[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".

[newberger]

Canon 3 refers to UNMARRIED women, not clerical marriage.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Do accept that an Ecumenical Council has the authority to OK married deacons? And are you OK with the married clergy of the Byzantine Greek Catholic churches? The are small, but they are as Catholic and as ancient as the Western Church.

You realize this, of course, but so many people dom't: that the Catholic Church is a communion of 22 Churches, and 21 of the 22 accept ordinandi from the ranks of married men of proven virtuous life, viri probati. It's been that way since way, way before Vatican II.

So it would be interesting to get the perspective of our fellow Catholics --- for instance, Melkites, Maronites and Ukrainians --- on this.

[ebb tide]

Tracing the Glorious Origins of Priestly Celibacy

The Case for Clerical Celibacy