Posted on 06/28/2003 2:21:40 PM PDT by Canticle_of_Deborah
No question they can.
I'd ask the Catholic parishes served by the married Protestant converts, and Eastern Rite parishes served by married priests in Europe, what they think of the dedication of their priests as well.
I know I keep harping on this Anglican dispensation, but I think one of the reasons it was originally allowed was as an experiment to see how married priests will work in a Catholic parish, and the guise of Protestant converts gave the Vatican the loophole.
Now that it's working so well, there's no logical argument that can be mustered as to why the Vatican doesn't allow married Catholic men into the priesthood as well. That's why the Vatican feels it necessary to pound the table every year, reminding Catholics that there will be mandatory celibacy (even if we can't really explain why).
This last proclamation, celibacy was an afterthought, tacked on to a larger discussion of the mention of Christianity's heritage in the EU constitution.
I was just at a cookout with five other Catholic families. Four of us have two kids each and one has one kid.
In other words, contraception is the major problem. Catholic Moral Theology demands that parents should strive to have at least four children (gosh, how hard is it for most who marry before age 34?). This is one reason for that.
Our friendly neighborhood Deacon does not, as far as I know, advocate for priestesses, which is formal doctrinal heresy since the 1994 definition. Your sister is NOT a Catholic, though she may like to think she is.
From what I have read of the lives of some of the Russian mystic priest saints, I think he probably could have. Although Padre Pio was pure, a little earthly purgatory can help anyone on their way to sanctity ;-)
No it isn't. Humane Vitae is an enshrining of unchangeable principles of the moral law, and is based upon Casti Connubii, in which Pope Pius XI defined infallibly against birth control. Please stop defaming Sinky and misrepresenting the teaching of the Church in this magnificent Encyclical:
56. Since, therefore, openly departing from the uninterrupted Christian tradition some recently have judged it possible solemnly to declare another doctrine regarding this question, the Catholic Church, to whom God has entrusted the defense of the integrity and purity of morals, standing erect in the midst of the moral ruin which surrounds her, in order that she may preserve the chastity of the nuptial union from being defiled by this foul stain, raises her voice in token of her divine ambassadorship and through Our mouth proclaims anew: any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin.57. We admonish, therefore, priests who hear confessions and others who have the care of souls, in virtue of Our supreme authority and in Our solicitude for the salvation of souls, not to allow the faithful entrusted to them to err regarding this most grave law of God; much more, that they keep themselves immune from such false opinions, in no way conniving in them. If any confessor or pastor of souls, which may God forbid, lead the faithful entrusted to him into these errors or should at least confirm them by approval or by guilty silence, let him be mindful of the fact that he must render a strict account to God, the Supreme Judge, for the betrayal of his sacred trust ...
Reformable my foot!
Meatless Fridays is an Apostolic Tradition, like Lent, the use of the Sanctus at Mass, mixing water with the wine at Mass, the Sunday obligation, and the Order of the Diaconate, etc. See the Didache. Are those things reformable?
It is also still in the Code of Canon Law. If you do not do another penance on all Fridays, you must abstain from meat under the penalty of grave sin. The matter is intrinsically tied up with the satisfaction of divine law, which the Church has universalised for the faithful on Fridays, just as she universalised Sunday Mass attendance to satisfy the 3rd Commandment; that is why it is a grave sin. The only parvity of matter here is if one simply forgets out of absentmindedness, or does not realize Friday is still a day of abstinence unless some other penance is selected.
I thought that was what they did while on their knees each morning!
Better come up with something else. I can't get ahold of any of our priests unless somebody's dying. They're at a workshop, or doing a pastoral in-service somewhere. Our Hispanic associate needs to be taking remedial English classes somewhere, but he immerses himself in Spanish ministry every chance he gets.
And deacons, who are married and most of whom have full-time jobs, seem to be twice as available to do marriage preparation, or baptism prep, or preside at a wake service, or visit someone in the hospital.
Priests aren't available now. I don't see where having a wife would make them any less available.
A few months ago, our priest offered to go to anyone's house who wanted to have their house blessed.
Then I wish he would just copy them, and hand out the copies after the Gospel, sit down, and let us read for ten minutes.
Actually, the need for this continuing education is a testimony to the crappy education provided in the seminaries. I have not noticed anything but the same old modernist interpretations of Catholic teaching and scripture following attendance at all these time consuming activities.
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