[Mrs. Don-o]

"Catholics forbid their ministers to marry."

For the record, Catholics do not forbid ministers ("people in ministries") to marry.

But throughout the Catholic Church, East and West, men in Holy Orders, once they are ordained, are vowed to celibacy and may not marry unless they are laicized/dispensed from their vows.

Married men, however, can be ordained priest or deacon in any of the 21 Eastern Catholic Churches, except for the Western (Latin) Churche.

And the Western Church does allow married men to become deacons, which means our deacons can be married men when they are ordained. They are married clergy. They receive Holy Orders.

I know this is a little baffling, but it's a matter of who and when.

Married man --can become -----> deacon or priest? Yes

Deacon/priest ---can become ---- married? No.

I trust I have made myself sufficiently obscure?

Maybe somebody with a better-organized mind can express this more clearly.

[ebb tide]

And the Western Church does allow married men to become deacons, which means our deacons can be married men when they are ordained.

Only since the Second Vatican Council:

Third Canon of the First Council of Nicaea

This great synod absolutely forbids a bishop, presbyter, deacon or any of the clergy to keep a woman who has been brought in to live with him, with the exception of course of his mother or sister or aunt, or of any person who is above suspicion.

And now we have Bergoglio exploring the possibilities of womyn deacons thanks to the "god of surprises".

[LouieFisk]

“I trust I have made myself sufficiently obscure?

Maybe somebody with a better-organized mind can express this more clearly.”
—
Thanks, yes there are exceptions/exemptions, I knew that, for example, a married Anglican priest can become a Catholic priest.
Excuse my late reply.