in 2005, but his application wasn't accepted until two weeks ago? I'm not hip to the process of becoming a priest I don't think. I thought once you entered a seminary, provided you finished still wanting to become a priest, you were guaranteed a position somewhere in your diocese. But Harry still had to apply? Why would he go through all that schooling if he wasn't being assured a position?

[Salvation]

the screening for seminarians now has grown very STRICT. That’s all I can say. Psychological two day exams, extensive questions, schooling, innumeral personal character references, and then think of all the other screenings that go on by non-church authorities. I’m sure you get my drift.

[mlizzy]

I guess that's the road to take. Leave the Catholic Church, become a Lutheran pastor, then get married, then return to the Catholic Church and you can be a married priest.

I guess I'm going to have to be "sour grapes" too, because I tend to agree with you. Not only that, but coming back as a married priest, you are completely taken care of financially. You, your spouse, any young kids, etc.

Now this article *did* say that most of these men are not used as parish priests, so I guess that's a positive. There would be nothing more confusing than seeing a married priest at the pulpit, IMO, consecrating the host. Just even thinking about it, makes me a little queasy. Or maybe I'm just getting *very* spoiled going to TLMs every Sunday.

[mlizzy]

pulpit=altar

[Salvation]

His head, hands, etc. would be consecrated by the Bishop at his Catholic Ordination in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.......so I’m not understanding your reluctance here.

We have had two married priests in our Archdiocese. One recently died at a Priest’s retreat.

[mlizzy]

Hi Dave, and thank you. I’m fresh off a TLM today, so I’m all up about the amazing respect that is so evident there. And it comes natural to me, while in attendance, to pray for the boys serving, yet, when there are girls serving as well at an English NO, for example, while my prayers still continue, they are of a different variety, not so much focused on vocations.

[CTrent1564]

P-Marlowe:

Actually, that would not be allowed for someone like me for example, a Baptized, First Holy COmmunion and Confirmation received in the Catholic Church who then leaves the Catholic Church and becomes an Anglican-Episcopalian or Lutheran Clergyman, who is married, and then returns to the Catholic Church and gets ordained.

[mlizzy]

I suppose when I think of a Roman Catholic priest, I think of Jesus right away, and I have great difficulty thinking of Jesus as a married man. There's something so special about remaining single for Christ.

I don't necessarily doubt this man is sincere; I just wonder why he can't remain a high school dean, but ardent Catholic, maybe a deacon if he is so driven. And I can only see that he was a pastor for three years. Heck, I've got mosquito bites that lasted that long. That doesn't show any earnest dedication to me, however, he may have been a pastor for much longer. Articles have a way of being misleading, or not complete. And I have a way of not remembering important data.

But, of course, if the Church accepts them, so do I, but if I had my druthers, prayer and suffering and fasting for more vocations would be promoted via the pulpit (I know, some parishes *do* do this), instead of the Church finding it necessary (which is how it comes across to me) to take on the convert married man ...

[CTrent1564]

P-Marlowe:

I don’t think this man was a Baptized Catholic who left and became a Lutheran Pastor.

For example, the Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), Hepworth, is in fact a former Catholic who left and became an Anglican and then left the Church of England along with other Catholic leaning ANglicans to form TAC. He is involved with the group of Anglicans wanting to come into Full Communion with the Catholic Church via Anglicanorum coeitibus.

However, from what I understand, he will not be ordained under the Pastoral Provision that this former Lutheran Clergyman was ordained under.

[WhoHuhWhat]

Hepworth is a former RC priest. AC goes to great lengths to prevent RC priests from using it as a way to marriage.

[markomalley]

I find it interesting that the Catholic Church has a special dispensation in regard to priestly celibacy for apostates who leave the Catholic Church and then who later become apostates from Protestant denominations

I did not see anything in this article where this man, through his own volition, left the Catholic Church. If his parents left the Church while he was an infant or a child, that is another thing altogether.

Canon 1041 says:

Can. 1041 The following are irregular [NB: Irregular means perpetually impeded] for receiving orders:

…

2/ a person who has committed the delict of apostasy, heresy, or schism;

So do you have some other source that indicates that he left the Catholic Church as an adult (or even as an older youth)?

[CTrent1564]

WhoHuhWhat:

I new he was a former Catholic but could not remember whether he was also a Catholic Priest. THanks for the information

[A.A. Cunningham]

Under pastoral provision, Catholic canon law since 1980 has allowed former clergy from other faiths – primarily Episcopal – to be ordained into the priesthood.

The author of the article is incorrect. Only former Anglicans/Episcopalians are ordained under The Pastoral Provision. Converts from other protestant denominations are ordained with a dispensation from the discipline of celibacy. In all cases, the candidate for ordination must agree that if their spouse precedes them in death they will then adopt the discipline of celibacy for the remainder of their life. No agreement, no ordination.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Unmarried priests are a construct of the post - schism church.

An urban legend perpetuated by the ignorant.

[Texas Eagle]

What??? Priests were not allowed to marry up till now???

What is this? The 1300s?

[A.A. Cunningham]

Why not grant the same privilege to faithful Catholics? Why not admit married Catholics who have been faithful to their church and their family the privilege of serving as priests?

Why not educate yourself? 21 of the 22 Churches sui juris which comprise the Catholic Church ordain, as a norm, married men.

[P-Marlowe]

Why not educate yourself?

That's why I have you.

[A.A. Cunningham]

he will not be ordained under the Pastoral Provision that this former Lutheran Clergyman was ordained under.

The author is mistaken. Only Anglican/Episcopalian converts are ordained under The Pastoral Provision. Henry is being ordained under a dispensation from the discipline of celibacy.