Married Episcopal Priests can be ordained Catholic Priests

Posted: Jan 23, 2012 5:52 PM by Jenise Fernandez
Updated: Jan 23, 2012 6:08 PM

On New Year's day, the Vatican announced they're allowing married Episcopal priests to become Catholic priests.

"Some Anglicans feel that their church is going astray and they're aligning themselves with the Catholic Church," said Sarah Ritchey, Asst. History Professor at UL Lafayette.

Ritchey wrote a New York Times piece about married Episcopal priests converting to Catholicism. In 1980, the Vatican allowed those clergymen to stay married. The difference now, entire congregations can follow.

"The priest doesn't have to leave his flock. The Catholic Church wants to bring more people into the fold," she said.

In an e-mailed statement, Bishop Michael Jarrell of the Lafayette Diocese says: "I am pleased that the church is making previsions for welcoming non-catholic Christians, clergy and laity, who wish to live in full communion with the catholic church."

The canon at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany says he's heard of 1 or 2 Episcopal priests becoming Catholic priests, but it was at least a decade ago. The Lafayette Diocese didn't know of any current ones. Although there'll be more "married Catholic priests" in the US, Ritchey says it's only an exception.

"In case of death, the priest cannot be remarried and aspiring seminarians entering the priesthood will have to take a vow of celibacy," she said.

But is this a step in allowing Catholic priests to marry?

"The church has made it very clear that they're not currently entering a conversation or thinking about overturning celibacy," she added.