Posted on 03/03/2014 9:54:00 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Pope Francis has signed off on a married man's decision to join the priesthood in the Maronite Catholic Church.
Deacon Wissam Akiki, of St. Louis, Mo., who is married and has a daughter, was expected to be ordained on Thursday night, in a the Maronite church. The sect of the Eastern Catholic Christianity originated in the fifth century in what is now modern-day Lebanon.
While married priests are common within in the Maronite Catholic Church overseas, says St. Raymond's Chancellor Louis Peters, marriage for religious leaders was banned in the U.S. in the 1920s.
According to the church's American spokesperson, the Pope did not reverse the ban but merely made an exception for Akiki.
The church's namesake, St. Maron, was a hermit, who "by his holiness and the miracles he worked, attracted many followers." After his death, Maron's "monastic disciples built a large monastery in his honor." Other monasteries were subsequently founded.
The Maronite church is unique in its identity because it never severed its bond with the Vatican, even as other Eastern churches splintered or broke off at various times from Rome.
While the church first arose in the Middle East, many Maronites now live in the United States. Many of those once-affiliated with the church have adopted Western Catholicism, as priests and churches practicing their strain of Christianity have not always been available.
The Catholic Church did not mandate priesthood celibacy until the Middle Ages, a practice that was initially instituted to fight nepotism, as many church leaders gave "preference to their sons for plum positions and [tried] to edge out the competition to protect their legacy."
A church council affirmed the ban on marriage in 1139 A.D. and reaffirmed its tradition in 1563 at the Council of Trent.
Today, the only Catholic priests that are married are those in Eastern rite churches and Episcopalian and Lutheran priests who were married before converting to Catholicism.
There are about 3.29 million Maronite Catholic Church members globally.
Today, the only Catholic priests that are married are those in Eastern rite churches and Episcopalian and Lutheran priests who were married before converting to Catholicism.
Uh, Maronite = Eastern
According to the church's American spokesperson, the Pope did not reverse the ban but merely made an exception for Akiki.Huh? What does this mean?!
RE: Today, the only Catholic priests that are married are those in Eastern rite churches
Yes, but not for those who aspire to the highest position — Patriarch of Constantinople.
RE: Huh? What does this mean?!
That means exactly what it says. It is only applicable to this one person. The ban remains for others who want to be Roman Catholic priests.
But I believe the Maronite Catholic Church is united with Rome, correct?
Or in his case, the Patriarch of Antioch.
But, seriously, any priest who aspires to be a bishop should not only be barred for life from the episcopate...he should have his head examined.
Have you heard of Anglican and Lutheran priests being “grandfathered” into the Catholic priesthood with their families, provided they meet the year or years of Catholic Theology classes — whatever is needed?
I think the title of this story is a bit misleading. When I lived in Italy in the 90’s I spoke with brothers in the Catholic church often and was under the impression that a loophole existed. If a person was already married and converted it was possible to become a priest in certain cases. I think this story is referring to the Maronite Church in America or perhaps the Catholic Church in America.
Clearly a man-made tradition that has long outlived any usefulness and in fact has produced many negative and unhealthy lifestyles.
Yes, but so are the Melkites, the Greeks, (part of) the Copts, the Ruthenians, and so on. Eastern Rite priests can be married (but they can't be bishops in either rite).
The thing is that the Maronites had a separate rule for priests to be ordained in the States...and that not because of any difference in spirituality...rather out of respect for the Latin Rite which is dominant in this country.
The Press is making a far bigger deal about this than it deserves (IMHO). It is a bigger deal, thanks be to God, that a man offered his life to be a priest than the fact that the man who offered it was married.
That’s what I thought! This couldn’t be the first.
Oh, yes, I’ve heard of that, Salvation. Is that the case with Deacon Wissam Akiki? Did he become a Maronite after he was married?
If you make an exception, you have reversed the ban.
I have to agree with the celibacy absolutists on that one. Once you get a foot on the boat and one on the dock, priestly celibacy becomes near impossible to defend.
IMO it is going to come to an end anyway out of sheer necessity. Was not a fact in the early days of the Church anyhow.
RE: Was not a fact in the early days of the Church anyhow.
You are absolutely right there.
The law of clerical celibacy is considered to be NOT a DOCTRINE, but a discipline.
St. Paul himself gave the church instructions on this.
1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-9:
Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
8 Now to the unmarried[a] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
The former ended quite quickly, the latter was harder to do.
Wow. Despite the fact that the NT does not teach that priests are a church office, it also doesn’t teach that any church office is reserved for unmarried people. I give him a score of 50% on this one.
Hey, like BP advertises... “It’s a Start”
“...rather out of respect for the Latin Rite which is dominant in this country.”
If you want to call Bishop Ireland throwing an infantile hissy fit to Rome demanding that Rome throw away their agreement with Eastern Catholics, causing half the faithful in the United States to reunite with the Orthodox Church, “out of respect for the Latin Rite,” sure, that’s why it was done. Respect.
This story is getting more and more garbled as time passes. From a (possibly one-time) exception to an administrative rule of the Maronite Church, it has now expanded to something uniquely cataclysmic for the entire WORLD! !!! !
I’m just an average suburban mother who drinks too much, but I can read and process text. What’s wrong with all these other people who have actual jobs publishing stuff? Can’t they read?
Papal consistency not exactly consistent.
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