Topic: Must a Person be Married to Become a Priest?

[Antonis]

I never thought that they had to be married, until a few weeks ago when I was talking to a Romanian and he said that it was necessary. He said that they used to make exceptions but that now they are tightening up the rule and requiring that one must be married. Is this true and is the only real celibate path that of a monk?

[Robert W]

I have understood that the ideal is that a priest should be married or a monastic. My own priest however is not a monastic nor married. I think these things differ by country.

[Anastasios]

There is no canonical prohibition against ordaining a celibate non-monastic, but the Church's experience has shown that doing so can be quite risky.  Hence, as a matter of local practice, some local Churches choose not to ordain celibates.

[Antonis]

Thanks. 

Since this is so, nearly all bishops must be taken from the monastic order then? I am a bit confused as to how that works, as some bishops I've seen, like Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, were ordained to the diaconate, and weren't hierodeacons to my knowledge.

[Fr. George]

Thanks. 

Since this is so, nearly all bishops must be taken from the monastic order then? I am a bit confused as to how that works, as some bishops I've seen, like Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, were ordained to the diaconate, and weren't hierodeacons to my knowledge.

For many in the GOA, if they have no intention of actually living in a monastery, they are made rassoforos the night before their ordinations to subdeaconate and deaconate (which is what was likely done to His Eminence GERASIMOS).

I believe that many can live holy lives as celibate non-monastics.  If they're neither entering a monastery nor living as a hermit with ties to a monastery, then IMO they shouldn't be rassofor-ed or tonsured before ordination - why call someone something he is not?  And he essentially ceases to be a monk if he is assigned to a parish - being obedient then to the bishop.  And, IMO, all bishops, regardless of where they started, are not monks (a reason why, IMO, the canons speak of someone being returned to the status of a monk when defrocked - because once they become a bishop, they're no longer a monk, as they must break their obedience to the Abbot, their residence at the monastery, etc.).

[Basil 320]

I don't think the GOAA requires celebate deacons or priests to be monks, in order to be ordained to the episcopacy. Metropolitan Gerasimos was the Archdeacon to the Archbishop of America, held an administrative position with Holy Cross School of Theology, and had a private psychiatric practice, prior to his episcopal ordination.  (Metropolitan Methodios of Boston was the Archdeacon to the Archbishop of America prior to his priestly ordination, was very promptly---the next day as I recall, set apart as an Archimandrite, served a parish in New York for a time, and was later elevated to the episcopacy, and named Bishop of Boston.  Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey, had been a Deacon assigned to the Archbishop of America, and was later ordained a priest, served as a parish(es) priest, and then was elevated to the episcopacy, directly for the New Jersey Metropolis.  Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit, when he was ordained a priest, served as Chancellor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, later transferred to the Archdiocese in New York, before his episcopal ordination for the Detroit Metropolis.  Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh is a monk, though he had been Holy Cross' Assistant Dean, and concurrently served a small parish, part-time  He was a Great Archimandrite.  Bishop Savas of Troas, an auxiliary to Archbishop Demetrios, was a parish priest, the Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese--became an assistant bishop while he was chancellor, and now serves as the Director of the Archdiocesan Church and Society Department.)

I think, though, as Fr. Anastasios noted above, the tradition of the church is to select episcopal candidates from among the monastics, who had lived and were immersed in the angelic life, as preparation for episcopal service.

[Cymbyz]

When I first saw the title to this thread, I was reminded immediately of the situation in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Where no Arab is ordained into Major Orders unless he is married.  This is part of a strategem to insure that the Greeks--or, more accurately, the members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre--maintain an iron grip on the patriarchate.

[Alveus Lacuna]

When I first saw the title to this thread, I was reminded immediately of the situation in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Where no Arab is ordained into Major Orders unless he is married.  This is part of a strategem to insure that the Greeks--or, more accurately, the members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre--maintain an iron grip on the patriarchate.

Imagine if some Jew were elevated...Holy Hellas would crumble at the foundations.

[jenierga13]

I never thought that they had to be married, until a few weeks ago when I was talking to a Romanian and he said that it was necessary. He said that they used to make exceptions but that now they are tightening up the rule and requiring that one must be married. Is this true and is the only real celibate path that of a monk?

In other culture, a person must first be married to become a priest was probably necessary. Their views toward the concept of becoming a priest were different to others. It is in reality that on them must to follow and indeed it is true.

[serb1389]

Thanks. 

Since this is so, nearly all bishops must be taken from the monastic order then? I am a bit confused as to how that works, as some bishops I've seen, like Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, were ordained to the diaconate, and weren't hierodeacons to my knowledge.

For many in the GOA, if they have no intention of actually living in a monastery, they are made rassoforos the night before their ordinations to subdeaconate and deaconate (which is what was likely done to His Eminence GERASIMOS).

I believe that many can live holy lives as celibate non-monastics.  If they're neither entering a monastery nor living as a hermit with ties to a monastery, then IMO they shouldn't be rassofor-ed or tonsured before ordination - why call someone something he is not?  And he essentially ceases to be a monk if he is assigned to a parish - being obedient then to the bishop.  And, IMO, all bishops, regardless of where they started, are not monks (a reason why, IMO, the canons speak of someone being returned to the status of a monk when defrocked - because once they become a bishop, they're no longer a monk, as they must break their obedience to the Abbot, their residence at the monastery, etc.).

I would just like to mention that I asked His Eminence if he was tonsured a monk, and he said "yes, of course, what did you think?" so it might not be exactly as you think it may have been.  (if that makes sense at all)

[ialmisry]

Thanks. 

Since this is so, nearly all bishops must be taken from the monastic order then? I am a bit confused as to how that works, as some bishops I've seen, like Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, were ordained to the diaconate, and weren't hierodeacons to my knowledge.

For many in the GOA, if they have no intention of actually living in a monastery, they are made rassoforos the night before their ordinations to subdeaconate and deaconate (which is what was likely done to His Eminence GERASIMOS).

I believe that many can live holy lives as celibate non-monastics.  If they're neither entering a monastery nor living as a hermit with ties to a monastery, then IMO they shouldn't be rassofor-ed or tonsured before ordination - why call someone something he is not?  And he essentially ceases to be a monk if he is assigned to a parish - being obedient then to the bishop.  And, IMO, all bishops, regardless of where they started, are not monks (a reason why, IMO, the canons speak of someone being returned to the status of a monk when defrocked - because once they become a bishop, they're no longer a monk, as they must break their obedience to the Abbot, their residence at the monastery, etc.).

I seem to recall that St. Gregory Nazianzus expressing some disquiet that his father (also a bishop) had him consecrated to a nearby see when St. Gregory was considering a calling to monasticism, which was ruled out when he was consecrated.