Should a priest be allowed to get married ? -- Catholic Friends Forum

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Date Posted: 22:22:40 06/21/07 Thu
Author: Neysa
Author Host/IP: user-38lciee.dialup.mindspring.com / 209.86.73.206
Subject: Should a priest be allowed to get married ?

My mom is Eastern Catholic. Priests in the Ukraine have a choice to marry, or to stay single. If they get married they must do so before they are ordained. Also, married priests cannot become a bishop, archbishop, or cardinal. When I was young one of the priests at my mom's church was married and had five children. ( In the USA priests of the Ukrainian Catholic Church cannot marry). The Orthodox and Protestants allow their clergy to get married. They seem to be able to carry out their duties as pastor, husband, and father. Do you think the Catholic Church should allow priests to get married? A very, very, long time ago we had Popes that were married with children.

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[> Re: Should a priest be allowed to get married ? -- Joan, 05:10:02 06/22/07 Fri [1] (ip72-195-155-244.ri.ri.cox.net/72.195.155.244)

I don't have strong feelings about it either way. Now that women usually work outside the home, I don't have a problem with it. The priests get very little money--not nearly enough to support a family on. So I guess that if the wife agrees that she and the kids won't become a burden on the Church, it's OK by me. I'm not interested in supporting the large families of married priests, though.

I wonder what would happen in a divorce situation. Will the Church be liable for child support because the priest has little income and can't pay child support? (Assuming the wife, not the priest, filed for divorce.)

Joan

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[> [> Joan, Excellent point..... -- Neysa, 18:45:50 06/22/07 Fri [1] (user-38lci5e.dialup.mindspring.com/209.86.72.174)

I guess that is one reason why the church doesn't want a priest to marry, it might be liable for child support.
I was sent to a Ukrainian Catholic grade school for eight years. The pastor was from the Ukraine and married. In sixth grade I asked the nun if Fr. George, could get a divorce. Sr. Grace, yelled at me that marriage is a very sacred sacrament and Father, is not getting a divorce. I was very persistent, she said that if he did he would have to leave the priesthood. I don't know how true that is. This afternoon I emailed the archbishop's secretary asking if a priest can get a divorce and about child support. I don't know if I will receive a reply.

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[> [> [> Re: Joan, Excellent point..... Follow up...... -- Neysa, 20:24:01 06/29/07 Fri [1] (user-2inik66.dialup.mindspring.com/165.121.80.198)

I received an email from the archbishop's secretary today.
All Sr. Lydia, said was that a Ukrainian Catholic priest in the Ukraine is not allowed to get divorced. If a married priest's wife dies, he may not remarry. Sister did not answer the question about if the wife files for a divorce, and about child support.

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