This blog was launched on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015.
In the Ordinary Form calendar of the Roman rite, it is the Feast of the Holy Family. In the Byzantine calendar of the East, it is the Feast of St. Stephen the Protomartyr.
The purpose of this blog is to make a small-o orthodox case to restore a married priesthood in the Latin rite without abolishing celibacy as the norm.
The perennial question to ask is, "Is it God's will to restore a married priesthood in the Latin rite for the 21st Century?"
And we turn to prayer.
As patron saints of this website, for starters, we ask the following saints to help us:
- Mary, under her title Queen of the Clergy
- St. Joseph: He is the patron saint of the universal Church and a foster-father of Jesus. Today's feast day on the Ordinary Form calendar honors him.
- St. Peter: His mother-in-law was healed by Jesus.
- St. John the Evangelist: Of the 12 Apostles, the tradition is that he was the only one of the 12 Apostles who was not married when Our Lord called him to follow Him. It was most fitting that the virgin John be entrusted to take care of Our Lady. The Roman rite Liturgy of the Hours for the Feast of St. John says that the Lord loved John above the rest.
- St. Stephen the Protomartyr: Not only does his feast celebrated in the Eastern rite today, he was one of the first seven deacons. To love the priesthood (married or otherwise), let us love the diaconate as a gift from Our Lord.
- St. John Vianney, Patron Saint of Parish Priests
- Bl. Emilian Kovch: According to the website here, he was a married priest martyr beatified by St. John Paul the Great. There were 3 others from the Ukranian Greek Catholic Church.
- Bl. Mykola Konrad, according to the same website for Bl. Emilian.
- Bl. Roman Lysko, according to the same website for Bl. Emilian.
- Bl. Mykola Tsehelskij, according to the same website for Bl. Emilian.
One might say that the last 4 were Eastern Catholic priests and were not Roman rite priests, and this should disqualify them for a blog for the Roman rite. However, the point is that they were married priests, and it is to the East and its beatified and canonized that the Roman rite looks for models and assistance on this issue.
It is inevitable that the Latin Church will look to the East to discern a married priesthood the Roman rite.
Lord, who else do You want to add here?
In the Ordinary Form calendar of the Roman rite, it is the Feast of the Holy Family. In the Byzantine calendar of the East, it is the Feast of St. Stephen the Protomartyr.
The purpose of this blog is to make a small-o orthodox case to restore a married priesthood in the Latin rite without abolishing celibacy as the norm.
The perennial question to ask is, "Is it God's will to restore a married priesthood in the Latin rite for the 21st Century?"
And we turn to prayer.
_______
As patron saints of this website, for starters, we ask the following saints to help us:
- Mary, under her title Queen of the Clergy
- St. Joseph: He is the patron saint of the universal Church and a foster-father of Jesus. Today's feast day on the Ordinary Form calendar honors him.
- St. Peter: His mother-in-law was healed by Jesus.
- St. John the Evangelist: Of the 12 Apostles, the tradition is that he was the only one of the 12 Apostles who was not married when Our Lord called him to follow Him. It was most fitting that the virgin John be entrusted to take care of Our Lady. The Roman rite Liturgy of the Hours for the Feast of St. John says that the Lord loved John above the rest.
- St. Stephen the Protomartyr: Not only does his feast celebrated in the Eastern rite today, he was one of the first seven deacons. To love the priesthood (married or otherwise), let us love the diaconate as a gift from Our Lord.
- St. John Vianney, Patron Saint of Parish Priests
- Bl. Emilian Kovch: According to the website here, he was a married priest martyr beatified by St. John Paul the Great. There were 3 others from the Ukranian Greek Catholic Church.
- Bl. Mykola Konrad, according to the same website for Bl. Emilian.
- Bl. Roman Lysko, according to the same website for Bl. Emilian.
- Bl. Mykola Tsehelskij, according to the same website for Bl. Emilian.
One might say that the last 4 were Eastern Catholic priests and were not Roman rite priests, and this should disqualify them for a blog for the Roman rite. However, the point is that they were married priests, and it is to the East and its beatified and canonized that the Roman rite looks for models and assistance on this issue.
It is inevitable that the Latin Church will look to the East to discern a married priesthood the Roman rite.
Lord, who else do You want to add here?
