Posted on 07/02/2012 2:25:04 PM PDT by NYer
It’s believed to be the first time in the U.S. that a father and son have been ordained at the same Mass.
“Charles Albert Hough the III.”
Bishop Kevin Vann’s historic words rang out at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Keller as he called first the father… and then the son.
“Charles Albert Hough the IV.”
Both answered the call before a big congregation during a one-of-its-kind ordination.
“Oh, this is a great moment in the life of our family — a great moment in the history of our faith,” said the elder Hough.
The father-and-son duo — who both go by “Chuck” — are among six Episcopal priests who became Catholic priests at the Saturday morning ceremony.
The Vatican started to let married Episcopal priests be ordained in the Catholic church 20 years ago.
The wives of both Chuck Hough III and IV both proudly looked on during the service.
“It’s been a blessing… a miraculous blessing to be ordained with my son,” said the elder Father Chuck. “The first time in the history of the United States a father and son has ever been ordained at the same Mass.”
It was a special ceremony for more reasons than one. The political rift between Anglicans and Catholics is on the mend.
“It’s a day in great history, because really — in some ways — it’s sort of mending the break that occurred in the reformation years ago,” Bishop Vann said. “It’s very historical.”
The Houghs say the controversy in the Episcopal church over gay and female priests did not drive them away. It was all about unity that made them turn to priesthood and Catholicism. And accomplishing this feat together only added to the excitement.
“We were absolutely delighted, and I’m very honored to have been ordained a Catholic priest with my father… a man I’ve respected my entire life,” said the junior Father Chuck.
Congratulations and welcome — and ad multos annos!
And prayerful good wishes, too, to your wives!
(No,I'm not trying to start anything...just thinking out loud)
you must not be Catholic.
Wrong.A (very) imperfect one to be sure but Catholic nevertheless.
And BTW,no,I don't support abortion...or homosexual "marriage" or.....
when you were young maybe you missed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church the part about the priests being celibate.
1579 All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate “for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.”70 Called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to the Lord and to “the affairs of the Lord,”71 they give themselves entirely to God and to men. Celibacy is a sign of this new life to the service of which the Church’s minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God.72
sooooooo.. you may actually be protestant if you really believe that, maybe you will fit in better with the Episcopalians.
Lurking’
Married men seeking ordination to the Priesthood have 21 Churches in the Eastern Rites to choose from.
And yet there are more than a few men in this country (and elsewhere,I suspect) today who are officially recognized as Roman Catholic priests...priests who vow obedience to Rome...and who are married.But the funny thing is that most of them were once Anglicans and felt they didn't fit in so perhaps you're incorrect regarding where I might or might not feel most comfortable.
I'm curious about one thing...do recognize the "validity" of the ordination of the two men mentioned in this piece? As my previous post suggests I do.
Lurking:
The citation from the CCC you site clearly states “normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life”. Notice the word “normally” There is nothing wrong with thinking a married priesthood should be the norm for priests who minister in parishes. However, one should not challenge the authority of the Pope and the Bishops and get involve in protests and dissident movements to make ones feelings known.
Holding an opinion, as long as it does not result in dissident actions and schismatic activities [think LCWR nuns and groups like Call to Action] does not make one an unfaithful Catholic.
Catholics of the Latin Rite need to learn to be more charitable and careful with statements regarding the married priesthood as the sui juris Eastern Catholic Churches have married priests as do the Eastern Orthodox, which the same CCC says have all of the valid 7 sacraments/Divine Mysteries and thus a valid sacerdotal priesthood.
And for the record, I am a Catholic of the Roman/Latin Rite.
Bishop Vann, unlike some bishops, has been aggressively training priests. Young and old, the seminarians are much more interesting than the often callow young men of sixty years ago.
While pointing out that "the Maronite Church admits married priests" and that "half of our diocesan priests (in Lebanon) are married", the Cardinal Patriarch said that "it must be recognized that if admitting married men resolves one problem, it creates others just as serious."
"A married priest", he said, "has the duty to look after his wife and family, ensuring his children receive a good education and overseeing their entry into society. ... Another difficulty facing a married priest arises if he does not enjoy a good relationship with his parishioners; his bishop cannot transfer him because of the difficulty of transferring his whole family.
He noted that "married priests have perpetuated the faith among people whose difficult lives they shared, and without them this faith would no longer exist."
"On the other hand," he said, "celibacy is the most precious jewel in the treasury of the Catholic Church,"
Read More
Our parish is very small (70 active families) and the cost of maintaining a celibate priest is already a stretch. Fortunately, we are most blessed to have a young (34 y/o) Maronite monastic missionary as a spiritual guide. Several other young priests from his community serve various parishes across the US. Our pastor also volunteers his services to the local RC ordinary who has granted him Latin Rite faculties to say mass during the week at a priestless parish to consecrate a sufficient number of hosts for their weekend services. He also says mass at a local catholic hospital, all while attending to the needs of his own parish. Were he married, this would not be possible.
I’m curious I the wives’ permission were sought before this Ordinarion, as it’s required for permanant (married) deacons.
Hi GSC
Sorry it took so long to get back.
and yes we do accept the validity, not only accept it but through that ordination we just fully and forever joined them to the Roman Catholic Church.
Lurking’
Why are they doing a Buddhist bow in a Catholic church?
Hi Council,
Yes we should be more charitable to fellow Catholics who hold views contrary to the Pope, doctrine and CCC.
Just saying, it would be easy to be more charitable to them if they were protestant.
If your a RC and you are in for a penny you are in for a pound.
The RCC Love It or Leave It.
Lurking
They are laying prostrate before the Bishop and our Lord in submission to and acceptance of their authority and Love.
Lurking
LurkingSince’98:
Obviously, you don’t know the difference between Dogma/Doctrine and Discipline. Celibacy is not a Doctrine, and as I said, someone could think that a Married Clergy is the way to go for Parish Priests. Again, all of the sui juris Eastern Catholic Churches, who are in Full Communion with Rome, have Married parish priests. Monks, Religous Orders and Bishops are celibate. So in the Eastern Church, both celibate and Married Clergy are ordained.
Pope Benedict, as Pope John Paul II, as Pope Paul VI as the Council of Florence in 1442, etc, have worked for the reunion of the Catholic and Orthodox Church. And in case you have not gotten the memo, the Eastern Orthodox Church has Married Priests. At no time has Rome ever stated that the Eastern Orthodox Priesthood is invalid because they have Married Priests. To the contrary, the Catholic Church clearly states that the Eastern Orthodox have “all seven sacraments” just as the Catholic Church as.
So again, nothing regarding Celibacy is “Doctrine” so before you go on a tanget and calling people dissident or heretical for thinking the Church should ordain more married men, you should study the issue of clerical celibacy.
What Holy Mother Church allows is permissable and it is obvious that Rome has “given dispensations of the clerical discipline of celibacy” in the case of former Anglicans who came into full communion with Rome. And again, all 21 of the sui Juris Eastern Catholic Churches [Maronite, Syro-Malakabar, Ukranian-Catholic, have married Priests and as I said before, the Eastern Orthodox do as well.
Now again, I do not believe Catholics should challenge the Pope on the matter of “celibacy” Even though it is not a Doctrine, it is something that Rome maitains is the “norm for Catholic Priests in the Roman Rite” and therefore is to be considered a teaching of the ordinary magesterium but that at the same time does not make it a definitive Doctrine or Dogma such as the Incarnation, Trinity, Paschal Mystery, etc.
Source?
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