Grace Thompson
Catholic priests are generally not allowed to marry and are expected to remain celibate. However, there are some exceptions. For example, married non-Catholic clergymen who convert to Catholicism and become priests are allowed to stay married. Additionally, some Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, have allowed the ordination of married men as priests for centuries. In recent times, a few exceptional cases can also be found in some Orthodox churches where ordained clergy have been granted the right to marry after ordination.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholic reverends allowed to marry | Only in rare cases |
| Reasons for Catholic reverends to remain unmarried | To devote their lives solely to God and undividedly serve the Lord and their congregation |
| Catholic reverends who can marry | Converts from other rites/religions who are already married, such as former Anglican priests |
| Catholic churches that allow ordination of married men | Eastern Catholic Churches, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church |
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What You'll Learn
- Catholic priests belonging to religious orders take vows of celibacy
- Diocesan priests make a promise of celibacy
- Eastern Catholic Churches allow married men to be ordained
- Latin Catholic Church occasionally relaxes rules for married Anglican priests
- Some Catholic priests are married, often former Protestant ministers
Catholic priests belonging to religious orders take vows of celibacy
The Latin Catholic Church occasionally relaxes the discipline in special cases, such as the conversion of a married Anglican priest who wishes to be ordained as a Catholic priest. In the Eastern rites of the Church, it is common for married men to be ordained to the priesthood. In the Latin rite, there are a few married men, converted ministers from other faiths, who are ordained to the Catholic priesthood. However, this is not common.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy, celibacy is the norm for bishops; married men may be ordained to the priesthood, but even if their wives pass away, they are not allowed to remarry after ordination. Similarly, in some Eastern Catholic Churches, married men may be ordained as priests or deacons, but they cannot remarry if their wives die. A condition for becoming an Eastern Catholic bishop is to be unmarried or a widower.
In the Catholic Church, clerical celibacy is mandated for all clergy in the Latin Church except in the permanent diaconate. Exceptions are sometimes admitted for ordination to transitional diaconate and priesthood on a case-by-case basis for married clergy of other churches or communities who become Catholics. However, ordination of married men to the episcopacy is excluded.
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Diocesan priests make a promise of celibacy
Diocesan priests are required to make a promise of celibacy. This is distinct from the vows of celibacy taken by priests who belong to religious orders. The practice of celibacy among diocesan priests is based on the belief that, by remaining unmarried, priests can devote themselves fully to God and their congregation, mirroring Christ's own celibacy.
The Catholic Church has a long-standing tradition of priestly celibacy, particularly within the Latin or Roman rite. However, there are some exceptions, and a small subset of Catholic priests can be married. This includes married non-Catholic clergymen who convert to Catholicism and are ordained as Catholic priests. In these cases, the Holy See may grant dispensations from the usual rule of celibacy.
Eastern Catholic Churches have a different approach, allowing the ordination of married men as priests for centuries. This tradition continues today, and married Eastern Catholic priests can now serve outside their rite's home country. Additionally, some married Episcopal priests have been ordained in the Catholic Church through a pastoral provision. However, each diocese is limited to having up to two active married priests to avoid the appearance of relaxing the discipline of celibacy.
While the Catholic Church maintains the discipline of priestly celibacy, there have been recent discussions and suggestions for change. Pope Francis, for example, has expressed openness to the idea of ordaining married men to address priest shortages in remote areas. However, he has also stated that "optional celibacy is not a solution," indicating that any changes to the current discipline may be carefully considered and limited in scope.
The topic of priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church is complex and multifaceted, with a mix of historical traditions, theological interpretations, and practical considerations influencing the Church's stance. While diocesan priests make a promise of celibacy, there are exceptions and ongoing discussions that reflect the evolving nature of this issue within the Church.
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Eastern Catholic Churches allow married men to be ordained
Catholic priests are not permitted to marry after ordination. However, there are a few exceptional cases where some Orthodox churches have granted the right to marry after ordination. The Latin Catholic Church, in general, requires clerical celibacy for the priesthood. This rule came into effect in the 11th century under the influence of Bernard of Clairvaux.
Eastern Catholic Churches, however, do not require clerical celibacy and allow married men to be ordained as priests. This is because priestly celibacy is a discipline, not a doctrine, and so there is room for diversity on the issue according to the customs of the respective rites. If celibacy were a doctrine, all rites would have to conform to the judgment of the Holy See on the matter. But celibacy is a discipline (a practice that is legislated by proper ecclesial authority) that has been deemed to be spiritually beneficial. In the Latin rite, this spiritual discipline is ordinarily required of all men who seek priestly ordination. In the Eastern rites, it is practised by the monks and by some secular priests, but it is not required of all men who seek ordination.
Many Eastern Churches, such as the Assyrian Church of the East, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, or Eastern Catholic, while allowing married men to be ordained, do not allow clerical marriage after ordination. Their parish priests are often married, but they must marry before being ordained to the priesthood.
Eastern Catholic Churches have always allowed the ordination of married men as priests and deacons. Within the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, for example, priests' children often became priests and married within their social group, establishing a tightly knit hereditary caste.
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Latin Catholic Church occasionally relaxes rules for married Anglican priests
The Latin Catholic Church has required clerical celibacy for the priesthood since the Gregorian Reform in the 11th century. However, this rule is not considered a doctrine, but rather a discipline, and the Pope can change it at any time. As such, the Church has occasionally relaxed this rule in special cases, such as for married Anglican priests who wish to convert to Catholicism and become ordained as Catholic priests.
The Catholic Church considers most Anglican ordinations invalid. However, since the Second Vatican Council, the Latin Catholic Church has allowed married former Anglican priests to be ordained as Catholic priests in certain circumstances. This exception was made for married Protestant ministers who convert to Catholicism and wish to become priests, provided their wives consent. This exception was further solidified by the establishment of personal ordinariates for former Anglicans beginning in 2011, which added to the number of such requests.
The Latin Catholic Church is not the only branch of Catholicism that allows for the ordination of married men. Eastern Catholic Churches also allow for the ordination of married men, and married men have been ordained as priests in the East since the 5th century. In the Eastern Catholic Churches, married priests must marry before being ordained, and they are not allowed to marry after ordination.
Despite the rule of clerical celibacy, there have been Catholic priests throughout history who have engaged in sexual relations through the practice of concubinage. In February 2019, the Catholic Church acknowledged that its celibacy policy has not always been enforced and that the Vatican had secretly enacted rules to protect priests who violated their vows of celibacy.
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Some Catholic priests are married, often former Protestant ministers
The Catholic Church has a long-standing practice of requiring its priests to be celibate. This rule was formalised in the 11th century under the Gregorian Reform. However, there are some Catholic priests who are married. This is because there is nothing in the Deposit of the Faith that prohibits priests from being married, and some Catholic churches allow for the ordination of married men.
Eastern Catholic Churches, for example, have allowed married men to become priests for centuries. In 2014, Pope Francis lifted a 114-year ban on married Eastern Catholic priests serving outside their home country, allowing them to serve in the US. In addition, a policy change made by Pope John Paul II in 1980 offered a path for married Episcopal priests to continue their ministry after converting to Catholicism. Each diocese is allowed up to two active married priests under the Pastoral Provision.
Another way in which Catholic priests can be married is if they are former Protestant ministers. In 1548, the Clergy Marriage Act allowed Anglican priests to marry, and so today, when former Anglican priests are received into the Catholic Church, they are sometimes ordained as Catholic priests and remain married.
In the Latin rite, there are a few married men who have been ordained as Catholic priests. These are often converted ministers from other faiths. However, this is not common.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholic reverends, also known as priests, are generally not allowed to marry after they have been ordained. However, there are a few exceptional cases where married men have been ordained as Catholic priests, such as the conversion of a married Anglican priest who wishes to be ordained as a Catholic priest.
Theologically, priests are believed to serve in the place of Christ and therefore, their ministry specially configures them to Christ. As Christ was not married, priests remain celibate and devote themselves solely to the service of the Church.
Yes, there are a small subset of Catholic priests who are married. These are often converts from other religions who were already married before converting to Catholicism and being ordained as priests.
Yes, Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, have allowed the ordination of married men as priests for centuries.
Yes, if a married Catholic priest becomes a widower, they are allowed to continue serving as a priest. However, they are not allowed to remarry.
