This would be a wonderful story were it coming from a different diocese. Matthew Clark is right up there with Mahony and Hubbard, as a progressivist. Like the Albany Diocese, Rochester Catholics have had to endure so many innovative practices. My guess is that Bishop Clark would love to fill all of his churches with married priests and priestesses.
Times appear to be a’changing - and the church seems willing to change too.
I am not Catholic, and have a great deal of respect for the church; but I have to ask myself some basic questions. Has God changed his mind on this? Is there a Papal edict? Homosexuality used to be an ‘abombination’; now we must accept and embrace this. Now the church seems to have lifted the restriction on priests being married.
Where is the line that must not be crossed?
my town - saw this several days ago - will be interesting to hear everyones thoughts
I don’t really understand why this is acceptable in the eyes of the church. If he were widowed, that would be one thing.
As I said on another thread these conversions never surprise me.
Jesus told us the tares would grow with the wheat, so when one tries to find God in history or in tradition it is never surprising to me.
The pulpits and classrooms are filled with unsaved people who think they are saved by tradition or church membership or profession.. they have an intellectual gospel, a works gospel or a family tradition gospel ..none of which save.
This man knew he was unsaved, and is seeking it in the Catholic priesthood. But Christ is not a respecter of persons.. If Christ intends to save Him he could be a ditch digger
In past, didn’t the church have several more levels of religious sanctity? In particular, I am thinking of Abbé, a title given to Franz Liszt, who made great contributions to religious music as well as secular music, but whose life was too immodest, to say the least, for any title that required self control.
Right now, especially, with the church offering its hand to Anglican clergy, many of whom are married and have children, it would not do them a disservice to have a special title, different from priest, but recognizable as a man of the cloth similar to a priest.