Some colleagues of mine took a religion course this summer. I think it was called "The History of the Catholic Church." Anyway...the instructor was a married priest! I asked them how this could be, and from what they understood, the guy was a minister in another Christian Church, was married to a Catholic woman, and then decided to become a Catholic, himself. And THEN, after that he was allowed to become a priest...and still be married. (I'm not making this up!) Has anybody else ever heard of such a situation??

Sooo...it seems that a man who isn't raised a Catholic can become a priest by coming in the back door, sort of. But of course a man who has been Catholic all his life, and who happens to be married could never become a priest.

It doesn't make much sense to me.

Anne

Anne, I have a couple of friends who are married priests through a similar route. This is most common when an ordained Anglican/Episcopalian priest comes into the Catholic Church. Because there is a possibility that "Apostolic succession" still exists in that tradition, their ordination is given a different consideration than ministers from other traditions.

Still, as you noted, there are aspects of this which just do seem a little unusual.

Phil wrote:

<<This is most common when an ordained Anglican/Episcopalian priest comes into the Catholic Church. Because there is a possibility that "Apostolic succession" still exists in that tradition, their ordination is given a different consideration than ministers from other traditions.>>

OK, that makes sense. My friends didn't explain it quite that well....they probably didn't pick up all the information and I'll bet this was that exact situation--Anglican/Episcopalian. Thanks for the clarification. While it still seems a little strange, I do understand.

Anne