Just wondering if this was possible. I have been considering it for some time, but not sure if it is possible or how to go about it.

Jim

-- Jimb@aol.com (Jimb@aol.com), December 09, 2004

Answers

Response to Can a layman who is married, in the Latin rite, switch to the eastern rite & become an Eastern rite priest?

Bump

-- Jimb@aol.com (Jimb@aol.com), December 09, 2004.

Response to Can a layman who is married, in the Latin rite, switch to the eastern rite & become an Eastern rite priest?

You cannot move from West to East merely to be able to be ordained after marriage. You would have to convince the Eastern bishop that you wanted to become an Eastern church member for other reasons. Then he would probably place you under a long period of probation (to prove your veracity and sincerity) before allowing you to begin seminary studies.

Perhaps your vocation is to the permanent diaconate in the West, not to the priesthood. I suggest that you meet with your bishop or one of his deacons to discuss this.

-- % (%@%.%), December 10, 2004.

Response to Can a layman who is married, in the Latin rite, switch to the eastern rite & become an Eastern rite priest?

I asked a similar question and was told by an Eastern Rite priest, that normally such transfer of rites come with attached with the condition 'not to be ordained a priest'.

Hugh

-- hugh (hugh@inspired.com), December 10, 2004.

Response to Can a layman who is married, in the Latin rite, switch to the eastern rite & become an Eastern rite priest?

Who said that the person wasn't supposed to become a priest for the Eastern Rite? The questioned Eastern Rite Priest? Or the Latin Rite Priest that might know?..I'm a mite confused.

Jim, if you're called to service, you could still become a Deacon, in the Latin Rite (Not sure about Orthodox & Melkites hope I spelled that right.)

But I had heard, being no authority, that as a Deacon you may already be wed, but (god forbid) your bride passed that you could never take another.

And I'm extra sketchy on the fact that you could be married and become a Deacon. But once you were a Deacon you couldn't later get mearried (even if you'd never been married before.)

Love, Grace & Peace, Dorian

In an effort to include pretty much all readers: Enlightened Rohastu, Happy Hanukah, Bah Humbug, Merry Christmas, Blessed Winters Solstice/Yule, Abundant Kwanza & Prosperous New Year

-- Dorian (DontAgree_IDon'tCare@yahoo.com), December 12, 2004.

Response to Can a layman who is married, in the Latin rite, switch to the eastern rite & become an Eastern rite priest?

Dorian, mind spellign God with a Cap G? I know its becoem popular for peopel who disclaim christainity to spell it god instead of God, to denegrate the mane, and I have heard the excuse of not egrandisign god since you dont beelive in him, but it is not only highly offensive, espcially on a Christain board, to spell it this way, but when the word god is used as a name ( IE, when God gave Moses the ten Commandments, he put them on stone tablets.) then its grammaticlaly incorrect to spell it god instead of God.

Please be more sensativ ein the future.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), December 12, 2004.

Response to Can a layman who is married, in the Latin rite, switch to the eastern rite & become an Eastern rite priest?

Ease off Zarove, it was only once (I think) that Dorian used a small g, which you of all people should be able to excuse as an unintentional slip. Dorian has got enough criticism (mainly from me) for her real errors, so let’s not get excited about ONE letter being in lower case.

Dorian, you are correct, a married man may be ordained a deacon but once ordained he may never re-marry. A single man ordained a deacon may not marry afterwards. In the Western Rite normally only married men are ordained as permanent deacons. If a man moved from the Western rite to an eastern Rite, it would be up to his bishop in his new Rite to decide whether to accept him as a candidate for priesthood. I understand this has never occurred under the circumstances Jim outlines. The Eastern rites are proud and jealous of their traditions and they very understandably don’t want Western Rite men using them as a “back-door” method of becoming married priests (and then seeking a transfer back to the Western Rite?). In addition, if a man planned all this out beforehand, you would have to question whether the man described is really a suitable candidate, as it seems to be all about what HE wants, rather than humbly and obediently saying "yes" to a call to do what God wants.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), December 12, 2004.

Response to Can a layman who is married, in the Latin rite, switch to the eastern rite & become an Eastern rite priest?

Zarove, If you want to be precise about not insulting anyone of any religion then spell it G-d. Because you offend any of our Jewish readers by being a mere mortal trying to say his name.

A different note on the same subject of spelling. You want to be the spelling/grammer gestapo, you can spell check all my posts for me from now on, I'm dyslexic and don't always bother doing that myself.

Since you're not going to, and since I'm not going to either, I suggest you get a Dorian to English dictionary, or a handy dandy Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring or just skip over my posts entirely.

Steve, thank you for putting in a good (probably correctly spelled too ;) ) word for me. I appreciate it. Love, Grace & Peace, Dorian

In an effort to include everyone no matter what G-d/dess they chose to worship(<~~notice correct useage? yes, I'm RC but happen to have a sense of humor so back off grammer boy :P~ lol): Enlightened Rohastu, Happy Hanukah, Bah Humbug, Merry Christmas, Blessed Winters Solstice/Yule, Abundant Kwanza & Prosperous New Year

-- Dorian (IfYouDontLikeIt_OhWell@yahoo.com), December 14, 2004.

Response to Can a layman who is married, in the Latin rite, switch to the eastern rite & become an Eastern rite priest?

Steve, I'm not even clergy and 'I' wouldn't think too much of someone who was only switching to Eastern Rite so they could say they were married and could become a Priest.

And even if he did, there'd be no point in switching back to the Latin Rite. Because unless I'm mistaken he wouldn't be able to be a Latin Rite Priest and perform any Latin Rite Masses, ect..

I just think it'd make more sense for the fella in question to become and ordained deacon. Especially since there is such a shortage of priests that many are now the principle priest for more than one Church. They really need a strong support group of Deacons, Sisters and Lay People to help both the church communities to operate. Love, Grace & Peace, Dorian

In and effort to include all faiths: Enlightened Rohastu, Happy Hanukah, Bah Humbug, Merry Christmas, Blessed Winters Solstice/Yule, Abundant Kwanza & Prosperous New Year

-- Dorian (blahblah@yahoo.com), December 14, 2004.

Response to Can a layman who is married, in the Latin rite, switch to the eastern rite & become an Eastern rite priest?

Dorian, there are some married Eastern Rite priests who have transferred to the Western Rite. They are allowed to fully exercise their priestly powers.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), December 15, 2004.