www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Another Married Priest question

Since the last got so many responses I look forward to this one getting some spirited ones as well. I read on wikipedia that,A man is not permitted to be a priest if he or his wife have ever been divorced. Does that mean if one partner were married inside the church and then got a divorce, or divorced in any church ie roman catholic, protestant? It seems to be pretty plain, if you or your wife have ever been divorced at any time, you cant be a priest, but am I wrong and it just refers to divorce inside the church?

let me add more to the question, what if the divorced partner wasn't even married in ANY church. As in they we're married by a judge. And the reason for the divorce was abuse/adultery on the part of the other person, not your spouse. All these factors would still hinder someone from being a priest? Dosen't seem fair really.

If you want to know about the Orthodox Church: the answer is "No".

A man who is Orthodox who wants to be considered as a candidate for ordination cannot be married to a divorced woman, regardless of the civil marriage or church marriage.

Wow, that seems very harsh, even if it was a sacramentally invalid marriage and adultery and abuse were factors, i mean..wow that blows me away.

I personally know of instances where a man was ordained to the priesthood after having received an annulment. (In the Latin Church)

I know of a man what was divorced and then then received and annulment and was later ordained as a Greek Catholic Priest (now dead) and a very good one at that. So the man was free to be considered for the priesthood (in those days we only ordained single men as priests here). He was considered as suitable by the bishop and in time he was ordained.

The Church courts won't hear an application here without the divorce going first in order to get the civil side of things are out of the way first. The reason being that the church does not want to get dragged in to the civil court process which could very well happen if things were reversed.

see also Titus 1:6-9

How is the Church's law "harsh"? It follows this Scripture well, it seems to me. "Married only once" means just that--you've been married only once. The whole area of annulments and Church divorces is not something that applies. A bishop--and a priest who stands in his place--is supposed to be an example to the believers. In and out of marriage doesn't seem to fit the bill. Yes, there are exceptions and they are taken case by case. But would we want a spiritual leader who is not stable in his own life, including his spiritual life? I think not.

Adultery and abuse? Well, that's the reason that the early Church delayed ordination to see if a man were mature in his marriage, his family, and his spiritual life before calling him to ordination.

we seem to have forgotten that ordination is not a right and is not something that a man receives just because he feels "called." The Church tests the call, and in the testing, examines the man's stability including his marriage track record.

In Christ,

BOB

Thank you Bob!

Indeed, Holy Scripture is a sure norm for guidelines and the like but I was not referring to a man being divorced, I was referring to a man who has married a woman who had been divorced from an unsacramental marriage. I do not see how a marriage that was presided over by a judge in a court house or town hall, with no religious official of any kind present, how that could be considered an actual marriage within the Church.

You have my sympathy - but the theory on which this precept is based is that the marriage must be a first union for both parties. Even though the previous marriage was non-sacramental and has been annulled, one assumes that a union did take place.

But you never know what may happen: at the time of his ordination Catherine Doherty was Father Eddie's second wife, and he was her third husband.

Fr. Serge

MDUNN Could you please give us the refence on Wikipedia that you go the original information off?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Christian#Marriage

You'll notice the line "A man is not permitted to be a priest if he or his wife have ever been divorced."

Yes, but if you notice the link you are referencing is "Eastern Orthodox" not "Eastern Catholic". You are talking two different churches and rules here.

Dear Friends,

Ultimately, it is up to the local Bishop/Eparch to decide who is to be ordained.

We cannot point to canons apart from the pastoral application that the Bishop will make of them in given circumstances.

For me, the way the Eastern Churches, Orthodox and Catholic, defer to the Bishop's interpretation of canons and his pastoral judgement in each case brought before him is most humanizing and brings out the truly living nature of Eastern canonical law based, as it is, on a person and not only on established rules.

Alex

That was my thought on the matter, The Eastern Church is very structred but each Bishop has the authority to make the call.