www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology canonical impediments to ordination

And the reason that they don't have the "guts" so to speak is that they know that there are folks in the Vatican who chastise them in private if they go ahead and ordain married men. Certainly, this is not in canon law, but the whole culture of suspicion toward the byzantine Churches still exists among the Roman hierarchy.

Joe

...and Roman Catholic bishops probably would no longer allow their priests to have Bi-Ritual faculties to serve in the Sui Juris Metropolitan Byzantine Church of America. They would probably not offer their churches to be used for the start of mission parishes as well. I believe that is why they are afraid to ordain married men to the priesthood, they don't want to lose the use of Roman Bi-Ritual priests that serve in the Metropolia.

U-C

U-C,

Which is all the more reason why this situation is absurd.

Joe

Yes, it's a vicious circle that will doom the Metropolia causing contraction and not expansion of the Metropolia.

U-C

Yes, very true. I see this among the Melkites as well. In the Antiochian Orthodox Church, we have the autonomy and the resources to expand. We are planting new missions all of the time. But the Melkite, and other eastern Catholic, Churches are limited in their ability to expand because they have so few men who can be ordained to the priesthood. What do you do when you only have 2 or 3 seminarians for the entire Eparchy? You shrink.

Joe

Kinda my sentiments Chris!
Rome had accepted the promulgation of the Eastern Code which says married men can be ordained. But Rome however is not the ones who are preventing it. It is the Eastern Bishops themselves who are not living out the Traditions to the full of the Eastern Church. Rome having accepted the Code would hardly object to its fulillment,would they now?
Stephanos I

Fr. Stephanos...that is the million dollar question...why would Rome have approved the Eastern Code...then raised a fuss when the norms were presented to Rome that the metropolia of Pittsburgh put forward??? My "hunch" is that Rome could not say no to the overall cannon...however, they could "push back" on the individual jurisdictions looking to implement it...and unfortunately it appears the ruthenians "folded like a cheap suit"....


I've also said this before, but I don't think you can say it enough, The Ruthenian bishops are the ruthenian churches own worst enemy...

Chris

Is it not the case that Bishop John of Parma ordains married men to the priesthood?

Ryan

So far, those are viewed as isolated cases. The Metropolia has yet to ordain a homegrown vocation who is married.

Ungcsertezs

I give Bishop John alot of credit...hopefully it will go beyond isolated incidents...

I hope so as well. I believe that the regularization of the ordaining of married men would be a recovery of an aspect of our tradition. I also believe it has the potential to help our parishes grow.

Ryan

Rev. Joseph Marquis is home grown as far as I know and Parma has a married seminarian. 4 other married priests serve Parma, 2 ordained by Bishop John. So while certainly not yet the norm I don't think it can be called isolated. At least in not in Parma.

Fr. Deacon Lance

The only thing I hope people realize...

Simply saying we will ordain married men is just a small step...one thing that has occured over the years is not fostering young males for this calling...I believe the BCC also needs to re-instate minor orders to "grow the farm team"...

Chris

...but no c_ _dle homegrown married priests.

U-C

Are the seminarians free to marry and have cognizance of that reality? Is it a written policy where there can be no misunderstanding?

I read here that even though there is ordinations of married men, those men usually have found other ways to that state other than simply entering the seminary and following the current program.

It would be confusing if one authority ruled that marriage was not an impediment then turn and slap the hand of a bishop who acted on that by ordaining a married man; then give permission for certain cases, but not for all. This is not a sign of a freely operated church.

I feared that my response to the question about impediments has led to multiple, conflicting answers. Such wishy-washy-ness will greatly affect potential vocations from realizing their calling. Who would want to dedicate their lives to an organization that is so mixed up that they can't even decide who can or cannot serve as its ordained ministers? One bishop ordaines married men; another refuses.

How are the Eastern Catholilc seminaries doing in the former Communist countries?

Ed