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How I Met Your Father: Married Episcopalians Becoming Catholic Priests
US Catholic ^ | 7/16/12 | Katharine Saunders

Posted on 07/16/2012 6:24:27 PM PDT by marshmallow

Former Episcopal priests are crossing over to the Catholic Church—and bringing their wives and kids along for the ride.

Chuck Hough III was thrilled when his son decided to enter the family business. His concerns were like those of any other parent: He wanted his son to make the decision independently, without pressure from family members or friends. Hough’s business, though, is unlike any other in the country. He and his son, Chuck Hough IV, were recently ordained Catholic priests. Both are serving in Texas. The Houghs will join the 75 or so married former Episcopal priests currently ministering in U.S. Catholic parishes.

The married Catholic priests are being welcomed through a special arrangement called the “Pastoral Provision,” approved in 1980 by Pope John Paul II. Their reasons for converting are diverse.

“I didn’t become Catholic to be a Catholic priest,” says the younger Hough, 31, the newly appointed pastor of Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Church in Houston. “I became a Catholic for the salvation of my soul and the souls of my children and my wife. It’s a grace from God that they are allowing me to petition to become a priest. It was something that was on my heart, and I would faithfully be a Catholic layman for the rest of my life.”

While preparing for his diaconate ordination, Hough served as an assistant director of religious education at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Keller, Texas. Hough and his wife, Lindsay, lived in the parish rectory with their two children, Charlie, 4, and Wills, 1. He taught religious education and coached his son’s soccer team, the Thunderdragons.

The younger Hough renounced his Episcopal orders in June 2011 and, along with his wife, joined the Catholic Church in November. The couple is among a growing faction of Episcopalians......

(Excerpt) Read more at uscatholic.org ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Ecumenism; Mainline Protestant; Ministry/Outreach
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1 posted on 07/16/2012 6:24:34 PM PDT by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

This puts the entire concept of priestly celibacy on the slippery slope of hypocrisy.


2 posted on 07/16/2012 6:30:00 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Celibacy has always been hypocrisy.

Catholic Priests should be allowed to marry.

I see this as a backdoor to the Priesthood for a man who desires a woman. Become an Episcopal Priest and marry and then change over.

It isn’t right all Priests should be allowed to marry IMO Catholic opinion


3 posted on 07/16/2012 6:39:37 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: Buckeye McFrog
The Episcopalians don't just change their badges. They have to go through seminary and they are not quite what other priests are- they are limited to that carved out sub-order of Anglican Use parishes. Celibacy was a consciously chosen condition of priesthood and not even universal within the church. Eastern Rite churches that are in full communion with Rome permit a married priesthood, though one may not marry once one is a priest and bishops may not be married. Anglican/Episcopalian bishops who convert are not maintained as bishops but become parish priests once again.

The Catholic tradition of a celibate priesthood is not endangered or confused and is not willing to discard good priests while also not willing to change the Roman traditions.

4 posted on 07/16/2012 6:42:16 PM PDT by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

The need for priests in the USA is such that we are bringing in foreign priests to serve more than one parish, in many cases.

To your point though, I can’t say you are wrong. Even Catholics understand how these things look, but actually there always has been this one exception permitted, in some
“some” cases, in some circumstances.


5 posted on 07/16/2012 6:56:10 PM PDT by RitaOK (NO ROMNEY, NO COMPROMISE. NO WAY. NO HOW. NOT NOW. NOT EVER.)
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To: Buckeye McFrog
Celibacy is alive and well in the Catholic Church and will remain so. These former Anglicans are being grandfathered into the priesthood. They still have to take Catholic theology, etc. classes. I attended the ordination of one in my diocese -- with four younger priests. Yes, his wife and adult children were there celebrating with him.

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6 posted on 07/16/2012 7:56:11 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

What are you talking about? The Catholic Church does not have a requirement for Catholic celibacy. The Catholic Church also has no rule against married men becoming priests.

Please do something to support your opinion/statement.


7 posted on 07/16/2012 8:09:51 PM PDT by impimp
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To: Buckeye McFrog; All
No, it doesn't and this policy is nothing new. It dates back to 1980.

This was allowed because it was seen as bringing priests 'home' to the Roman Catholic Church.

They were not going to void these legitimate marriages before God and what purpose would it serve to rob these men of their vocation?

It's not hypocrisy, it's a narrow compromise in the interest of unification.

That said, women should not be priests and priests should be celibate. It's not difficult if you're truly called and committed to that life. It's not the burden and huge deal many make it out to be. It's second nature.

8 posted on 07/16/2012 9:38:15 PM PDT by newzjunkey (It'll be Romney or Obama. There's no 'do over' for the gop primary.)
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To: Venturer
Celibacy has always been hypocrisy.

Only to the obtuse.

9 posted on 07/17/2012 3:34:46 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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To: Buckeye McFrog
21 of the 22 Churches sui juris that comprise the Catholic Church ordain, as a norm, married men.

One additional fact that you are likely unaware of is that these converts ordained under the Pastoral Provision; as well as other married protestant ministers who convert and seek ordination, must agree, prior to ordination, that if their spouse precedes them in death they will then adopt the discipline of celibacy for the remainder of their life. No agreement, no ordination.

10 posted on 07/17/2012 3:39:59 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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To: A.A. Cunningham

I don’t mind your little insult.

Celibacy is no more natural than homosexualism, and shouldn’t be expected of any man.

Of course some people have little sexuality to give up.So I guess in some cases it isn’t all that important.


11 posted on 07/17/2012 4:16:26 AM PDT by Venturer
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To: marshmallow

Best wishes to all of them.


12 posted on 07/17/2012 5:09:20 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Keeping the drama to a minimum)
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To: Buckeye McFrog
This puts the entire concept of priestly celibacy on the slippery slope of hypocrisy.

Not really. Neither these men, nor any others, are permitted to marry or remarry after ordination and remain in active ministry.

So the issue then becomes whether or not to ordain married men. The rule in the Greek East has been to ordain married men to the diocesan priesthood almost exclusively. The rule in the Latin West has been to ordain only single men exclusively.

This adds occasional exceptions to the Western rule for married men who have already been involved in Christian ministry in other traditions, that's all.

13 posted on 07/17/2012 5:17:29 AM PDT by Campion ("Social justice" begins in the womb)
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To: Venturer
Celibacy is no more natural than homosexualism, and shouldn’t be expected of any man.

Natural? If we're going to talk about what's "natural," why bother with Christianity at all? Christianity is not "natural," because it's intended to raise up to a supernatural level of existence called "heaven". Scripture calls being "natural," "being dead in your sins".

Our Lord speaks of those who are "eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven". He doesn't seem to have a problem with it. St. Paul directly praises celibates for being able to put the Lord first in their lives (1 Cor 7). Should we be deaf to that? Those who give up marriage in this lifetime to serve the church image for us how we will be in heaven, where, Scripture says, we "neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels".

I'm always surprised at your argument in the mouths of Christians in any case. If sexual continence is some impossible burden for a man of 35 or 40, a fortiori it's far more intolerable for a boy of 17. (Having been both of those, I think I'm qualified to make that judgement. ;-))

What do you say to the 17-year-old boy who comes to pick up your 16-year-old daughter for a date? "I'd prefer that you not take my darling daughter for a roll in the hay and return her to me deflowered and pregnant, but I recognize that that's a totally unreasonable and unnatural request for me to make"??

And what of those who can't marry for physical or social reasons, or whose spouses are incapable or unwilling to engage in conjugal life? You can't simultaneously say that sex outside marriage is wrong, and not being married is an intolerable burden. That implies that obeying God's law is an intolerable burden.

14 posted on 07/17/2012 5:35:59 AM PDT by Campion ("Social justice" begins in the womb)
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To: Campion

Celibacy as a life’s work is a bit different from celibacy before marriage, and I don’t say anything to the boy that picks up my daughter, I already have that worked out with my daughter.

Few people enter into marriage with an agreemnt of not having sex, it is usually the fault of an accident or medical problem and usually comes with age.

As for St. Paul, I am afraid you are much more proficient in the words of the Bible than I,but I seem to recall that celebacy didn’t enter into the Church until the tenth century or so. Much after St. Paul.

I am sure you will correct me if I am wrong.


15 posted on 07/17/2012 5:57:01 AM PDT by Venturer
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To: Venturer
Celibacy is no more natural than homosexualism, and shouldn’t be expected of any man.

Was Our Savior celibate?

16 posted on 07/17/2012 6:44:14 AM PDT by pbear8 (the Lord is my light and my salvation)
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To: Campion
That implies that obeying God's law is an intolerable burden.

That's exactly what Satan told Adam and Eve, and look where it got them (and us).

17 posted on 07/17/2012 7:07:22 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Keeping the drama to a minimum)
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To: Venturer

You wrote:

“Catholic Priests should be allowed to marry.”

Why would we do something that has never been done before?


18 posted on 07/17/2012 1:24:33 PM PDT by vladimir998
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To: Venturer

You wrote:

“Celibacy is no more natural than homosexualism, and shouldn’t be expected of any man.”

So Christ praised the unnatural? Check Matthew 19:12.


19 posted on 07/17/2012 1:28:32 PM PDT by vladimir998
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To: vladimir998

You people should be Democrats, you are great at spinning things.


20 posted on 07/17/2012 5:50:00 PM PDT by Venturer
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