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Let dispensed priests play active parish role, Vatican urges bishops
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Cardinal Ivan Dias: says dispensed priests should be able to play a greater role in parish life
The Vatican has appealed to diocesan bishops to encourage priests who have left ministry in order to get married to play a more active role in parish life.
In a copy of a letter seen by The Catholic Herald Cardinal Ivan Dias, the prefect for the Evangelisation of Peoples in Rome, placed more discretionary power in the hands of bishops for discerning a dispensed cleric’s involvement with parish life. The letter, dated February 2 2011, was sent to a priest, who had written to the congregation on behalf of an Australian missionary society that is seeking a relaxation of the prohibitions on dispensed clergy.
Cardinal Dias wrote of his confidence that the Vatican’s reforms would enable dispensed priests to lead a more active life in the Church as committed Catholics under their bishop’s guidance. The usual mode of laicisation and dispensation from the priestly vow of celibacy is through a “rescript of the Apostolic See”, meaning a response from the Pope or a sacred congregation granting a favour and the conditions upon which it is granted. [more]
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4 Comments
How gracious of the Vatican to urge Bishops to permit “dispensed” priests to function in Roman Church.
Where was their gracious-ness when they required that the dispensed priest sign a document which stated that the priest was “pychologically fit”
for priestly ministry. Apparently, the local bishop decides who is psychologically fit and who isn’t.
Where was their graciousness when their leader
maintains that married priests are “criminals”?
Just think, the dispensed priests can enter into the lowest rung of the Catholic caste system.
I’m happy to hear this. I know of some priests who left to get married and still are faithful to the church. They should be allowed to participate more actively in the life of the church. Deo Gratias
Long overdue first step! It makes no sense to have married former Lutherans and Episcopalians in active priesthood while excluding our own. The celebration of the Eucharist must come first!
I have been married 18 months…following 30 years as an active Catholic priest. I have learned more about marriage in those 18 months than I knew about marriage in the prior 30 years. It is important to note that diocesan priests do not take a “vow” to God but a “promise” to a Bishop in regards to celibacy. It is interesting to note the number of former Roman priests that are now Episcopal priests. The shortage of vocations in the Roman Catholic church is mostly a shortage of vision. God is calling…the bishops need to listen.