Communique to Synod 2024

 

"Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table" (Psalm 128:3).

 

John the Baptist was son of a married priest of the Old Covenant named St. Zachariah

John the Baptist was the son of a married priest of the Old Covenant named St. Zachariah. 

"Once when he was serving as priest in his division's turn before God, according to practice of priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense" (Lk. 1:8-9).

Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist

(June 24)

Also, see: https://marriedpriesthood.blogspot.com/2020/06/st-zachariah-married-priest-of-old.html

Request to Open Canonization Causes for Wives of Married Priests

If they are not on the calendar yet, consider movements for the causes of wives of married priests.

For starters, Therasia (wife of St. Paulinus of Nola) and Fausta (wife of St. Cassius of Narni) are possibilities.

Augustine wrote about Therasia's holiness.

The Latin-Rite Church of the 20th & 21st Centuries authorized the return of married priests, beginning with Pope Pius XII who gave permission for married Roman Catholic priests to serve in active ministry. It ain't just a Vatican II thing, folks. Pius XII departed from the absolute rule for mandated celibacy that started with Lateran I & II (12th Century).

Posted on www.Facebook.com/marriedpriests on 11 March 2024:

Names of 4 married Roman Catholic priests (ordained with papal permission of Pope Pius XII to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass AND "none of these priests was forced to relinquish marital relations with his spouse"):

1) Fr. Rudolf Goethe (1951)

2) Fr. Eugen Scheytt (1952)

3) Fr. Otto Melchers (1952)

4) Fr. Martin Giebner (1953)

[Cf. Rudolf Goethe, "Die Offene Tur," pp. 117-165, in 'Bekenntnis zur Katholishe Kirche' (Wurzburt, 1955) as cited in Joseph H. Fichter "Wives of Catholic Clergy," p. 97 (Kansas City: Sheedy & Ward, 1992).]

Posted on www.x.com/marriedpriests on 22 June 2024:

The Latin-Rite Church of the 20th & 21st Centuries authorized the return of married priests, beginning with Pope Pius XII who gave permission for married Roman Catholic priests to serve in active ministry.

It ain't just a Vatican II thing, folks.

Pius XII departed from the absolute rule for mandated celibacy that started with Lateran I & II (12th Century).

Posted on www.Facebook.com/marriedpriests on 3 March 2024:

Pope Pius XII was the first modern Pope to admit married men *back* to the Latin rite priesthood when, in 1952, His Holiness allowed a married former Protestant Lutheran minister to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest with the full rights of marriage which means that Pius XII did not expect continence of the new married priest. There were 4 married priests who followed that in Germany also dispensed by the Pope. This started BEFORE Vatican II. So there is precedence for pre-Vatican II married priests who celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass. Many traditional Catholics are open to married men in the Latin rite priesthood, so it's not just a liberal thing.

#ConservativesforMarriedPriests

Posted on marriedpriesthood.blogspot.com on 14 November 2019:

https://marriedpriesthood.blogspot.com/2019/11/pope-pius-xii-began-ordination-of.html

St. Paulinus of Nola, Ordained Priest While Married to Wife Therasia, is a Married Latin Rite Father of the Church

 "Lord, you made Saint Paulinus renowned for his love of poverty and concern for his people.  May we who celebrate his witness to the Gospel imitate his example of love for others.  We ask this through Christ Our Lord.  Amen."  - Liturgy of the Hours

Paulinus married the holy Therasia c. 381 AD, had son Celsus who died as baby, & was ordained a priest c. 394. After Therasia died, he was ordained bishop.

Relics of St. Paulinus of Nola

(Source: https://nobility.org/2013/06/paulinus-of-nola/)

Therasia of Nola (wfe)

Comment from source HERE citing original source from Conybeare, Catherine. Paulinus Noster. Oxford University Press. p. 83:

: "Augustine praised the holiness of Therasia: "in te uno resalutamus" which translates as "in return, we salute her in you alone", meaning that although Therasia's holiness is praised - it is praised in terms of Paulinus' holiness.^[14]"

Benedict XVI wrote about Paulinus as a Father of the Church.

MORE HERE: https://marriedpriesthood.blogspot.com/search?q=paulinus

Memorial: Roman Catholic & Anglican: 22 June Eastern Orthodoxy: 23 January; and 22 June Oriental Orthodox Churches: 8 September

Orthodox Influencers Also Suggest (1) Looking to Married Deacons to Alleviate Priest Shortage & (2) Streamlining Formation & Making Affordable to Become Priests

Source: https://www.orthodoxstudies.com/

"In large part, priests are the only ones that have recognized the priest shortage. And he said that the laity have not recognized the priest shortage." - Fr. Daniele of Catholic Buzz Podcast paraphrasing Fr. Mike Schmidt @ 20:20

 

“I think it was Fr. Mike Schmidt who said it.  In large part, priests are the only ones that have recognized the priest shortage.  And he said that, for large part, the laity have not recognized the priest shortage.  …  The ‘service’ that people receive from their parish has not changed in the last, let’s say, 20 or 30 years…they still have Sunday Mass time, daily Mass, Confession times, meet with a priest when they want, etc., …  maybe the service has not changed drastically, but in same time frame, the number of priests has sharply reduced. So priests recognized the shortage moreso than anyone else because now they are doing the job of what used to be 2, 3 and sometimes 4 priests.  We were counting the number of priests’ roles that I have.  I think priests have recognized because they are serving the same amount of people that a large group of priests would have served on a regular basis.”

- Fr. Daniele of CatholicBuzz Podcast paraphrasing Fr. Mike Schmidt @ 20:20

"There aren't enough celibate priests to take care of needs of 1.3 billion Catholics" -Former Protestant minister & Catholic convert, Paul Martin of Australia, on need for married priests due to global priest shortage (2019)

 

Former Protestant minister & Catholic convert, Paul Martin of Australia, on need for married priests due to global priest shortage (2019):

"There aren't enough celibate priests to take care of needs of 1.3 billion Catholics."

"In Brazil, 6500 Catholics for every 1 priest." "In Philippines, there is 1 priest for 8000 Catholics. But in Manila the capital, there is 1 priest for 20,000 Catholics."

"Church lacks priests with marriage experience"

"This podcast is not an attack on celibacy of priesthood but an attack on exclusive celibacy..."

"Protestant churches have an oversupply of clergy. Catholic Church has a huge shortage."

Happy Father's Day to All Priests But Especially to Married Catholic Priests!

 

Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts (2011): "Permanent deacons who are married prior to ordination do not have the obligation of celibacy (and therefore of continence) during the marriage. They have the obligation of celibacy in case of widowhood (cf. c. 1087);" USCCB (2012): "The observations, which were formulated in consultation with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, clarify that married permanent deacons are not bound to observe perfect and perpetual continence, as long as their marriage lasts."

 Memorandum 

To: All Bishops 

From: 

Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson Chairman, Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations

Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio Chairman, Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance 

Date: January 31, 2012 

Re: Married Permanent Deacons and the Canonical Obligation to Observe Perfect and Perpetual Continence

Your Eminence/Excellency,

In recent months, published opinions have appeared in scholarly journals and on Internet blogs that have raised questions about the observance of diaconal continence by married permanent deacons in the Latin Catholic Church. The opinions have suggested that the clerical obligation to observe “perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (c. 277, §1 CIC) remains binding upon married permanent deacons, despite the dispensation provided to them in canon law from the obligation to observe celibacy (c. 1042, 1° CIC).

In response to repeated requests for an authoritative clarification on this matter, the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance requested the assistance of the USCCB President in seeking a clarification from the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.

Earlier this week, we were informed that Cardinal-designate Francesco Coccopalmerio, President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, with Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, Secretary, has forwarded to Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan the Pontifical Council’s observations on the matter (Prot. N. 13095/2011). The observations, which were formulated in consultation with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, clarify that married permanent deacons are not bound to observe perfect and perpetual continence, as long as their marriage lasts.

Should you have any questions about this response, please contact Reverend W. Shawn McKnight, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations. In addition, please feel free to share this response with those within your diocesan curia who will find it helpful.

_____________________________________

Pontificium Consilium De Legum Textibus Citta del Vaticano, 4 marzo 2011 N. 12959/2011

(Unofficial Translation) Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts

Dear Sir,

We have received a fax of your kind letter of February 20th, 2011. In it you proposed a dubium with this reasoning: "However an issue has arisen where an aspirant to the Permanent Deaconate who is a married man has declared he will not practice 'perfect and perpetual continence' in accordance with Canon 277. He says he has been told that men in the diocese have been given a general dispensation from this requirement."

In regard to this matter I am happy to offer the following clarifications:

The obligation of celibacy applies to all clerics, including permanent deacons who are not married prior to ordination (cf. c. 1037).

Permanent deacons who are married prior to ordination do not have the obligation of celibacy (and therefore of continence) during the marriage. They have the obligation of celibacy in case of widowhood (cf. c. 1087).

This is why canon 277 is not included in the list in canon 288.

Finally, the dispensation from the impediment of canon 1087 does not apply to the diocesan bishop. He can, instead, given the case in question, transmit the request for a dispensation to the Holy See. The dispensation can be requested only of the Holy See by a permanent married deacon who has been widowed and will be eventually granted only if the petitioner admits one of three reasons: the great and proven usefulness of the deacon's ministry to the diocese to which he is attached; the presence of children of a tender age requiring maternal care; the presence of elderly parents or in-laws requiring assistance (cf. Congregation for Divine Worship & Discipline of the Sacraments, Circular Letter of June 6, 1997).

+Francesco Coccopalmerio 

President