THE TIME HAS COME

Cardinal Beniamino, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, in his recently released book All Francis’ Men, has intimated that the Church should consider ordaining married men -- in some cases. 

The Cardinal suggests that the Church ought not to be “closed nor rigid" in considering this issue.  He writes, “there is acute suffering because of a real ‘sacramental emergency,’ which the few Priests present are not able to accommodate.”

The Cardinal continues, “Continuing to maintain their family and jobs and receiving a formation contextualized for their environment,” married Priests “could offer part-time service to the community they come from in order to guarantee the sacraments, especially by presiding at the Eucharistic celebration.” 

His Eminence further reflects urging the Church to consider if “the Spirit suggests something” and use “a widespread ecclesial discernment” on this topic.

In the face of the reality of the paucity of Priests to provide sacramental and pastoral care for the multitudes, it is time that the Church confront the fact that marriage does not nor ever has constituted an impediment to Ordination to the Priesthood.

In the Latin Church, celibate Priests are the norm. 

But the norm is in itself an aberration from the history of the Sacred Priesthood which for well over a millenium was conferred upon married men.

The Orthodox Church as well as Eastern Catholic Rites have maintained the Apostolic Tradition regarding ordaining married men to the Priesthood.

It is beyond understanding that some Protestant Pastors who become Catholic are granted the privilege to be ordained Priests in the Latin Rite, while at the same time, denying Ordination to Latin Rite married men who present themselves for service to the Church as Priests.

Priestly celibacy is one of the hallmarks of the Latin Rite Church.  

Increasingly, it is a hallmark that serves no purpose other than as to be obstacle to providing pastoral care to increasing numbers of the faithful who are being deprived the Sacraments for lack of a Priest or Pastor.

Let no one deceive themselves, most of all Bishops.  A married Priesthood will very quickly become the norm in the Latin Rite.  

At the outset, the justification for the return to the more Apostolic tradition will be to provide Priestly and sacramental care “in the remote places of the world”.  But quickly, very quickly, that reasoning will expose itself as shoddy and indefensible.

Wherever the faithful are deprived the Sacraments justifies the ordaining of married men.  

As we have seen in the case of the Permanent Diaconate, revived and envisioned as a resource of assistance to Priests and Pastors especially in missionary contexts, the Order was soon quickly adopted in America where the overwhelming majority of Permanent Deacons now exists.

Once the Church breaks its Medieval stranglehold upon the Priesthood demanding that only celibate men present themselves for Priestly Ordination, the Latin Rite Priesthood will quickly become the norm universally.

This is what the Bishops have and continue to fear.

Sadly, the Bishops, who consistently encourage the faithful to trust in God’s Providential care, are the quickest to fear the presence and assistance of that Providence in matters pertaining to the proclamation and celebration of the Catholic Faith.

The time has come for this bold return to the Priesthood in the fullness of its Apostolic expression.

One final word.  

The spectacle of the Church allowing Protestant dissenters being ordained to the Latin Rite Priesthood while continuing to punish Priests who were forced into laicization because the realized and sought the blessing of Sacramental Marriage should no longer be tolerated.

The Church needs to reconcile with those Priests who were forced to abandon their ministry because they believed themselves incapable of celibacy yet still wished to serve the Body of Christ.

The Church needs to stop being punitive to these Priests and allow them to return, in some fashion, to fulfilling their Priestly vocations.

God bless Pope Francis, Cardinal Beniamino and all those in positions of authority and leadership for calling the Church to accountability and maturity in the dispensation of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.