Historic: First married Maronite Catholic in U.S. to become a priest—UPDATED

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:32 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

Historic: First married Maronite Catholic in U.S. to become a priest—UPDATED 2015-03-13T16:32:46-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

From USA TODAY (and note the quote from FOB Deacon Bill Ditewig!):

In a move that could open the doors for more wedded priests in some Catholic churches across the USA, a married Maronite deacon will be ordained Thursday as a priest in St. Louis.

Deacon Wissam Akiki, who serves St. Raymond’s Maronite Cathedral, will be the first married Maronite Catholic in the United States to become a priest, said Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, which has its headquarters in Missouri.

In the Middle East, it is normal (for a priest) to be married,” Zaidan said Tuesday. “Here, this is the first.”

The Maronite church is one of several Eastern Rite churches — including Armenian, Chaldean and some Byzantine Catholics — that recognize the authority of the pope in Rome. Many Maronite Christians in the U.S. trace their lineage to present-day Lebanon and Syria.

Although Roman Catholic priests are not allowed to marry, Catholic priests who married before they were approved for ordination are allowed to remain married. An example: Catholic priests who were converts from the Anglican communion and other Protestant denominations.

“The Vatican was open to it on a case-by-case basis,” said Zaidan, and Pope Francis approved Akiki’s ordination, which was in the pipeline for about a year.

William Ditewig, executive professor of theology at Santa Clara University in California, said Pope John Paul II opened the door for this possibility decades ago in his encyclical calling for the traditions of the Eastern churches to be respected.

“I’m reluctant to project too much too fast” for the Roman Catholic church and the future of married priests, said Ditewig, who also works for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey. “I think this is interesting and significant, but I don’t necessarily think it is earth shattering.”

Read the rest.

UPDATE: There’s a good write-up about this in the St. Louis Review, too, noting:

Eastern Catholic Churches have held an ancient tradition of allowing married men to become priests, although since the 1920s the practice generally has not been permitted in the United States, according to a press release from St. Raymond’s Cathedral.

St. Raymond’s statement also noted that having a married priesthood should in no way “detract from the value that the Church finds in the vocation to celibacy. The celibate priesthood continues to be highly esteemed. We need to always keep in mind that it is a vocation to be married and a vocation to be a priest.”

In the Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church (including the United States) celibate priesthood has been the normal practice, explained Msgr. Michael Witt, professor of Church history at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. The Council of Trent, he said, realized that celibacy within the priesthood was a Church discipline.

“In other words, the Church says that she wants her priests to be celibate so that we priests then stand in for Christ at the altar and also beyond the altar,” said Msgr. Witt. “There is a marriage bond between the clergy and the Church just as there is a marriage covenant between the Church and Christ. And we as priests are supposed to image that.”

Eastern Churches traditionally have dealt with the issue of married priests in a different way. “During the Council of Trullo, the council fathers there acknowledged the legitimacy of a married clergy, but it is highly restricted,” said Msgr. Witt. “A (married) priest is not allowed to be a bishop — in fact most bishops (in the Eastern Church) are monks and they must be celibate. And if you’re ordained a priest and you’re not married, then you’re expected to remain celibate the rest of your life.”

“The important thing to remember about celibacy in Roman Church is that it is a covenantal relationship between the individual priest and the Church itself. The priest is standing in for Christ — the ‘alter Christus’ — and he stands in for Christ, not only when he is performing the sacraments, but in a much broader sense than that. We are really married to the Church in a unique kind of way.”

Deacons

Eastern Christians

Priests

Previous Post

February 25, 2014

"Dear Jimmy Fallon..."

Next Post

February 26, 2014 In letter, Benedict describes rumors surrounding his resignation "absurd"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution Politics politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV uncategorized Uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I saw a vision of four living creatures with four faces—human, lion, ox, and eagle—beside wheels within wheels. Who witnessed this?

Select your answer to see how you score.

John Isaiah Daniel Ezekiel

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »